No Spring Football: North Carolina A&T Leaves the MEAC on a Disappointing Note
North Carolina A&T athletics left the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2020 to join the Big South after 3 consecutive conference titles. Unfortunately, the MEAC has canceled spring football, destroying NC A&T’s final chance to go for a 4 peat. We discuss it here!
NC A&T defensive end Darryl Johnson (left) celebrates with a teammate after winning the 2018 Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl.
By: Tialena Evans
Exactly a year ago it was announced that North Carolina A&T would be ditching the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and heading over to the Big South, officially becoming a member July 1st of this year. The 2020-21 season would be the last year the Aggies would make a run for fourth consecutive conference title and a fifth consecutive consecutive appearance at the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl, trying for a four-peat championship.
The Aggies had the stage set to cap off their MEAC journey on a historic note, but in 2020 fashion that did not go as planned— go figure.
The news of the conference switch broke in early February 2020 before the COVID-19 virus made it to the states. With the progression of positive cases and the cancellation of college and professional sports nationwide, there was uncertainty how that would affect fall sports, such as football. Many sports fans hoped that the virus would be contained by the end of the year, but as the year progressed and cases continued to rise, that made the decision much more difficult for programs to decide on whether or not there would be a 2020-21 season.
When the NFL announced that there would be a football season, that gave hope to many college football fans that NCAA programs would follow in their steps. While this was the case for most FBS and some FCS conferences, there were still quite a few that opted to play in the Spring due to COVID-19 concerns— the MEAC was among that group.
Downhill From Here
For many reasons, the MEAC’s decision to forgo a Fall season definitely put a stinger in the Aggies’ football season. Opting to play in the Spring meant there would be no chance of battling one last time in the Air Force Reserve Celebration bowl. The chances of there even being a Celebration Bowl were slim to none, but the schedule change dropped those chances to a hard zero.
The bad news doesn’t stop there. The conference announced that six out of their nine schools opted out of the season, which was scheduled to start on Feb. 20. That only left N.C. A&T, Delaware State, Howard and South Carolina State, who all expressed intent to have a season that would align with CDC guidelines.
Although these schools were willing to take the necessary measures to give the fans and the players a chance to have a 2020-21 season, it just wasn’t enough to move forward.
“While it is tremendously disappointing to suspend the spring 2021 football season, it is the right decision with regard to the health and well-being of our student athletes, coaches, staff and fans“ said the MEAC Commissioner, Dennis E. Thomas. “ As I have stated since the beginning of the pandemic, health and safety will continue to be at the forefront of every decision. We support those institutions who continue to play.“
The MEAC’s decision to cancel the Spring season was the straw that broke the camel's back. N.C. A&T was shell shocked at the disappointing news.
Athletic Director Earl Hilton and head Coach Sam Washington spoke with WXII 12 News.
"We pictured this year going very differently as you can imagine," said Earl Hilton. "We hoped to travel to all of our sister schools, be on their campuses, participate across a wide range of sports, celebrate, commiserate, say goodbye, win a few championships...yeah we saw this going differently."
Head Coach Sam Washington added, "For us not to have the opportunity to finish what we started, it hurts."
Where the Aggies Go From Here
Although a disappointing end to the season that never was, the Aggies continue to push forward and gear up for their first season as a Big South competitor. Head coach Sam Washington discussed with WXII 12 News their next move as a team:
“Get back into the weight room, get bigger, stronger, faster—we have a new strength and conditioning coach, I think this also will allow us the time to get to know him on a personal level.”
Both the athletic director and head coach say they are staying positive about playing in the Big South Conference this upcoming fall, even after this heartbreaking setback.
"We've turned the corner," Hilton said. "I can see some daylight. It's gonna be wonderful."
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What North Carolina A&T’s Move To The Big South Conference Means For Their Future
North Carolina A&T State University shook the FCS as they announced their move from the MEAC to the Big South conference. The Aggies football program has been dominant recently, but can they maintain this success in the Big South? We discuss it here!
North Carolina A&T Wins Celebration Bowl
By: Tialena Evans
North Carolina A&T State University shook the FCS as they announced their move from the MEAC to the Big South conference. The Aggies will officially become Big South members on July 21, 2021.
This news was huge for the HBCU world and has sparked much conversation in the media, whether it be from the fans or the athletes. The HBCU culture is strong, and this move definitely adds a shift in that realm for the Aggies. The only other school in the Big South that shares that black culture with A&T is Hampton University, who left the MEAC to join the Big South back in 2018. Many traditions such as The Greatest Homecoming on Earth, or famously known as GHOE, the marching band system, and the Greek life won’t quite register the same with all of the other schools in the conference.
Another huge aspect of the culture is the rivalries. The atmosphere, passion and intensity showcased through the players and fans is like no other. The annual Aggie-Eagle classic, against N.C. Central, is a staple in A&T’s football and basketball season, and it just wouldn’t be the same without it. Now, while this doesn’t completely dismiss the possibility of the two teams seeing each other again in the future, it’s not set in stone. Since Hampton’s move to the Big South, they’ve played only one football game and four men’s basketball games against other MEAC schools, so the Aggie-Eagle rivalry could definitely die out if consistent games between them aren’t in the future schedules.
The Aggies were possibly on the brink of forming a new football rival in Florida A&M University, as they have been seen as another HBCU powerhouse on the field. The Aggies lost to FAMU this past football season in a close overtime game, with FAMU coming out on top with a deep bomb to the end zone. The Rattlers clinched consecutive wins over the Aggies, and although FAMU finished the season with the best record in the MEAC, they were ineligible to make it to the Celebration Bowl due to NCAA violations. This caused a stir in the MEAC and made FAMU believe they should have been crowned conference champions, which eventually drove them to print off newspapers and t-shirts declaring themselves as 2019 MEAC Champions...yikes!! Too bad the record books won’t support that claim.
Of course the biggest loss from this move is that A&T’s football team will no longer be able to participate in the Celebration Bowl, which is locked in for the MEAC vs. SWAC. The Aggies have informally claimed the name as the “Aggie Bowl” or “Aggie Invitational”, as they’ve come away as National Champions four out of five years, and won three back-to-back-to-back titles. Thousands of fans, students and alum dedicated themselves over the past 5 years to travel to Atlanta to showcase their Aggie Pride, and that soon comes to an unexpected end as the 2021-22 season will be their final year of eligibility.
Now while there are quite a few downsides to this move, it’s not necessarily the worst thing in the world. The Aggies have definitely made a name for themselves as consistent HBCU National Champions, and a top competitor in not only HBCU football, but also across other conferences within the FCS. Since the Celebration Bowl will no longer be an option for the Aggies to hold that HBCU national title, the NCAA FCS playoffs will have to suffice instead.
The Aggies were able to make it to the FCS playoffs in 2016, as that was the only year they didn’t make the Celebration Bowl. Since the induction of the bowl game, seven Big South teams have competed in the FCS playoffs, and the Aggies surely plan to join them in the 2021-22 season.
Photo credit: Kevin L. Dorsey
The Big South definitely provides the opportunity for them to play against tougher competition which makes the most sense as they are certainly exploring the possibility of moving up into the FBS. They are currently 3-3 against FBS teams over the last five years, and have had a player selected in each of the last 3 NFL drafts. The move out of the MEAC was the first step into that future move.
Despite all of the pros and cons of the Aggies conference move, they are in good hands as they just locked in a high esteemed football recruiting class, including four former ACC players. This includes Virginia Tech’s defensive back D.J. Crossen, Wake Forest’s running back Courtney McKinney, Virginia Tech’s defensive lineman Robert Porcher and Pittsburgh’s defensive back Mychale Salahuddin. Since all four players transferred from the FBS, they are eligible to play immediately in the 2020-21 season.
As the Aggies have ultimately made a move that sets them up for the success that they are seeking, their future seems bright and the road to the FBS is en route.
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Celebration Bowl Brings Spotlight To HBCU Powerhouse Programs While Reaching 5-year Milestone
North Carolina A&T acquired their fourth Celebration Bowl title in five years, beating Alcorn State 64-44! The Celebration Bowl is putting HBCU football in the national spotlight! We discuss it here!
Photo by Brandon Waters
By: Baigen Seawell
It’s back-to-back-to-back for North Carolina A&T Football.
The Aggies acquired their fourth Celebration Bowl title in five years, beating Alcorn State 64-44 on December 21, 2019. This game marked the fifth year of it’s existence; what some people like to call, the “Super Bowl of HBCU’s”, the Celebration Bowl serves as a National Championship between the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Prior to the Celebration Bowl, there were numerous predecessors which would make it what we know today.
The History
Before the Celebration Bowl, there were other bowls that came and went. The Pelican Bowl, which took place in the mid to late 1970’s, a time that was arguably height of HBCU Football, drew crowds of nearly 30,000 to New Orleans, La. The Heritage Bowl would be the successor, taking place during the 1990’s, with the Champions of the MEAC and SWAC facing off. In the eight years of meeting, the MEAC and SWAC would win six titles equally between them. By 1999, this would be the last meeting, and the Heritage Bowl would be the basis of what would be discussed, and voted on to become the Celebration Bowl in 2015.
Record Setting Fashion
In the five years of the Celebration Bowl’s existence, nothing would top the level of performance displayed in this matchup. A plethora of records were broken before reaching the end of third quarter.
The Aggies and Braves would combine for 49 total points in the third quarter, the most scored
The record for most combined points in a Celebration Bowl game now stands at 108
64 Total Points scored by the Aggies would be the most points scored in postseason and in Celebration Bowl history
Quarterback Kylil Carter would acquire the most touchdowns in Celebration Bowl history, and would tie with fellow Aggie, Alan Hooker with a total of 6
364 Passing Yards would be the most in a single Celebration Bowl game
And the list goes on, and on…
Despite the score, the passion for the game and level of competition stayed at an all-time high from start to finish, leaving a positive outlook on the future of the Celebration Bowl.
Why HBCU Athletics are Crucial in the NCAA
The athleticism shown between these two teams proves why HBCU Football, and HBCU Athletics is still something that should continue to be highlighted. Coach Fred McNair, the original “Air McNair”, and Brother of Steve McNair, has created a powerhouse football program of predominantly black athletes at his Alma Mater. Coach Sam Washington, an alum of Mississippi Valley State has brought North Carolina A&T to national prominence bringing home a fourth title home to the HBCU with the largest student enrollment in the nation.
While Alcorn and A&T garnered national attention in the Celebration Bowl, we must remember HBCU Trailblazers such as West Virginia State, home to the first African American to be drafted to the NBA, or Tennessee State University, with 24 national titles in Women’s Track (Indoor and Outdoor).
As the evolution of HBCU Football from the early bowl games to present has been a sight to behold, we must spotlight other athletic programs and give them the same level of attention; encouraging black youth to attend these institutions could give us the next Walter Payton, Terron Armstead, Elijah Bell, or Felix Harper. As Football Season comes to a close, national signing day inches closer and closer, and we must look to preserve and strengthen the legacy of HBCU Athletics at all levels.