NORFOLK, Va., July 1, 2020 – During this period of membership transition and realignment, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Presidents and Chancellors, chaired by Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick, President of Howard University, once again reaffirms its commitment to remaining a viable and sustainable Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) conference which fosters academic and athletics excellence among its students and student-athletes.
“As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the recent challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and team membership transitions are the latest examples of opportunities for growth that this organization will face head-on and persevere to emerge as a stronger conference on the other side,” said Dr. Frederick. “As we enter this new chapter of MEAC excellence, we affirm that the conference will support the students and staff of our member institutions as they prepare for the fall and we face the challenges of this unprecedented school year together.”
Founded in 1970, the MEAC began with a membership of seven universities along the Mid-Eastern seaboard from Delaware to South Carolina. Its original membership of seven institutions included Delaware State College in Dover, Del., Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md., Howard University in Washington, D.C., the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md., North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C., North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C. and South Carolina State College in Orangeburg, S.C.
The MEAC has a proud history of academic excellence and is one of the leaders in producing African American STEM graduates. Four institutions (Howard, Morgan State, Delaware State and Maryland Eastern Shore) are classified as High Research Activity (HRA-R2) by the Carnegie Foundation.
Following completion of the 2020-21 academic year, the MEAC will be comprised of eight members, including Delaware State, Morgan State, Howard, Maryland Eastern Shore, North Carolina Central, South Carolina State, Coppin State University (which joined the league in 1985) and Norfolk State University (which joined in 1997).
“The footprint of our conference will be more compact starting in 2021 and all of our institutions will be within distances that will require only bus transportation,” said MEAC Commissioner Dr. Dennis E. Thomas. “That eliminates some of the reasons cited by institutions which will be leaving us. Uniquely, our footprint will be exactly that same footprint upon which this illustrious conference was founded in 1970.”
The MEAC’s immediate plan for expansion includes looking at potential new members, not excluding Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). A consulting firm has been obtained to assist with those efforts.
The MEAC will continue to be aggressive in assisting its current member institutions enhance their brands and generate revenue, which has made the MEAC a leader among FCS conferences for decades.
The MEAC has been and will continue to be a progressive and student-athlete-centered conference as it looks toward an even brighter future.
MEAC Presidents and Chancellors as of July 2021
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will be made up of eight outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Coppin State University (Dr. Anthony Jenkins), Delaware State University (Dr. Tony Allen), Howard University (Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick), University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Dr. Heidi M. Anderson), Morgan State University (Dr. David Wilson), Norfolk State University (Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston), North Carolina Central University (Dr. Johnson O. Akinleye), South Carolina State University (Mr. James E. Clark) and MEAC Commissioner (Dr. Dennis Thomas).
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) celebrates its 50th year of intercollegiate competition with the 2020-21 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of 11 outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State University.