HISTORY OF THE MEAC Georgia Regents University Augusta joined the conference on September 10, 2014 as an associate member for men’s golf. On June 8, 1980, the MEAC was classified as a Division I conference by the NCAA. Prior to that year, the MEAC operated as a Division II conference. The month after it achieved Division I status, the conference received an automatic qualification to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Currently, the conference has automatic qualifying bids for NCAA postseason play in baseball (since 1994), men’s basketball (since 1981), women’s basketball (since 1982), football (since 1996), men’s golf (since 2014), softball (since 1995), men’s and women’s tennis (since 1998), and volleyball (since 1994). SPORTS HISTORY The MEAC declares champions in eight men’s sports – baseball, basketball, cross country, football, men’s golf, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and tennis - and eight women’s sports - cross country, basketball, bowling, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, softball, tennis and volleyball. The MEAC initiated cross country in 1980, and North Carolina A&T State earned the inaugural men’s crown. The first women’s cross country championship took place a year later, with Howard winning the first of its seven titles. Indoor Track and Field was also added in 1981, with South Carolina State capturing the men’s title and Howard winning the women’s crown. Tennis and golf returned as MEAC-governed sports in 1981 after a five-year hiatus. South Carolina State won all seven of the conference’s golf titles from 1972-1983 before the sport was discontinued after the 1983 championship. In wrestling, Morgan State won 13 of 24 conference championships before the sport was discontinued in 1995. Baseball, which began in 1972, was discontinued following the 1977 season. It was brought back as a MEAC-governed sport along with women’s volleyball in 1983. Women’s softball became a MEAC-sanctioned sport in 1992. Bowling was officially sanctioned as a MEAC sport in 1999. The MEAC was the first conference to secure NCAA sanctioning for women’s bowling by adopting the club sport prior to the 1996-97 school year. Men’s golf returned as a MEAC sponsored sport in 2014 with six teams participating in the conference championship. Bethune- Cookman was crowned the 2014 men’s conference champion. The Wildcats also won the 2014 PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship. Associate member Georgia Regents University Augusta earned its first MEAC golf title in 2015, the institutions’ first year of conference competition. 2015-16 MEAC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL YEARBOOK 11
2015-16 MEAC Women's Basketball Yearbook
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