About The MEAC 10/3/2018 12:00:00 AM

MEAC History Makers

SPORT / YEAR	HISTORCIAL MOMENT	HIGHLIGHTS/PHOTO
MID EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE MEAC was classified as a Divsion I Conference 1980	On June 8, 1980, the MEAC was classified as a Division I conference by the NCAA. One month later, the MEAC received automatic qualification to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Today, the conference enjoys automatic qualifying bids for NCAA postseason play in the sports of baseball (since 1994), men’s basketball (since 1981), women’s basketball (since 1982), men’s golf (since 2014), softball (since 1995), men’s and women’s tennis (since 1998) and volleyball (since 1994).
BOWLING University of Maryland Eastern Shore takes NCAA Women's Bowling National Championship 2008	The MEAC was the very first conference to secure NCAA sanctioning for women’s bowling, when it adopted the club sport prior to the 1996-97 school year. Later, in 2008, the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore defeated Arkansas State University 4-2 to win the NCAA Women’s Bowling National Championship, a first for the conference. With that victory, UMES head coach Sharon Brummell became the first female head coach to win an NCAA bowling championship.
2011	The Lady Hawks captured a second NCAA national title in the sport in 2011, also winning the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Intercollegiate Team Championship, becoming the first team to win two national championships in the same year.
2012	Additionally, after UMES captured the 2012 national crown, the Lady Hawks became the first team to make four appearances in the championship finale’ and just the second team in NCAA bowling history to win three titles.
MEN'S BASKETBALL UMES becomes the first HBCU team to compete in the National Invitation Tournament 1974	In men’s basketball, Maryland-Eastern Shore became the first HBCU team to participate in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), doing so in 1974. The Hawks defeated Manhattan 84-81 in the first round before falling to Jacksonville in the second round. UMES had the nation’s best record at 27-1 prior to the loss to Jacksonville in the NIT.
Marvin "The Human Eraser" Webster 1974	In 1974, Morgan State University won the NCAA College Division II National Basketball Championship and its junior center, Marvin “The Human Eraser” Webster, was named the NCAA Division II National Player-of-the-Year.
Howard's NCAA Berth 1981	Howard University became the first MEAC school to play in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, when the Bison were pitted against the University of Wyoming in 1981. Howard fell to the Cowboys 78-43 in the first round.
*NCAA men's basketball tournament upsets* 1997	Coppin State University, Hampton University and Norfolk State University have each made history in the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament with first round victories. Coppin State, a No. 15 seed, defeated No. 2 seed South Carolina in 1997.
2001	Hampton, a No. 15 seed, defeated No. 2 seed Iowa State in 2001.
2012	Norfolk State, a No. 15 seed, defeated No. 2 seed Missouri in 2012.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL South Carolina State University, Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (AIAW) National Champions 1979	In women’s basketball, South Carolina State University captured the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Division II National Basketball Championship in 1979. Three years later, in 1982, Howard became the first MEAC school to play in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. Then, in 1983, South Carolina State won the MEAC’s automatic NCAA bid and became the first MEAC team, male or female, to win an opening round game in the NCAA Division I tournament, defeating LaSalle 85-67.
North Carolina A&T wins two consecutive Women's National InvitationTournamet (WNIT) games 2010	In 2010, North Carolina A&T State University defeated Wake Forest University and the University of Charlotte in the first two rounds of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), becoming the first MEAC team, as well as the first HBCU team, to win two consecutive games in a Division I national postseason tournament.
FOOTBALL	In football, the NCAA was instrumental in initiating the Freedom Bowl All-Star Classic, the Heritage Bowl, the Gold Bowl and the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl. The MEAC is one of only two FCS Conferences to participate in an NCAA sanctioned postseason bowl.
Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl
The Heritage Bowl
VOLLEYBALL Florida A&M University Division I National Tournament endeavors 2003	Florida A&M University became the first MEAC school to win a match in the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournament, defeating Winthrop University in first round action in 2003. The following year, in 2004, the Lady Rattlers became the first HBCU school to rank in the Top 25 of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national poll.
TRACK AND FIELD North Carolina Central University Olympic quartet 1972	In outdoor track and field, North Carolina Central won the first three MEAC titles. The Eagles’ quartet of Melvin Bassett, Robert Ouko, Julius Sang and Larry Black set the world record in the sprint medley relay with a time of 38:19 in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, West Germany.
1980	Women's track and field became a MEAC-sanctioned sport.
1982	South Carolina State won the AIAW Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championship.
OLYMPICS	Thirty (30) student-athletes have represented the MEAC in Olympic games over the years and 13 of those students have earned medals during the Summer Games.
TENNIS South Carolina Stae University women's team is nationally ranked 2005	South Carolina State’s 2005 women’s tennis team became the first MEAC women’s tennis team to finish a season ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division I final poll, the Lady Bulldogs securing a No. 72 national ranking.
2012	In 2012, South Carolina State’s Maria Craciun became the first tennis player in MEAC history to receive a berth to the NCAA Tennis Championship in individual singles.
SOFTBALL Bethune- Cookman University captures Florida Regional 2005	In softball, Bethune-Cookman University earned the MEAC’s first-ever at-large bid to the NCAA Softball Tournament, when it did so in 2005. The Lady Wildcats defeated the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida in the Florida Regional to become the first MEAC program to win an NCAA Division I Softball Regional.
2005	Bethune-Cookman concluded the 2005 season with the MEAC’s first-ever ranking in softball, reaching No. 18 in the season’s final NFCA/USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 23 in the USA Softball/ESPN.com Poll.
BASEBALL Florida A&M advances to NCAA 1994	Florida A&M, in 1994, became the first MEAC baseball team to advance to NCAA postseason play. The Rattlers fell to the Southeastern Louisiana University in back-to-back games.
2002	During the 2002 baseball season, Bethune-Cookman advanced to the Gainesville Regional, where it became the first MEAC team to win in the NCAA Baseball Tournament, recording a 7-4 victory over Florida International University.
2017	In 2017, Bethune-Cookman became the first MEAC school to advance to a regional final in the NCAA Baseball Tournament, winning three games in the Gainesville Regional, highlighted by a 6-2 win over national No. 3 seed Florida.