OT: Florida A&M possibly leaving MEAC for SWAC?

[shipfbfan1]

Welp the MEAC stays afloat for at least 2 more seasons. I suspect DSU, Morgan, Coppin, Howard and UMES look hard at their future in the next 12 months to see if this is sustainable or if they need to make a move. If DSU can at least get a NEC football invite maybe a new DMV conference is formed for all other sports and the Delaware/Maryland/DC/VA schools can have a solid league especially if they can steal a school like UMBC

[4_tattoos]

https://hbcugameday.com/2020/06/30/d...with-the-meac/

[4_tattoos]

Coppin State will (try to) stay in the same division with Morgan State. They are cross town arch rivals, and their home basketball games against Morgan are the school's biggest single day draw in athletics. They're going to want to preserve that. Even if they end up in separate D1 conferences from Morgan, the 2 schools would likely work a deal out to play each other annually home and home. The same thing won't likely happen if Morgan stayed in D1 while Coppin went to D2. The only way Coppin moves down to D2 is if the MEAC truly folds and they have no D1 conferences interested in bringing them in, or if Morgan State surprisingly decides to go to D2.

[laker]

Word is that Delaware State is in talks to join the NEC. NCCU is probably headed to the Big South, Howard has its choice between poaching the Patriot League for membership or going to the Big South/A-Sun. Teams more likely to drop down to D2 are Norfolk State & Coppin State. Norfolk will probably stay at the FCS level simply because they have a 30K seat stadium, get paid well yearly to play in state and regional FBS programs.

I don't see how Coppin stays D1. UMES isn't in much better shape. I hope everyone can find a home and that schools aren't too stubborn to go D2.

[shipfbfan1]

Down to 6 football teams and 8 overall. Tough for D2 teams to move up. Some of those teams should think about moving to D2 like Savannah State did.

Word is that Delaware State is in talks to join the NEC. NCCU is probably headed to the Big South, Howard has its choice between poaching the Patriot League for membership or going to the Big South/A-Sun. Teams more likely to drop down to D2 are Norfolk State & Coppin State. Norfolk will probably stay at the FCS level simply because they have a 30K seat stadium, get paid well yearly to play in state and regional FBS programs.

[laker]

*bump*

Bethune-Cookman to join Florida A&M in the SWAC. Sooo... what happens to the MEAC now?

Down to 6 football teams and 8 overall. Tough for D2 teams to move up. Some of those teams should think about moving to D2 like Savannah State did.

[4_tattoos]

*bump*

Bethune-Cookman to join Florida A&M in the SWAC. Sooo... what happens to the MEAC now?

https://hbcugameday.com/2020/06/25/bethune-cookman-university-leaving-meac-for-swac/?fbclid=IwAR2zR9iblRm4fCofiB00F_zDrya6rTvxS3ZDU-ch7Jlb5gPD7H03S0uzpcs

[4_tattoos]

And the MEAC commish finally speaks.

https://hbcugameday.com/2020/06/17/m...nd-staying-di/

[4_tattoos]

And WSSU getting partial blame for the potential demise of the MEAC lol

[shipfbfan1]

Howard has Hampton as an backer if they desire to go to the NEC and I'm sure the PL would welcome the most prestigious HBCU into their conference to show inclusion as well as not sacrificing their academic standards. It definitely would bring diversity to that conference and as mentioned previously travel wouldn't be a issue as they would be directly within conference footprint.

[ESU Warrior]

I don't see that happening. I don't see any D1 conference wanting DSU. Honestly outside of NC Central and Bethune-Cookman, I don't personally think any D1 conferences would be interested in any of the remaining MEAC schools. And yes, that includes Howard lol.

Northeast 10, D2 conference. Sorry.

[LegalRam]

If Morgan found themselves without a D1 home in the scenario you brought up, I think they would follow Coppin State to D2. The basketball games between the 2 schools are a draw locally. They'd get to keep their second biggest single day money maker (behind homecoming) intact. And Bowie State (football) games usually brought in a bigger crowd to Morgan than most of their MEAC opponents.

Big South still needs football members, and close travel for Monmouth would probably help things out. I could easily see Del State and Morgan State getting football only invites to the Big South. If that happened the American East could be a landing spot for their other sports. Seems like the NEC continues to grow so it wouldn't be crazy to see either of those schools end up there.

Coppin at least has a decent basketball facility, but I don't know if them or UMES are attractive to any D1 conferences.

Norfolk State, NCCU, and SC State are probably on the Big South radar. However, SC State could potentially join FAMU and go the SWAC route.

If BCU wants to stay D1 they probably need to try and follow FAMU. If not, about the only other option is to try and join the ASUN for all sports and Big South for football.

I think Howard could be a fit for the Patriot league.

Another wildcard option is for the remaining MEAC schools to stay in place and try and poach other schools, probably non football schools. NJIT plays in the ASUN, so leaving for the MEAC would be better travel. UMBC and Mount St Mary's are both kind of on islands as the southern teams in their respective conferences. Maybe one of them would be willing to jump ship, travel would be very easy having 4 or 5 Maryland schools in the same conference.

[LegalRam]

I am not as familiar with what is going on in the MEAC, why has there been such an eagerness to leave the conference lately?

They all weren't on board with the Celebration Bowl in the first place. Also, some have had issues with the large footprint.

Hampton made the travel argument, but the big south travel isn't that much better considering that Hampton only had to make one Florida trip each year for football and most of the conference members were able to schedule the FL schools in other sports as part of a 3 day travel deal.

Hampton has also been trying to get in the CAA for years, and I'm assuming A&T has goals for the Socon. The Big South has been a stepping stone conference for years now so I'm guessing that is the endgame for those two schools.

My guess is that FAMU is just trying to get off the ship before it sinks, plus they have some history with the SWAC schools which should lead to some big attendance numbers.

[4_tattoos]

None of you mentioned Morgan State and, to be honest, I don't know what they would do since their athletic programs, although successful, have been mediocre the past few years.

If Morgan found themselves without a D1 home in the scenario you brought up, I think they would follow Coppin State to D2. The basketball games between the 2 schools are a draw locally. They'd get to keep their second biggest single day money maker (behind homecoming) intact. And Bowie State (football) games usually brought in a bigger crowd to Morgan than most of their MEAC opponents.

[4_tattoos]

What about Delaware State to the NE-10, or is that to far off? They could use another member.

I don't see that happening. I don't see any D1 conference wanting DSU. Honestly outside of NC Central and Bethune-Cookman, I don't personally think any D1 conferences would be interested in any of the remaining MEAC schools. And yes, that includes Howard lol.