Football | 12/8/2025 10:15:27 AM

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will announce its 2025 Football Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year during the National Football Foundation (NFF) Annual Awards Press Conference, presented by Elite Media Network, on Tuesday, December 9 at 9 a.m. PST/12 p.m. ET from the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
 
The announcement will be streamed live on ESPN+ and continues the MEAC’s longstanding partnership with the NFF, which has showcased the conference’s top football honors on a national stage since 2016. The honorees will also be recognized during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner, presented by Las Vegas, on Tuesday evening from 6:30–9:30 p.m. PST.
 
Presented annually since 1971, the MEAC Players of the Year awards are selected by a vote of the conference’s head football coaches and sports information directors. In 2024, South Carolina State quarterback Eric Phoenix earned Offensive Player of the Year honors, while Morgan State defensive lineman Elijah Williams secured Defensive Player of the Year recognition. MEAC Commissioner Sonja Stills will make the 2025 announcement and will be joined by the recipients, along with coaches and administrators from their respective institutions.
 
As a part of the NFF festivities, Norfolk State head football coach Michael Vick will be inducted into the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame. Vick starred at Virginia Tech from 1999–2000 as a First-Team All-American, Big East Offensive Player of the Year, and Big East Rookie of the Year while leading the Hokies to the 1999 conference championship.
 
The complete class of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class includes Montee Ball (Wisconsin), Gregg Carr (Auburn), Blake Elliott (Saint John’s [MN]), Greg Eslinger (Minnesota), Graham Harrell (Texas Tech), Terry Hanratty (Notre Dame), John Henderson (Tennessee), Michael Huff (Texas), Jim Kleinsasser (North Dakota), Alex Mack (California), Terrence Metcalf (Mississippi), Darrin Smith (Miami [FL]), Haloti Ngata (Oregon), Steve Slaton (West Virginia), Michael Strahan (Texas Southern), Dennis Thurman (Southern California), and Ryan Yarborough (Wyoming), along with coaches Larry Blakeney (Troy), Larry Korver (Northwestern College [IA]), Urban Meyer (Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, Ohio State), and Nick Saban (Toledo, Michigan State, LSU, Alabama).

For more information regarding the MEAC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year announcement, please contact MEAC Associate Commissioner of External Relations Patricia Porter-Mayfield at Mayfieldp@themeac.com.