The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's (MEAC) future is in doubt. It was in doubt long before North Carolina A&T State University’s recent announcement that it will leave the conference in July 2021 to join the Big South Conference.
A&T’s departure along with Bethune-Cookman University’s survival as an institution “very much in doubt” and South Carolina State University’s declining enrollment, on top of its net operating loss of $21.7m for the 2019-20 school year are additional logs on the fire which may burn the MEAC house down.
Bethune’s date with accreditors is coming up in June, but university officials have set a March date for raising $8m to balance its current year budget. As such, the university has put everything on the table including cuts to its athletics programs to save the university.
When A&T departs the MEAC will be left with ten members, eight of whom play football. If Bethune goes down this summer that would leave nine conference members, seven football
playing members. Currently, the only Football Champion Subdivision Conference with fewer than 10 members is the Ivy League which has eight.
playing members. Currently, the only Football Champion Subdivision Conference with fewer than 10 members is the Ivy League which has eight.
· A total of at least seven active Division I members;
· At least seven active members that sponsor both men's and women's basketball;
· Sponsor at least 12 NCAA Division I sports;
· Men's basketball is a mandatory sport, and at least seven members must sponsor that sport.
So, conceivably, a smaller MEAC could exist with nine members. But would a smaller conference be attractive to television networks and sponsors? Without either of those would the MEAC be financially feasible? And, still the distance between schools would still have to be addressed. The travel cost and time spent away from campus for student athletes is considerable.
The MEAC has been through this before. But if it is to survive, it will have to do some serious soul searching and quick.