SP Editor The defections from the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference continued last week as the Florida A&M University Board of Trustees voted unanimously Thursday to move to the league’s HBCU NCAA Div. I sister conference, the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
The SWAC followed suit Thursday unanimously approving FAMU as its 11th member in a special executive session meeting of its Council of Presidents and Chancellors.
The move would take effect in the 2021- 2022 season meaning the upcoming 2020-2021 season will be the Rattlers last in the MEAC.
“While we have had a long-standing relationship competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Florida A&M’s impending move to the Southwestern Athletic Conference is one that is in the best interest of the University,” said FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D. after the vote was taken. “The positive impacts on student athletes, cost savings, re-establishment of long-term rivalries and opportunities to generate revenue are among the key factors in this decision.”
FAMU is the fourth former MEAC member deciding to leave the conference in the last three years following the departure of Savannah State University back to NCAA Div. II status and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2017, Hampton University’s decision later that same year to move to the Big South Conference and North Carolina A&T’s decision announced in February of this year to join Hampton in the Big South.
In losing the Rattlers, the MEAC falls to nine full members, just seven that play football. It also loses one of the most storied programs in black college sports history. In addition to its world-renowned marching band, the Marching 100, the MEAC is losing a stalwart in football that has produced legends such as football coach Alonzo “Jake” Gaither, Pro Football Hall of Famer and Olympic track legend “Bullet” Bob Hayes among others. FAMU athletics have also been among the best in the MEAC in baseball, softball, men’s and women’s track and field and men’s tennis.
As of press time Tuesday, the MEAC had not issued an official response.
Similar to N. C. A&T’s and Hampton’s announcements of their move to the Big South, FAMU officials identified reduced travel expenses as one reason for the move.
FAMU’s vice president of athletics, Kortne Gasha, said the move will save the university roughly $400,000 per year, because of a closer proximity to other teams in the SWAC. Gasha also said joining the SWAC could also be a collective commitment to excellence in all facets,” added Hugine. “It’s going to give us an opportunity to expand from a media standpoint, from a sponsorship standpoint and also from an overall environment standpoint,” said SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland. “Florida A&M travels and when our institutions travel to Florida A&M, you know it’s going to be competitive, you know, it’s going to be exciting. So some have said it’s going to be the start of a mega-superblack college conference. I won’t go that far, but I can tell you we’re pretty strong right now and we’re happy and sufficient that Florida A&M has allowed us in with bringing that large and strong of a brand to the already strong brands that we have.” FAMU originally joined the MEAC in 1979 after being long-time members of the SIAC and on the heels of its Division I-AA national football title win, the only national football title for a Div. I HBCU. It would leave the conference in the mid-1980s and operate as an independent Division I-AA program for a few years before coming back into the fold. After briefly operating as a Division I-A independent in 2004, FAMU’s football program re-joined the MEAC the following year. It’s official, Florida A&M leaving MEAC better way to generate football revenue.
The SWAC is the perennial leader in black college and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) home attendance regularly racking up the gaudiest numbers for their rivalry games. The conference has led the FCS in home attendance 42 of the past 43 years.
In the 2019 season, SWAC member Jackson State was the FCS attendance leader, averaging 33,762 over five home games and the league had two other teams, Alabama State and Southern, in the top seven. FAMU was tenth.
Unlike NC A&T’s move to the Big South, there was little to no mention of academics for the move though reduced travel time will likely result in increases in class time.
“Florida A&M University is a great fit for the Southwestern Athletic Conference,” said Dr. Andrew Hugine, President of Alabama A&M University and Chairman of the SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors. “FAMU’s strong athletics history, academic mission, along with its location within our natural geographical footprint made this a perfect unification for Florida A&M University and the Southwestern Athletic Conference.”
“FAMU boast a strong loyal base of alumni, fans, and supporters and they have shown a collective commitment to excellence in all facets,” added Hugine.
“It’s going to give us an opportunity to expand from a media standpoint, from a sponsorship standpoint and also from an overall environment standpoint,” said SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland. “Florida A&M travels and when our institutions travel to Florida A&M, you know it’s going to be competitive, you know, it’s going to be exciting. So some have said it’s going to be the start of a mega-superblack college conference. I won’t go that far, but I can tell you we’re pretty strong right now and we’re happy and sufficient that Florida A&M has allowed us in with bringing that large and strong of a brand to the already strong brands that we have.”
FAMU originally joined the MEAC in 1979 after being long-time members of the SIAC and on the heels of its Division I-AA national football title win, the only national football title for a Div. I HBCU. It would leave the conference in the mid-1980s and operate as an independent Division I-AA program for a few years before coming back into the fold. After briefly operating as a Division I-A independent in 2004, FAMU’s football program re-joined the MEAC the following year.