HISTORY OF THE MEAC 10 @MEACSPORTS MEACSPORTS The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) enters its 46th year of intercollegiate competition heading into the 2014-15 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of 13 outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Savannah State University and South Carolina State University. The MEAC sponsors 16 Division I (FCS) sports including baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s bowling, football, men’s golf, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s tennis, softball and volleyball. MEAC student-athletes excel on and off the field and several have been recognized on ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America and All-District teams. The conference sponsors All-Academic teams in each of its sports and awards two post-graduate scholarships of $5,000 each annually to one male and one female student-athlete who have excelled academically and athletically and are in their final season of intercollegiate athletics eligibility and competition under MEAC and NCAA regulations. MEMBERSHIP HISTORY In 1969, a bold ad hoc group of innovators long associated with intercollegiate athletics met in Durham, N.C., to discuss the feasibility of organizing a new conference. From these discussions, they formed a steering and planning committee to fully investigate the idea, present a detailed report with recommendations to interested collegiate institutions, and construct a workshop to outline proposals. After selecting a proposal and adopting a program, seven institutions (Delaware State College, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State College) agreed to become the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Their major objective was to establish, organize and supervise an intercollegiate athletic program among a compact group of educational institutions of high academic standards with a sound philosophy of co-curricular activities. The conference agreed to seek Division I status for its sports. The conference was confirmed in 1970, kicking off its first season of competition in football in 1971. In 1978, the MEAC reached a milestone when it selected Kenneth A. Free to be its first full-time commissioner. Free served the conference for 18 years before stepping down in May of 1996. In July 1996, Charles S. Harris was named commissioner and served in the capacity until April 2002. On September 1, 2002, Dr. Dennis E. Thomas was named commissioner and has served in the position for 13 years. The conference’s first expansion occurred in October 1979, when Bethune-Cookman College and Florida A&M University were voted into the MEAC as members. Original members Morgan State, North Carolina Central and Maryland Eastern Shore withdrew from the conference at the end of the 1979-80 fiscal year. Maryland Eastern Shore was readmitted in 1981 and Morgan State returned in 1984. Florida A&M opted to resign in 1984 but rejoined the conference in 1986. Coppin State College was granted admittance in 1985, becoming the ninth member institution. The MEAC expanded again in the 1990s with the inclusion of Hampton University (1995) and Norfolk State University (1997). The conference grew once again in 2007 with the addition of Winston- Salem State University. Winston-Salem State, a MEAC provisional member, did not meet the qualifications for Division I and withdrew from the conference following the 2009-10 academic and athletic season. On July 1, 2010, the MEAC expanded again with the admittance of North Carolina Central University and Savannah State University.
2015-16 MEAC Women's Basketball Yearbook
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