POSTSEASON RECORDS REVIEW OPPONENTS MEAC PIRATES COACHES PREVIEW HAMPTON About the Mid-eastern athletic conference The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) enters its 43rd year of intercollegiate competition heading into the 2012-13 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of 13 outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman Dr. Denis E. Thomas MEAC Comisioner 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 15 Division I (FCS) sports with automatic qualifying bids for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) postseason competition in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, football, 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. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore was recognized during the reception as the 2011 recipient of the MEAC Highest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) Award for third straight year. UMES’ 90-percent GSR is the highest among any MEAC institution spanning the 2001-2004 cohorts. MEMBERSHIP HISTORY In 1969, a bold ad hoc group of innovators long associated with intercollegiate athletics met in Durham, North Carolina, 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 10 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 made its most recent expansion with the admittance of North Carolina Central and Savannah State University. 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), softball (since 1995), men’s and women’s tennis (since 1998), and volleyball (since 1994). SPORTS HISTORY The MEAC declares champions in seven men’s sports – baseball, basketball, cross country, football, 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 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. 82 2013 Hampton Football hamptonpirates.com
Hampton Football Media Guide 2013
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