The Virginian-Pilot Wrote:Hampton U. officials rip MEAC for "vindictive sanctions" and "unreasonable demands"

By Harry Minium
The Virginian-Pilot



NORFOLK Hampton University officials issued a blistering, four-page news release late Tuesday, accusing the MEAC of making "unreasonable demands" and hitting the Pirates with "vindictive sanctions" because the school is withdrawing next season to join the Big South Conference.

The release was made a day after the Virginian-Pilot reported that indicated Hampton will not play a MEAC football schedule in 2018, as it has requested, and is having to hustle to put a schedule together.

Hampton accused MEAC officials of refusing to discuss its exit from the league in face-to-face meetings. The league has also refused to allow Hampton to play a MEAC football schedule this fall and is fining the school unjustly, officials said.

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Seems pretty petty to me. Though, should have given an earlier notice and maybe there would be less hurt from the MEAC.

I have fond memories of Hampton going on a 9-0 run in the last 2:00 to pull off a 15-2 shocker.

Is moving to Big South actually a good move? They give up the timeless Howard/Hampton rivalry and don’t really gain anything in Hoops prestige.

Big South is a better bball league and the Big South participates in the FCS playoffs. Is the BSC a 2 bid league? No, but Winthrop and Liberty (bball only) are better than anything the MEAC offers year after year.

Good for them. Hampton is one of the more progressive HBCU's. They shouldn't be weighed down by that ignorance. Howard should follow suit.

(02-21-2018 12:15 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  I have fond memories of Hampton going on a 9-0 run in the last 2:00 to pull off a 15-2 shocker.

Is moving to Big South actually a good move? They give up the timeless Howard/Hampton rivalry and don’t really gain anything in Hoops prestige.

Hampton has experience with this, they were a member of the CIAA for 83 years before joining the MEAC in 1995, so the MEAC roots don't run so deep.

That said, I don't think the Big South does anything for Hampton. HBCU football is about the HBCU family, I have doubts as to whether the Hampton fan base will get excited by playing Big South schools. Like you say, they might lose the 100+ years of the Howard rivalry, and also probably Norfolk State as well.

Seems like a bold/risky move to me, which in theory I like, but is playing High Point and Winthrop and Gardner-Webb really that big a step up from the MEAC? IMO the payoff isn't there.

Maybe they're worried that the MEAC will collapse or fall down to DII.

(02-21-2018 11:40 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 12:15 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  I have fond memories of Hampton going on a 9-0 run in the last 2:00 to pull off a 15-2 shocker.

Is moving to Big South actually a good move? They give up the timeless Howard/Hampton rivalry and don’t really gain anything in Hoops prestige.

Hampton has experience with this, they were a member of the CIAA for 83 years before joining the MEAC in 1995, so the MEAC roots don't run so deep.

That said, I don't think the Big South does anything for Hampton. HBCU football is about the HBCU family, I have doubts as to whether the Hampton fan base will get excited by playing Big South schools. Like you say, they might lose the 100+ years of the Howard rivalry, and also probably Norfolk State as well.

Seems like a bold/risky move to me, which in theory I like, but is playing High Point and Winthrop and Gardner-Webb really that big a step up from the MEAC? IMO the payoff isn't there.

The Big South is not Hampton's endgame.

HU has been an aggressive in improving its perception for a long time now, dating to when it was known as Hampton Institute and produced Rick Mahorn. They've made multiple overtures to the CAA as they expanded/backfilled over the past decade, and it's been reported that not only have they been talking to the CAA and Big South recently, but the A-10 as well (presumably not for a spot right away, since it's hard to imagine the A-10 expanding at 14 schools or even backfilling if Dayton/St. Louis finally get a Big East invite and/or UMass takes an all-sports bid to an FBS conference).

My guess is that Hampton hopes to use the Big South to build its athletic bona fides up enough that they can be a viable candidate for when the CAA needs a school. The A-10 is a stretch goal, but you can't win if you don't play and there's no harm in getting your name on their lips, even if just for the long game.

Right, I also believe Hampton has buy-in from most of its donors. You don't make a move like this without it.

(02-21-2018 01:26 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  Good for them. Hampton is one of the more progressive HBCU's. They shouldn't be weighed down by that ignorance. Howard should follow suit.

I would not be surprised in the least if Howard joins the Big South at some point. Perhaps they're letting Hampton be the canary in the coal mine; if it works out for them, then Howard is more emboldened to follow suit.

With Hampton moving and Savannah State dropping to D2, where does the MEAC go from here? They dipped into the CIAA for their last two programs, North Carolina Central and Winston-Salem State (which returned to D2 during its probationary period). But I'm not sure there's any obvious viable move-up schools left (Virginia State has the best case with attendance, on-field/court success and a new basketball arena) but they've had accreditation and enrollment issues before, so they may not be positioned to upgrade even if they wanted to.

At 11 schools once Hampton and Savannah State leave, they're not in immediate danger of folding, but if Howard starts to eye the exits and some of the schools on shakier ground start thinking about returning to the CIAA or SIAC themselves, they definitely should be brushing up on their contingency plans.

(02-21-2018 11:40 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 12:15 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  I have fond memories of Hampton going on a 9-0 run in the last 2:00 to pull off a 15-2 shocker.

Is moving to Big South actually a good move? They give up the timeless Howard/Hampton rivalry and don’t really gain anything in Hoops prestige.

Hampton has experience with this, they were a member of the CIAA for 83 years before joining the MEAC in 1995, so the MEAC roots don't run so deep.

That said, I don't think the Big South does anything for Hampton. HBCU football is about the HBCU family, I have doubts as to whether the Hampton fan base will get excited by playing Big South schools. Like you say, they might lose the 100+ years of the Howard rivalry, and also probably Norfolk State as well.

Seems like a bold/risky move to me, which in theory I like, but is playing High Point and Winthrop and Gardner-Webb really that big a step up from the MEAC? IMO the payoff isn't there.

The most ideal conference IMO is the Atlantic Sun or Southern Conference. The Big South is a step down because, as you noted, they leave behind their rivalries for what is a minimal rise in competition, if at all.

(02-21-2018 12:23 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 11:40 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 12:15 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  I have fond memories of Hampton going on a 9-0 run in the last 2:00 to pull off a 15-2 shocker.

Is moving to Big South actually a good move? They give up the timeless Howard/Hampton rivalry and don’t really gain anything in Hoops prestige.

Hampton has experience with this, they were a member of the CIAA for 83 years before joining the MEAC in 1995, so the MEAC roots don't run so deep.

That said, I don't think the Big South does anything for Hampton. HBCU football is about the HBCU family, I have doubts as to whether the Hampton fan base will get excited by playing Big South schools. Like you say, they might lose the 100+ years of the Howard rivalry, and also probably Norfolk State as well.

Seems like a bold/risky move to me, which in theory I like, but is playing High Point and Winthrop and Gardner-Webb really that big a step up from the MEAC? IMO the payoff isn't there.

The Big South is not Hampton's endgame.

HU has been an aggressive in improving its perception for a long time now, dating to when it was known as Hampton Institute and produced Rick Mahorn. They've made multiple overtures to the CAA as they expanded/backfilled over the past decade, and it's been reported that not only have they been talking to the CAA and Big South recently, but the A-10 as well (presumably not for a spot right away, since it's hard to imagine the A-10 expanding at 14 schools or even backfilling if Dayton/St. Louis finally get a Big East invite and/or UMass takes an all-sports bid to an FBS conference).

My guess is that Hampton hopes to use the Big South to build its athletic bona fides up enough that they can be a viable candidate for when the CAA needs a school. The A-10 is a stretch goal, but you can't win if you don't play and there's no harm in getting your name on their lips, even if just for the long game.

I forgot about that. They had been talking to the Atlantic-10 since the NCAA Tournament upset that made them famous.

The MEAC is in deep trouble, this may simply be the first exit. Savannah State will be playing their last year up in D-I before dropping to D-II. South Carolina State required heroic fund raising effort simply to stay open and somehow keep D-I athletics (which they should not be in). On the other end of the spectrum. Howard is a very high flight risk in the next few years, a very strong academic school, with a $700M endowment, unlike most of the MEAC, who they simply don't fit beyond being an HBCU.

There is simply too wide a variance in the direction and strength of institutions in the league. The poorer ones, and those most committed may feel desperate and vindictive. While I don't think a complete collapse is imminent, it wouldn't surprise me if the 11 school league shrank to 7 in the next four or five years.

Note: I do expect a couple MEAC schools will keep Hampton on the schedule, including Howard who will want a long term OOC contract with their rival. Also I'm sure a couple Big South schools will add Hampton, as they have only five conference games and many schools have incomplete schedules (e.g., Charleston Southern). It'll be a scramble, but I think they can cobble together a schedule, even if it means a couple D-II opponents.

(02-21-2018 12:23 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 11:40 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 12:15 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  I have fond memories of Hampton going on a 9-0 run in the last 2:00 to pull off a 15-2 shocker.

Is moving to Big South actually a good move? They give up the timeless Howard/Hampton rivalry and don’t really gain anything in Hoops prestige.

Hampton has experience with this, they were a member of the CIAA for 83 years before joining the MEAC in 1995, so the MEAC roots don't run so deep.

That said, I don't think the Big South does anything for Hampton. HBCU football is about the HBCU family, I have doubts as to whether the Hampton fan base will get excited by playing Big South schools. Like you say, they might lose the 100+ years of the Howard rivalry, and also probably Norfolk State as well.

Seems like a bold/risky move to me, which in theory I like, but is playing High Point and Winthrop and Gardner-Webb really that big a step up from the MEAC? IMO the payoff isn't there.

The Big South is not Hampton's endgame.

HU has been an aggressive in improving its perception for a long time now, dating to when it was known as Hampton Institute and produced Rick Mahorn. They've made multiple overtures to the CAA as they expanded/backfilled over the past decade, and it's been reported that not only have they been talking to the CAA and Big South recently, but the A-10 as well (presumably not for a spot right away, since it's hard to imagine the A-10 expanding at 14 schools or even backfilling if Dayton/St. Louis finally get a Big East invite and/or UMass takes an all-sports bid to an FBS conference).

My guess is that Hampton hopes to use the Big South to build its athletic bona fides up enough that they can be a viable candidate for when the CAA needs a school. The A-10 is a stretch goal, but you can't win if you don't play and there's no harm in getting your name on their lips, even if just for the long game.

Agreed. This isn't about a lengthy stay in Big South. CAA and A10 were said to be places, SoCon's another. Honestly, with its institutional reputation, don't rule out the northeastern conferences like the NEC or AmEast. Anywhere but MEAC, since so many of its member schools are in terrible health and way out of step (and out of its league) in D1.

(02-21-2018 02:31 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  The MEAC is in deep trouble, this may simply be the first exit. Savannah State will be playing their last year up in D-I before dropping to D-II. South Carolina State required heroic fund raising effort simply to stay open and somehow keep D-I athletics (which they should not be in). On the other end of the spectrum. Howard is a very high flight risk in the next few years, a very strong academic school, with a $700M endowment, unlike most of the MEAC, who they simply don't fit beyond being an HBCU.

There is simply too wide a variance in the direction and strength of institutions in the league. The poorer ones, and those most committed may feel desperate and vindictive. While I don't think a complete collapse is imminent, it wouldn't surprise me if the 11 school league shrank to 7 in the next four or five years.

Note: I do expect a couple MEAC schools will keep Hampton on the schedule, including Howard who will want a long term OOC contract with their rival. Also I'm sure a couple Big South schools will add Hampton, as they have only five conference games and many schools have incomplete schedules (e.g., Charleston Southern). It'll be a scramble, but I think they can cobble together a schedule, even if it means a couple D-II opponents.

The MEAC isn't going to be able to keep their schools from scheduling Hampton in the long-term. Howard and Norfolk State would tell them to go screw—in particular Norfolk State, which probably would have stayed in the CIAA had Hampton not moved up. The North Carolina schools aren't going to turn down a chance to play a familiar HBCU opponent in their OOCs, either.

If South Carolina State dropped to D2, that really puts the Florida schools on an island. They might be better off in the Atlantic Sun.

A radical idea: Chicago State? They have the demographics, if not history, of an HBCU. They'd certainly be on an island but at least it's easy enough to get a flight there. And if the MEAC loses multiple schools on top of Hampton and Savannah State, it may be a case of any port in a storm.

Now it's time for Alabama State to join the Southern and PV and TSU to join the Southland.

The 8 schools that were supposed to play Hampton in 2018 --- what are they going to do for a replacement game?

The MEAC has 10 football schools even w/o Hampton, so it was never a round-robin in the first place and they can theoretically re-work the entire conference schedule. Is that the plan?

Didn't realize MEAC is pulling a CAA with the AQ-ban.

Hampton's good for doing this. And the Pilot is good to share that what the MEAC is doing isn't even in their bylaws. For a conference as down as MEAC, what's there to gain from this? Were Hampton to sue (and maybe they should), maybe it's like trying to get water from a rock...but MEAC is being totally foolish.

We'll find out soon, I'm sure, who some of the spited are within MEAC. Norfolk State appears to keep them on the schedule (hey, if MEAC isn't going to readily offer a replacement game, go pound sand, conference). I'm curious what Howard will do. Howard could be no different than Hampton, but Howard goes way back with the MEAC schools...don't be surprised if the two privates aren't in lockstep.

(02-21-2018 04:25 PM)Nittany_Bearcat Wrote:  The 8 schools that were supposed to play Hampton in 2018 --- what are they going to do for a replacement game?

The MEAC has 10 football schools even w/o Hampton, so it was never a round-robin in the first place and they can theoretically re-work the entire conference schedule. Is that the plan?

Nine football schools — Savannah State is leaving after the 2018-19 season to return to the D2 SIAC. Which actually makes a round-robin even more logical.

(02-21-2018 04:42 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Didn't realize MEAC is pulling a CAA with the AQ-ban.

Hampton's good for doing this. And the Pilot is good to share that what the MEAC is doing isn't even in their bylaws. For a conference as down as MEAC, what's there to gain from this? Were Hampton to sue (and maybe they should), maybe it's like trying to get water from a rock...but MEAC is being totally foolish.

We'll find out soon, I'm sure, who some of the spited are within MEAC. Norfolk State appears to keep them on the schedule (hey, if MEAC isn't going to readily offer a replacement game, go pound sand, conference). I'm curious what Howard will do. Howard could be no different than Hampton, but Howard goes way back with the MEAC schools...don't be surprised if the two privates aren't in lockstep.

If nothing else, the MEAC needs to find a way to facilitate a replacement for the schools losing a home game because of this decree. The easiest thing, if they really insist on sticking it to Hampton, is remove them from the conference slate and let everyone keep them on their schedules as an OOC game. Of course, with the MEAC, OOC performance isn't much of a priority, since the champion goes to the Celebration Bowl and not the NCAA playoffs, and a lot has to break right for a non-champion team to get a playoff berth (for the SWAC, OOC might as well be exhibition games).