The 2020-21 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) women's basketball season is set to officially tip off on Wednesday, with four games on the slate in what is likely to be one of the most unique seasons in conference history -- all as the league celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, three MEAC programs have opted out of the season: defending regular-season champion Bethune-Cookman (which had been selected in October as a preseason favorite), Florida A&M and Maryland Eastern Shore.
That leaves eight programs to fight for the regular-season crown and position themselves for a run at the 2021 MEAC tournament title: Coppin State, Delaware State, Howard, Morgan State, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central and South Carolina State.
Three MEAC programs will have home games in the season's opening week: Morgan State will play host to UMBC on Wednesday in Hill Field House, while Norfolk State will welcome Salem University to Echols Hall on Saunday and Howard will take on Mount St. Mary's in Burr Gymnasium on Monday.
Wednesday will see the beginning of the Laura Harper era at Coppin State, as the former Maryland standout makes her collegiate head coaching debut when the Lady Eagles hit the road to face Penn State.
When the MEAC announced its original conference schedule and preseason awards last month, Bethune-Cookman and Norfolk State were the preseason favorites to win their respective divisions (as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors), and Bethune-Cookman's Amaya Scott was tabbed Preseason Player of the Year.
Aside from Bethune-Cookman's Scott and Daniella Hatcher, Howard's Jayla Thornton, Morgan State's Dahnye Redd and North Carolina Central's Anissa Rivera are players who were named Preseason First Team All-MEAC. Thornton has proven to be one of the nation's best 3-point shooters, while Redd helped lead Morgan State to a third-place finish in the MEAC last season and Rivera proved to be a force on offense and on the glass.
Delaware State and North Carolina Central were among the most improved teams in the MEAC in 2019-20; the Hornets, under head coach David Caputo, was 8-8 in MEAC play, while the Eagles, under the leadership of Trisha Stafford-Odom, finished fifth in the standings with a 9-7 mark and defeated rival North Carolina A&T State all three times the teams faced -- including in the quarterfinal round of the MEAC Tournament.
In addition to Rivera, North Carolina Central also returns Kieche White, who was named Preseason Second Team All-MEAC. For the Hornets, Sharajah Collins earned Preseason Second Team honors, while Lyric Turner was named Preseason Third Team.
A revised conference schedule is currently being formulated and will be officially announced upon approval.
The 2021 MEAC Basketball Tournament is currently slated for Wednesday through Saturday, March 10-13, 2021 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.
Here is this week's slate of games. Please note that all scheduled dates and times are subject to change.
Wednesday, November 25
North Carolina Central at Campbell, 2 p.m.
Norfolk State at UNC Wilmington, 2 p.m.
UMBC at Morgan State, 3 p.m.
Coppin State at Penn State, 6 p.m.
Saturday, November 28
South Carolina State at Coastal Carolina, 1 p.m.
Howard at Towson, 2 p.m.
Sunday, November 29
Salem University at Norfolk State, 4 p.m.
Monday, November 30
Mount St. Mary’s at Howard, 5 p.m.