F
or the first three years of North Carolina Central University’s reclassification process to the NCAA Division I ranks of intercollegiate athletics, the Eagles scoured the country in search of opponents willing to play a transitioning program without a conference home. The lack of conference affiliation also made it tough for NCCU to compete on the recruiting trail. Those days are now in the past. NCCU officially joined the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) as a provisional member on July 1. The provisional status means NCCU student-athletes are not considered for league awards and teams are not eligible to compete for conference championships. That tag will be removed once NCCU completes the Division I reclassification process, which is expected to happen in the spring, pending approval by the NCAA. Meanwhile, NCCU is already enjoying the benefits of returning to a conference it helped establish back in 1971. The biggest improvement is in the scheduling. This year, most Eagles teams are playing complete MEAC conference schedules, and are spending less time on the road and more time on campus. The road contests are mostly in nearby states rather than places like North Dakota, Utah and Oklahoma. That equates to reduced travel expenses, more time in the classroom for student-athletes and more chances for fans to see NCCU in action. It also means the renewal of on-field rivalries with the likes of Hampton, Norfolk State, Morgan State and, of course, North Carolina A&T.
The transition to Division I is nearly complete
Fans may be unaware that longtime rivals NCCU and North Carolina A&T have not competed against each other in men’s basketball since 2003. But now the Eagles and Aggies are in the same conference — and NCCU will host North Carolina A&T in a women’s and men’s basketball doubleheader on Feb. 21, 2011. Those are the most noticeable changes, but there are other advantages to conference membership and Division I status. Despite popular belief, the move involved much more than the athletics program. It was, in fact, part of an effort to reposition the university. The aim was to align a flourishing NCCU with institutions that are similar in size, and in the programs and degrees they offer. A Division I athletics program would also serve as a marketing tool for the entire university. With entrance into the MEAC, those goals have been achieved. One more bonus is that MEAC member institutions receive national exposure through the conference’s television agreement with ESPN. About the MEAC The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is in its 41st year of operation and is made up of 13 historically black institutions along the Atlantic Coast from Delaware to Florida: 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.
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