"(STATS) - Hampton University will leave the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to join the Big South as a full member beginning with the 2018-19 academic year.
University officials announced the move at a news conference on the Virginia campus Thursday.
All but one of Hampton's 17 varsity sports (men's lacrosse) is sponsored by the Big South. The Pirates' football program will begin play in its new conference no later than the 2019 season.
"Hampton's rich history and tradition both athletically and academically aligns perfectly with the ideals and core values of the Big South Conference," said Mary Grant, the Big South president and UNC Asheville's chancellor.
Hampton, which has an enrollment of 4,768 and is celebrating its 150th year, is one of the nation's most academically prestigious historically black colleges and universities. It will join the Big South on July 1 and become its first HBCU, moving the conference to 12 full-time members and eventually eight in football. While Liberty football will depart after this season, Campbell is joining the Big South next year followed by associate member North Alabama in 2019.
Said Hampton president Dr. William R. Harvey: "Institutions in the Big South are located in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, which means that our student athletes will spend less time traveling and more time in classes on campus. This keeps the proper focus on academics, which is our chief reason for being. The smaller geographic footprint will also reduce travel expenses. Another important consideration is the large number of alumni located in the Big South region."
https://sports.yahoo.com/hampton-moving-...ncaaf.html
I'd say that's a good move for both Hampton and the Big South. Hampton is probably ecstatic. It'll be interesting to see how much it will affect the talent they get. I think it's a huge help for football.
(11-16-2017 03:12 PM)JMad03 Wrote: [ -> ]I'd say that's a good move for both Hampton and the Big South. Hampton is probably ecstatic. It'll be interesting to see how much it will affect the talent they get. I think it's a huge help for football.
Yeah, I agree. Good move for Hampton. It will be interesting to see if the alum agree.
I wonder what this says about Hampton's future as a predominantly African-American school moving forward.
(11-16-2017 10:29 PM)Dukes94 Wrote: [ -> ]I wonder what this says about Hampton's future as a predominantly African-American school moving forward.
Well, Tennessee State is also an HBCU that plays in a non-HBCU conference (since 1988). More importantly, does this - along with Savannah State dropping back down to D2 - signal trouble for the MEAC (and possibly the SWAC)? I have said in before that I wouldn't be surprised to see some HBCU's break off from those two conferences and join the non-HBCU conferences. It would be interesting to see if there are 2-3 more MEAC teams (who are in a financially stable situation) jump to a conference like the Big South - which definitely needs more football teams. You get a few more who decide to drop down to D2 and you could be looking at a MEAC-SWAC merger.
It sets up a potentially nasty/ugly cross-state rivalry between Hampton and Liberty. Hampton doesn't like Liberty much, either their type of religion or their politics, both of which they perceive as racist.
(11-20-2017 03:09 PM)orange-to-purple Wrote: [ -> ]It sets up a potentially nasty/ugly cross-state rivalry between Hampton and Liberty. Hampton doesn't like Liberty much, either their type of religion or their politics, both of which they perceive as racist.
Liberty is an FBS independent. In a way, Hampton is back filling a conference liberty just left. I doubt Hampton would've bothered to join a Big South that still contained Liberty.
Presbyterian leaving the Big South for the Pioneer
Hampton is positioning themselves for the CAA. When you guys move to the FBS, Hampton will be the logical school to take your the spot.
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(11-20-2017 03:39 PM)ODU1986 Wrote: [ -> ]Hampton is positioning themselves for the CAA. When you guys move to the FBS, Hampton will be the logical school to take your the spot.
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They couldn't have done that from the MEAC?
(11-20-2017 03:14 PM)Potomac Wrote: [ -> ] (11-20-2017 03:09 PM)orange-to-purple Wrote: [ -> ]It sets up a potentially nasty/ugly cross-state rivalry between Hampton and Liberty. Hampton doesn't like Liberty much, either their type of religion or their politics, both of which they perceive as racist.
Liberty is an FBS independent. In a way, Hampton is back filling a conference liberty just left. I doubt Hampton would've bothered to join a Big South that still contained Liberty.
Isn't Hampton joining for all sports? Will Liberty still compete in the Big South for all sports other than football?
(11-20-2017 03:39 PM)ODU1986 Wrote: [ -> ]Hampton is positioning themselves for the CAA. When you guys move to the FBS, Hampton will be the logical school to take your the spot.
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You got it all wrong. Hampton will join CAA when Delaware leaves. We're not leaving CAA until Radford and Eastern Mennonite do.
(11-20-2017 06:10 PM)2Buck Wrote: [ -> ] (11-20-2017 03:39 PM)ODU1986 Wrote: [ -> ]Hampton is positioning themselves for the CAA. When you guys move to the FBS, Hampton will be the logical school to take your the spot.
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You got it all wrong. Hampton will join CAA when Delaware leaves. We're not leaving CAA until Radford and Eastern Mennonite do.
Radford will stay in the CAA for football and the ACC for all other sports.
(11-20-2017 06:48 PM)Dukes94 Wrote: [ -> ] (11-20-2017 06:10 PM)2Buck Wrote: [ -> ] (11-20-2017 03:39 PM)ODU1986 Wrote: [ -> ]Hampton is positioning themselves for the CAA. When you guys move to the FBS, Hampton will be the logical school to take your the spot.
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You got it all wrong. Hampton will join CAA when Delaware leaves. We're not leaving CAA until Radford and Eastern Mennonite do.
Radford will stay in the CAA for football and the ACC for all other sports.
You guys got it right, JMU is not leaving the CAA until Radford and EMU leave the CAA. We're positioning ourselves to be back with our peers of 50 years ago.
(11-20-2017 03:09 PM)orange-to-purple Wrote: [ -> ]It sets up a potentially nasty/ugly cross-state rivalry between Hampton and Liberty. Hampton doesn't like Liberty much, either their type of religion or their politics, both of which they perceive as racist.
I've never heard this before. Can you provide more details, links. Perceived as racist?
Just mutterings I've heard (The Man does some contract geek work for Hampton). And if you don't think Liberty is perceived as racist by an HBCU, look at their politics. There are plenty of white people who think they are also.
(11-20-2017 06:10 PM)2Buck Wrote: [ -> ] (11-20-2017 03:39 PM)ODU1986 Wrote: [ -> ]Hampton is positioning themselves for the CAA. When you guys move to the FBS, Hampton will be the logical school to take your the spot.
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You got it all wrong. Hampton will join CAA when Delaware leaves. We're not leaving CAA until Radford and Eastern Mennonite do.
JMU, Eastern Mennonite, Shenandoah University & Bridgewater package deal to the Unicorn Jumping Over the Rainbow Conference All Rockingham County Division...Book it.
(11-21-2017 09:32 AM)orange-to-purple Wrote: [ -> ]Just mutterings I've heard (The Man does some contract geek work for Hampton). And if you don't think Liberty is perceived as racist by an HBCU, look at their politics. There are plenty of white people who think they are also.
Is Falwell's support of Donald Trump make Liberty a racist institution? Do people these days even know what the word "racist" even means anymore? We have belittled historical racism and even present day racism that exists because we throw that word around to describe any perceived objection to our own beliefs.
I don't like Falwell and didn't vote for Trump but the idea of a great rivalry developing between Hampton and Liberty because of Liberty's racist politics towards an HBCU is disgusting if people at Hampton really believe such a thing.
It won't be necessarily *because* of that, but I suspect there will be mutterings...on both sides.