Here is what's actually going to happen next in the MEAC .... wait for it ....nothing.

-- The Big South has 8 Football teams and 12 Basketball schools lined up for 2021. They are full.
-- The SWAC has no interest in any schools not named Tennessee State, and otherwise not in Nashville
// I do not expect that to happen, it could be a long wait, until the conditions are right; and they are not there now
-- Bethune-Cookman is looking at more than a map and travel budget. Also nothing changes (see below)

Norfolk State (Battle of the Bay) and Howard were the big rivals of Hampton. Both have 4 year series signed with Hampton in Football, and will likely turn into semi-permanent non-conference games, as both sides need those games. I expect the same by NC A&T, scheduling at least NC Central nearly annually, and likely SC State as well. FAMU will also likely try to continue the Florida Classic against Bethune-Cookman.

If those rivalries continue, they will provide those five MEAC schools with a 7th opponent, besides the 6 in conference, softening the blow of losing those schools. Delaware State plays UDel in the Route 1 Rivalry for their 7th, which is unaffected. Only Morgan State will truly be scrambling to find two more opponents. Between the 6 conference games, the more or less built in rivalry games, and the lack of anywhere better to go, I think the MEAC will not lose another school for the next few years.

Many have looked at the D-II move up options, and even before covid-19 they really weren't there. And they certainly aren't there now. So no changes.

But the MEAC needs to look at the issues which led to the departure of four schools in just a few years. That means the way they do business, the way the compensate programs. They need to fix these issues, allow schools to improve revenue streams. When they are healthy and more attractive, then they can look at expansion. But not now.

Having HBCUs in a same conference with non-HBCUs might be the answer to help get their competition in sports up, and could attract new students to their campuses. Adding NJIT could help established a northern present if they lose the southern schools. What they need is to explore this since the HBCUs are slowly becoming an all race schools. West Virginia State is the one that is mostly white right now. Some HBCUs in NAIA in the same conferences with other non-HBCUs had some success. MEAC needs to do something new.

(06-10-2020 02:28 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  Having HBCUs in a same conference with non-HBCUs might be the answer to help get their competition in sports up, and could attract new students to their campuses. Adding NJIT could help established a northern present if they lose the southern schools. What they need is to explore this since the HBCUs are slowly becoming an all race schools. West Virginia State is the one that is mostly white right now. Some HBCUs in NAIA in the same conferences with other non-HBCUs had some success. MEAC needs to do something new.

HBCUs have ALWAYS been all race schools which is one of the reasons we received the HBCU designation in the first place. West Virginia State has been majority white since the mid 60s for reasons not tied to any diversity efforts.

(06-10-2020 01:46 PM)GreenHornet33 Wrote:  

(06-10-2020 02:28 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  Having HBCUs in a same conference with non-HBCUs might be the answer to help get their competition in sports up, and could attract new students to their campuses. Adding NJIT could help established a northern present if they lose the southern schools. What they need is to explore this since the HBCUs are slowly becoming an all race schools. West Virginia State is the one that is mostly white right now. Some HBCUs in NAIA in the same conferences with other non-HBCUs had some success. MEAC needs to do something new.

HBCUs have ALWAYS been all race schools which is one of the reasons we received the HBCU designation in the first place. West Virginia State has been majority white since the mid 60s for reasons not tied to any diversity efforts.

Both WVSU and Bluefield State are majority white but are still HBCU's.

(06-10-2020 01:46 PM)GreenHornet33 Wrote:  

(06-10-2020 02:28 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  Having HBCUs in a same conference with non-HBCUs might be the answer to help get their competition in sports up, and could attract new students to their campuses. Adding NJIT could help established a northern present if they lose the southern schools. What they need is to explore this since the HBCUs are slowly becoming an all race schools. West Virginia State is the one that is mostly white right now. Some HBCUs in NAIA in the same conferences with other non-HBCUs had some success. MEAC needs to do something new.

HBCUs have ALWAYS been all race schools which is one of the reasons we received the HBCU designation in the first place. West Virginia State has been majority white since the mid 60s for reasons not tied to any diversity efforts.

Yes, and they made a movie about my former, teacher, coach, co-worker for being the 1st white guy to play at Grambling. Jim Gregory "The White Tiger"

Don't count on Winston-Salem State attempting another crack at the MEAC. Here's a good detailed story about the time WSSU was making the aborted transition to D1.

Did WSSU’s failed DI attempt spark mass MEAC exodus?

Quote:You can cross one potential MEAC replacement off the list.

Winston-Salem State University Director of Athletics Etienne Thomas said don’t expect WSSU to attempt a move up to Division I or the MEAC. The conference has lost two schools — North Carolina A&T and Florida A&M — in the last several months.

“I say it often but I love the CIAA and I love Division II,” Thomas told the Winston-Salem Journal. “I love what it stands for and our voice matters in Division II.”

WSSU infamously attempted to move up to Division I status in the mid-to-late 2000s. It attained provisional membership in the MEAC before ultimately deciding to abort the mission and return to the CIAA.

(06-11-2020 10:47 PM)AZcats Wrote:  Don't count on Winston-Salem State attempting another crack at the MEAC. Here's a good detailed story about the time WSSU was making the aborted transition to D1.

Did WSSU’s failed DI attempt spark mass MEAC exodus?

Quote:You can cross one potential MEAC replacement off the list.

Winston-Salem State University Director of Athletics Etienne Thomas said don’t expect WSSU to attempt a move up to Division I or the MEAC. The conference has lost two schools — North Carolina A&T and Florida A&M — in the last several months.

“I say it often but I love the CIAA and I love Division II,” Thomas told the Winston-Salem Journal. “I love what it stands for and our voice matters in Division II.”

WSSU infamously attempted to move up to Division I status in the mid-to-late 2000s. It attained provisional membership in the MEAC before ultimately deciding to abort the mission and return to the CIAA.

Darn. We won’t get the only football stadium with a NASCAR track into Division 1.

Virginia St is pretty much their only HBCU option. No other CIAA is viable.

Would any D-II non HBCUs join the MEAC?

(06-12-2020 03:15 PM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  Would any D-II non HBCUs join the MEAC?

The South Atlantic Conference and Conference Carolinas are in the MEAC footprint but they are populated predominantly by very small private schools. UNC Pembroke is larger and has football, but they're already in transit from the Peach Belt to CC, so I'm not sure if they're in position to pivot to D1.

The Peach Belt is mostly public schools but not sure if the MEAC is enticing to any of them, or if any of them are enticing to the MEAC, especially if B-C leaves and the southern border of the conference is S.C. State (or further north if they leave too).

I don’t think anyone in D-2 in the region is looking to move football to FCS. The ASUN has already been on that recruiting trail and all they found was UNA.

The MEAC's next move should be taking in NJIT men's and women's tennis.

Aside: There seems to be little point to conferences sponsoring sports without full conference schedules like tennis and golf. Wouldn't it make more sense to treat everyone like an independent and replace the conference meet with a sub-regional?

Most conferences do schedule Tennis matches between member schools. It's kind of a 'tweener, like wrestling, as an individual sport with conference match schedules.

(06-12-2020 03:53 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I don’t think anyone in D-2 in the region is looking to move football to FCS. The ASUN has already been on that recruiting trail and all they found was UNA.

Sounds like an insult....

(06-12-2020 07:27 PM)lion1983 Wrote:  

(06-12-2020 03:53 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I don’t think anyone in D-2 in the region is looking to move football to FCS. The ASUN has already been on that recruiting trail and all they found was UNA.

Sounds like an insult....

It wasn’t intended that way. I was simply pointing out that another conference, who wasn’t an HBCU league, already went trawling for members in that region and only got one bite.

UNA was a great addition to DI. I hope they end up in the OVC—it’s a better fit than the ASUN

(06-12-2020 08:56 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(06-12-2020 07:27 PM)lion1983 Wrote:  

(06-12-2020 03:53 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I don’t think anyone in D-2 in the region is looking to move football to FCS. The ASUN has already been on that recruiting trail and all they found was UNA.

Sounds like an insult....

It wasn’t intended that way. I was simply pointing out that another conference, who wasn’t an HBCU league, already went trawling for members in that region and only got one bite.

UNA was a great addition to DI. I hope they end up in the OVC—it’s a better fit than the ASUN

With the pandemic might change their minds as is. There is questions for how long the small private schools will last at the D2 level. There seems to be about three dozen schools might be heading to NAIA, some schools could be booted from the NCAAs or some schools closing.

As it is, Augusta is already an affiliate in the MEAC.

(06-09-2020 05:07 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  I don't think the MEAC can expand unless it moves to DII.

As noted before, there's Chicago State, which is not an HBCU but can't do worse than where they are in the WAC.

(06-12-2020 09:44 PM)DFW HOYA Wrote:  

(06-09-2020 05:07 PM)FloridaJag Wrote:  I don't think the MEAC can expand unless it moves to DII.

As noted before, there's Chicago State, which is not an HBCU but can't do worse than where they are in the WAC.

If the MEAC loses two more, that’s where I think it’s headed. CSU is a PBI in a large AA market that’s an easy airhub. We’d definitely take the invite because it’s less travel and a league we might actually compete in.

I would love to see CSU in the MEAC.

To DavidSt,

Howard is not in bad shape financially. Their endowment is $692.8 million. And they are off cash monitoring, they addressed the scandal in their financial aid program, fired six employees. There is no threat to Pell grants or federal aid. They also have launched initiatives with Silicon Valley firms and secured sponsorships.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/howar...ns/572864/

There is no question in my mind that they only logical place for Howard to move in realignment, if they leave an HBCU conference, would be the Colonial Athletic. They look like a CAA school. But I think they are not going anywhere as long as the MEAC is functioning.

(06-16-2020 03:17 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  To DavidSt,

Howard is not in bad shape financially. Their endowment is $692.8 million. And they are off cash monitoring, they addressed the scandal in their financial aid program, fired six employees. There is no threat to Pell grants or federal aid. They also have launched initiatives with Silicon Valley firms and secured sponsorships.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/howar...ns/572864/

There is no question in my mind that they only logical place for Howard to move in realignment, if they leave an HBCU conference, would be the Colonial Athletic. They look like a CAA school. But I think they are not going anywhere as long as the MEAC is functioning.

Howard currently has conference foes:

35 mile away (Coppin)
45 miles away (Morgan)
90 miles away (Delaware St)
134 miles away (UMES)
200 miles away (Norfolk)

Even NCCU is only 260 miles away.

The northern 5 make a nice grouping, with Norfolk not far away