Savannah State University Joins the MEAC
As Winston Salem State University is leaving, another university has just been granted provisional membership as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Beginning July, 1, 2010, the Savannah State University Tigers, located in Savannah, GA, will be scheduling their first games against fellow MEAC opponents. However, the move didn’t come without a lengthy wait and a few obstacles.
According to the MEAC website, SSU originally applied for membership in 2006, but was “deferred until the completion of an NCAA probation that ended in May 2009.” After their probation was completed, SSU officials resubmitted their MEAC application and were accepted under provisional terms. School officials must ensure that SSU meets three stipulations prior to September 1, 2011 including conference standards for student-athlete scholarships, athletics department funding and departmental staffing.
Once the announcement was made, MEAC Commissioner Dennis E. Thomas was open about his feelings: “We are pleased to extend membership and welcome Savannah State University to the MEAC family. The addition of SSU keeps us in compliance with our long range and strategic plan of adding up to 14 members. Adding SSU to the membership completes the geographical footprint that bridges our South Carolina and Florida institutions.”
Being the only MEAC member in the state of Georgia, SSU has the opportunity to spread the MEAC name and values to another state while still holding onto their in-state flair. They will continue their Georgia based rivalries with Georgia State as well as Georgia Southern, and ease into conference scheduling with four MEAC contests including match-ups with Bethune Cookman, Florida A&M, North Carolina Central and our own Norfolk State.
