Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Commissioner Sonja Stills issued the following statement regarding the treatment of Norfolk State Men’s Basketball Student-Athletes during the basketball game at Illinois State University:
 
“During Norfolk State’s men’s basketball game at Illinois State this past Saturday, a Norfolk State player was reportedly subjected to derogatory remarks and racial slurs from a fan. The MEAC strongly condemns this behavior and fully supports the Norfolk State basketball team, its players, coaches and staff. Unfortunately, as our student-athletes have participated in numerous competitions across the country, this is not an isolated incident that affected just one team in our Conference over the past several years. As an HBCU conference, our student-athletes enjoy a strong sense of community that is unique to our member institutions, and there is no place in sports or society for this type of conduct. We appreciate the swift actions taken by Illinois State to address this incident and hope that moving forward, our student-athletes will be treated with the dignity, respect, and inclusivity that they and everyone deserve.”