# Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

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The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC /ˈmiːæk/ MEE-ak) is a collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern and the Mid-Atlantic United States. It participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, and in football, in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
Currently, the MEAC has automatic qualifying bids for NCAA postseason play in men's basketball (since 1981), women's basketball (since 1982), softball (since 1995), men's and women's tennis (since 1998), and volleyball (since 1994). Bowling was officially sanctioned as a MEAC-governed sport in 1999. Before that season, the MEAC was the first conference to secure NCAA sanctioning for women's bowling by adopting the club sport prior to the 1996–97 school year.

## History

In 1969, a group whose members were long associated with interscholastic athletics met in Durham, North Carolina for the purpose of discussing the organization of a new conference. After the formulation of a committee, and their research reported, seven institutions, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State College, agreed to become the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. South Carolina State had been a longtime member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, while the other charter members had been longtime members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
The conference's main goals were to establish and supervise an intercollegiate athletic program among a group of educational institutions that shared the same academic standards and philosophy of co-curricular activities and seek status as a Division I conference for all of its sports.
The conference was confirmed in 1970, and had its first season of competition in football in 1971. The MEAC has had three full-time commissioners. In 1978, the MEAC selected its first full-time commissioner, Kenneth A. Free, who served as commissioner until he resigned in 1995. He was succeeded by Charles S. Harris, who served at the position until 2002. On September 1, 2002, Dennis E. Thomas became the conference's commissioner. He retired on December 31, 2021. Sonja O. Stills became the first female commissioner of the MEAC on January 1, 2022. She is also the only female commissioner of a Division I HBCU athletic conference.
The MEAC experienced its first expansion in 1979 when Bethune–Cookman College (now Bethune–Cookman University) and Florida A&M University were admitted as new members. That same year, founding members Morgan State University, North Carolina Central University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore withdrew from the conference. All three schools eventually returned to the conference; Maryland Eastern Shore rejoined in 1981, Morgan State in 1984, and North Carolina Central in 2010.
On June 8, 1978, the MEAC was classified as a Division I conference by the NCAA. Prior to that year, the league operated as a Division II conference. The following month the MEAC received an automatic qualification to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
In 1984, membership in the MEAC again changed, as Florida A&M chose to leave. The university returned to the conference two years later. Coppin State College, now Coppin State University, joined the conference in 1985. The MEAC found some stability in membership with the addition of two HBCUs in Virginia, Hampton University and Norfolk State University in 1995 and 1997, respectively. For the next ten years, the MEAC remained an 11-member conference. In 2007, former CIAA member Winston-Salem State University was granted membership, but announced on September 11, 2009, that it would return to Division II at the end of 2009–10 and apply to return to the CIAA before ever becoming a full member of the MEAC.
North Carolina Central University rejoined the conference effective July 1, 2010. NCCU was one of seven founding member institutions of the MEAC, but withdrew from the conference in 1979, opting to remain a Division II member when the conference reclassified to Division I.
Savannah State University was announced as the newest member of the MEAC on March 10, 2010. Savannah State originally applied for membership into the MEAC in 2006 but faced an NCAA probationary period soon after. Membership was then deferred until the completion of the imposed probation period, which ended in May 2009. Savannah State then resubmitted their application for membership again in 2009 and was finally granted probationary membership status. On September 8, 2011, the university was confirmed as a full MEAC member.
While the MEAC has had no new full members since then, the conference added an associate member in 2014 when Augusta University, then known as Georgia Regents University, a Division II institution with Division I programs in men's and women's golf, joined for men's golf. Augusta became the MEAC's first associate member and first non-HBCU with any type of membership. The conference has since added two more non-HBCU associate members, with Monmouth University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) joining for bowling in 2018.
In April 2017, Savannah State announced that it would drop to Division II effective with the 2019–20 school year. In November 2017, Hampton announced they would leave the MEAC to join the Big South Conference beginning with the 2018–19 season.
In February 2020 North Carolina A&T announced departing MEAC to join Big South Conference effective July 2021. Within few months, in June 2020, Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman also announced that they will leave the MEAC and join the SWAC starting in July 2021. As a result, the MEAC will have eight members remaining for 2021, with only six of its members sponsoring football. The MEAC has hired a consulting firm to help assess its current schools and to help it identify potential institutions for addition to the conference. The conference plans to operate with eight current members, starting 2021 until further expansion, in a compact geographical footprint removing North and South divisions.
In May 2021, multiple websites that report on HBCU sports indicated that the MEAC had reached out to two Division II HBCUs about their interest in transitioning to D-I and joining the MEAC. Kentucky State University and Virginia State University, respectively members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, confirmed that they had discussed possible membership with the MEAC and had commissioned feasibility studies on moving to Division I. Officials at both schools stated that they were considering the move, but would not commit to any change. One report also indicated that Chicago State University, a predominantly African-American school but not an HBCU, had lobbied the MEAC regarding membership. CSU was scheduled to leave the Western Athletic Conference, a league in which it is a major geographic outlier, in July 2022 to become an independent. According to this report, the MEAC had offered CSU associate membership in one sport, but was lukewarm to CSU becoming a full member because it does not sponsor football and is well outside the MEAC's geographic footprint.
In July 2022, the Northeast Conference (NEC) announced a partnership with the MEAC in which MEAC schools sponsoring baseball and men's and women's golf would become NEC affiliate members in their respective sports beginning in the 2022-23 season.

## Member schools
### Current full members

| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Nickname |
| Coppin State University | Baltimore, Maryland | 1900 | 1985 | Public | 2,724 | Eagles |
| Delaware State University | Dover, Delaware | 1891 | 1970 | Public | 6,200 | Hornets |
| Howard University | Washington, D.C. | 1867 | 1970 | Private | 12,065 | Bison/Lady Bison |
| University of Maryland Eastern Shore | Princess Anne, Maryland | 1886 | 1970; 1981 | Public | 2,333 | Hawks |
| Morgan State University | Baltimore, Maryland | 1867 | 1970; 1984 | Public | 7,763 | Bears |
| Norfolk State University | Norfolk, Virginia | 1935 | 1997 | Public | 5,616 | Spartans |
| North Carolina Central University | Durham, North Carolina | 1910 | 1970; 2010 | Public | 7,553 | Eagles |
| South Carolina State University | Orangeburg, South Carolina | 1896 | 1970 | Public | 2,649 | Bulldogs/Lady Bulldogs |

#### Notes

* ↑ The UMES campus has a Princess Anne mailing address, but completely lies in unincorporated Somerset County.
* ↑ Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) left the MEAC after the 1978–79 season, while competing for football as an associate member during the 1979–80 season before dropping the sport altogether. UMES rejoined the MEAC effective with the 1981–82 season as a full member that no longer had a football program.
* ↑ Morgan State left the MEAC after the 1978–79 season, while competing for football as an associate member during the 1979–80 season, before rejoining effective with the 1984–85 season.
* ↑ North Carolina Central left the MEAC after the 1978–79 season, while competing for football as an associate member during the 1979–80 season, before rejoining effective with the 2010–11 season.

### Associate members

| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | MEAC sport | Primary conference |
| North Carolina A&T State University | Greensboro, North Carolina | 1891 | 2021–22 | 13,322 | Aggies | | bowling (w) | Coastal |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, Alabama | 1966 | 2018–19 | 20,902 | Blazers | | bowling (w) | The American |

#### Notes

* ↑ North Carolina A&T was a full member from 1970 to 2021 before joining the Big South Conference.

### Former full members

| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Left | Type | Nickname | Subsequent conference | Current conference |
| Bethune–Cookman University | Daytona Beach, Florida | 1904 | 1979 | 2021 | Private | Wildcats | SWAC | SWAC |
| Florida A&M University | Tallahassee, Florida | 1887 | 1979; 1986 | 1984; 2021 | Public | Rattlers & Lady Rattlers | SWAC | SWAC |
| Hampton University | Hampton, Virginia | 1868 | 1995 | 2018 | Private | Pirates | Big South | Coastal |
| North Carolina A&T State University | Greensboro, North Carolina | 1891 | 1970 | 2021 | Public | Aggies | Big South | Coastal |
| Savannah State University | Savannah, Georgia | 1890 | 2010 | 2019 | Public | Tigers and Lady Tigers | SIAC | SIAC |
| Winston-Salem State University | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | 1892 | 2007 | 2010 | Public | Rams | CIAA | CIAA |

#### Notes

* ↑ Florida A&M left the MEAC completely for two seasons from 1984 to 1985 to 1985–86 and competed as an NCAA D-I Independent after a disagreement with the MEAC office over the playing of the rivalry game between Florida A&M and Bethune–Cookman University when FAMU refused to play conference mate BCU at a neutral site in Tampa in 1983 and the game was not played again in 1984. Florida A&M returned all sports to the MEAC effective the 1986–87 school year (with football returning later on, effective the 1987–88 school year). FAMU football left the conference after the 2003 fall season (2003–04 school year) during an attempt to move up to Division I-A (now FBS) with all other sports remaining in the MEAC. Financial difficulties halted the move after the 2004 fall season (2004–05 school year), at which time FAMU football returned back to the MEAC during the 2005 fall season (2005–06 school year).
* ↑ North Carolina A&T remains as a MEAC associate member for women's bowling.
* 1 2 Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
* ↑ Winston–Salem State University was a transitional member and never attained full membership in the MEAC or NCAA Division I before returning to Division II and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) after the 2009–10 school year, due to financial difficulties. They were scheduled to begin full membership and gain access to NCAA tournaments in 2011.

### Former associate members

| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Left | Type | Nickname | Colors | MEAC sport | Primary conference | Subsequent conference |
| Augusta University | Augusta, Georgia | 1785 | 2014–15 | 2020–21 | Public | Jaguars | | Golf (M) | Peach Belt | Southland |
| Monmouth University | West Long Branch, New Jersey | 1933 | 2018–19 | 2024–25 | Private | Hawks | | Bowling | Coastal | Northeast |

#### Notes

* ↑ Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.

### Membership timeline

Full members Full members (non-football) Assoc. members (football only) Assoc. member (women's bowling) Other Conference Other Conference

## Facilities

| School | Football stadium | Capacity | Basketball arena | Capacity |
| Coppin State | Non-football school | Non-football school | Physical Education Complex | 4,100 |
| Delaware State | Alumni Stadium | 7,193 | Memorial Hall | 1,800 |
| Howard | William H. Greene Stadium | 10,000 | Burr Gymnasium | 2,700 |
| Maryland–Eastern Shore | Non-football school | Non-football school | Hytche Athletic Center | 5,500 |
| Morgan State | Hughes Stadium | 10,000 | Talmadge L. Hill Field House | 4,000 |
| Norfolk State | William "Dick" Price Stadium | 30,000 | Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall | 4,500 |
| North Carolina Central | O'Kelly–Riddick Stadium | 10,000 | McDougald–McLendon Gymnasium | 3,000 |
| South Carolina State | Oliver C. Dawson Stadium | 20,000 | SHM Memorial Center | 3,000 |
* ↑ Coppin State has a club football team that competes in the Mid Atlantic Conference of the National Club Football Association. This team does compete at an on-campus facility.
* ↑ Maryland Eastern Shore has a club football team that competes in the Mid Atlantic Conference of the National Club Football Association. The team has an on-campus field, but the facility has no seating.

## Apparel

| School | Provider |
| Coppin State | Nike |
| Delaware State | Nike |
| Howard University | Jordan, Curry Brand (golf only) |
| University of Maryland Eastern Shore | Nike |
| Morgan State | Under Armour |
| Norfolk State | Nike |
| North Carolina Central | Nike |
| South Carolina State | Nike |

## Sports

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) sponsors championship competition in six men's and eight women's NCAA-sanctioned sports.
Teams in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference competition :
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
| Basketball | 8 | 8 |
| Bowling | - | 8 |
| Cross country | 8 | 8 |
| Football | 6 | - |
| Softball | - | 8 |
| Tennis | 6 | 8 |
| Track and field (indoor) | 8 | 8 |
| Track and field (outdoor) | 8 | 8 |
| Volleyball | - | 8 |

### Men's sponsored sports by school

| School | Basketball | Cross Country | Football | Tennis | Track & Field (Indoor) | Track & Field (Outdoor) | Total MEAC Sports |
| Coppin State | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 5 |
| Delaware State | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 5 |
| Howard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6 |
| UMES | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | 4 |
| Morgan State | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6 |
| Norfolk State | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6 |
| NC Central | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6 |
| SC State | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6 |
| Totals | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 44 |
Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference which are played by MEAC schools:
| School | Baseball | Golf | Soccer | Swimming & Diving | Wrestling |
| Coppin State | NEC | | | | |
| Delaware State | NEC | | | | |
| Howard | | NEC | NEC | NEC | |
| UMES | NEC | NEC | | | |
| Morgan State | | | | | EIWA |
| Norfolk State | NEC | | | | |
| NC Central | | NEC | | | |
* ↑ UMES will add men's volleyball in the 2026 season (2025–26 school year) as an NEC affiliate.

### Women's sponsored sports by school

| School | Basketball | Bowling | Cross Country | Softball | Tennis | Track & Field (Indoor) | Track & Field (Outdoor) | Volleyball | Total MEAC Sports |
| Coppin State | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| Delaware State | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| Howard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| UMES | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7 |
| Morgan State | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| Norfolk State | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| NC Central | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7 |
| SC State | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7 |
| Totals | 8 | 6+2 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 61+2 |
* ↑ Bowling associates North Carolina A&T and UAB.
Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference which are played by MEAC schools:
| School | Equestrian | Golf | Lacrosse | Soccer | Swimming & Diving |
| Delaware State | ECAC/ NCEA | NEC | NEC | NEC | — |
| Howard | — | NEC | NEC | NEC | NEC |
| SC State | — | — | — | IND | — |
| UMES | — | NEC | — | — | — |
* ↑ Part of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program.

## Championships
### NCAA National championships

| School | Nat'l titles | Years |
| Howard | 1 | 1971• 1974 |
| Maryland-Eastern Shore | 3 | 2008 • 2011 • 2012 |
* ↑ Howard was later disqualified from their 1971 NCAA soccer championship; however, no team was ever announced as the new champion.

### Football

The MEAC, along with the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), are the only two Division I conferences whose members are mostly Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). In 2015, the MEAC joined the SWAC and Ivy leagues in abstaining from sending their conference champions to the FCS Playoffs. While the conference champion faces off in the Celebration Bowl against the SWAC Champion, the remaining conference members remain eligible for at-large bids for the playoffs.
This is a partial list of the last 10 champions. For the full history, see List of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football champions.
| | | Record | Record | Ranking | Ranking | | |
| Year | Champions | Conference | Overall | AP/STATS | UPI/Coaches' | Postseason result | Head coach |
| 2010 | Bethune-Cookman South Carolina State Florida A&M | 7–1 7–1 7–1 | 10–2 9–3 8–3 | No. 15 No. 16 NR | 15 17 NR | NCAA Division I Second Round, L 20–45 vs. New Hampshire NCAA Division I First Round, L 16–41 vs. Georgia Southern No Playoff Invite | Brian Jenkins Oliver Pough Joe Taylor |
| 2011 | Championship vacated by Norfolk State | Championship vacated by Norfolk State | Championship vacated by Norfolk State | Championship vacated by Norfolk State | Championship vacated by Norfolk State | Championship vacated by Norfolk State | Championship vacated by Norfolk State |
| 2012 | Bethune-Cookman | 8–0 | 9–3 | No. 22 | 23 | NCAA Division I First Round, L 14–24 vs. Coastal Carolina | Brian Jenkins |
| 2013 | Bethune-Cookman South Carolina State | 7–1 7–1 | 10–3 9–4 | No. 16 No. 25 | No. 16 NR | NCAA Division I First Round, L 24–48 vs. Coastal Carolina NCAA Division I First Round, L 20–30 vs. Furman | Brian Jenkins Oliver Pough |
| 2014 | Morgan State Bethune-Cookman North Carolina A&T South Carolina State North Carolina Central | 6–2 6–2 6–2 6–2 6–2 | 7–5 9–3 9–3 8–4 7–5 | No. 23 NR NR NR NR | No. 22 NR NR NR NR | NCAA Division I First Round, L 24–46 vs. Richmond No Playoff invite No Playoff invite No Playoff invite No Playoff invite | Lee Hull Brian Jenkins Rod Broadway Buddy Pough Jerry Mack |
| 2015 | North Carolina A&T Bethune-Cookman North Carolina Central | 7–1 7–1 7–1 | 10–2 9–2 8–3 | No. 21 NR NR | No. 21 No. 25 NR | Celebration Bowl, W 41–34 vs. Alcorn State No Playoff invite No Playoff invite | Rod Broadway Terry Sims Jerry Mack |
| 2016 | North Carolina Central | 8–0 | 9–3 | No. 20 | No. 22 | Celebration Bowl, L 9–10 vs. Grambling State | Jerry Mack |
| 2017 | North Carolina A&T | 8–0 | 12–0 | No. 8 | No. 7 | Celebration Bowl, W 21–14 vs. Grambling State | Rod Broadway |
| 2018 | North Carolina A&T | 7–1 | 10–2 | No. 12 | No. 11 | Celebration Bowl, W 24–22 vs. Alcorn State | Sam Washington |
| 2019 | North Carolina A&T | 6–2 | 9–3 | No. 23 | No. 22 | Celebration Bowl, W 64–44 vs. Alcorn State | Sam Washington |
| 2020-21 | Season Suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Season Suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Season Suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Season Suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Season Suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Season Suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Season Suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | South Carolina State | 5–0 | 6–5 | NR | NR | Celebration Bowl, W 31–10 vs. Jackson State | Oliver Pough |
| 2022 | North Carolina Central | 4–1 | 10–2 | RV | No. 21 | Celebration Bowl, W 41–34 $^{OT}$ vs. Jackson State | Trei Oliver |
| 2023 | Howard | 4–1 | 6–6 | NR | NR | Celebration Bowl, L 26–30 vs. Florida A&M | Larry Scott |
| 2024 | South Carolina State | 5–0 | 9–3 | No.20 | No.18 | Celebration Bowl, L 28–7 vs. Jackson State | Chennis Berry |
* ↑ Norfolk State's 2011 MEAC football championship was vacated as a result of NCAA Violations.
* ↑ As a result of the MEAC football tiebreaker, Morgan State earned the conference's Automatic bid for the NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs.
* ↑ In July 2020, the MEAC announced that it would cancel its fall sports seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic and announced the league would explore the possibility of playing in the spring. The conference later released a spring schedule, but had to suspend indefinitely, per league bi-laws, when six of the nine football playing schools had opted out of playing.

#### Celebration Bowl results

| Year | MEAC Team | MEAC Team | SWAC Team | SWAC Team | Attendance | Series |
| 2015 | North Carolina A&T Aggies | 41 | Alcorn State Braves | 34 | 35,528 | MEAC 1–0 |
| 2016 | North Carolina Central Eagles | 9 | Grambling State Tigers | 10 | 31,096 | Tied 1–1 |
| 2017 | North Carolina A&T Aggies | 21 | Grambling State Tigers | 14 | 25,873 | MEAC 2–1 |
| 2018 | North Carolina A&T Aggies | 24 | Alcorn State Braves | 22 | 31,672 | MEAC 3–1 |
| 2019 | North Carolina A&T Aggies | 64 | Alcorn State Braves | 44 | 32,968 | MEAC 4–1 |
| 2021 | South Carolina State Bulldogs | 31 | Jackson State Tigers | 10 | 48,653 | MEAC 5–1 |
| 2022 | North Carolina Central Eagles | 41 | Jackson State Tigers | 34 (OT) | 49,670 | MEAC 6–1 |
| 2023 | Howard Bison | 26 | Florida A&M Rattlers | 30 | 41,108 | MEAC 6–2 |
| 2024 | South Carolina State Bulldogs | 7 | Jackson State Tigers | 28 | 36,823 | MEAC 6–3 |

### Men's basketball

On June 8, 1980, the MEAC earned the classification as a Division I conference by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 1981, the MEAC has received a qualifying bid to NCAA post season play in the sport of basketball. In three cases, MEAC schools seeded 15th (Coppin State in 1997, Hampton in 2001, Norfolk State in 2012) defeated second-seeded teams South Carolina, Iowa State and Missouri, respectively, in the NCAA tournament.
Coppin State again made history, as it qualified for the tournament as the first 20-loss team to play in the NCAA Tournament.
| Season | Regular season champion(s) | Tournament champion |
| 1972 | North Carolina A&T | North Carolina A&T |
| 1973 | Maryland Eastern Shore | North Carolina A&T |
| 1974 | Maryland Eastern Shore | Maryland Eastern Shore |
| 1975 | North Carolina A&T | North Carolina A&T |
| 1976 | North Carolina A&T | North Carolina A&T |
| 1977 | South Carolina State | Morgan State |
| 1978 | North Carolina A&T | North Carolina A&T |
| 1979 | North Carolina A&T | North Carolina A&T |
| 1980 | Howard | Howard |
| 1981 | North Carolina A&T | Howard |
| 1982 | North Carolina A&T | North Carolina A&T |
| 1983 | Howard | North Carolina A&T |
| 1984 | North Carolina A&T | North Carolina A&T |
| 1985 | North Carolina A&T | North Carolina A&T |
| 1986 | North Carolina A&T | North Carolina A&T |
| 1987 | Howard | North Carolina A&T |
| 1988 | North Carolina A&T | North Carolina A&T |
| 1989 | South Carolina State | South Carolina State |
| 1990 | Coppin State | Coppin State |
| 1991 | Coppin State | Florida A&M |
| Season | Regular season champion(s) | Tournament champion |
| 1992 | Howard | Howard |
| 1993 | Coppin State | Coppin State |
| 1994 | Coppin State | North Carolina A&T |
| 1995 | Coppin State | North Carolina A&T |
| 1996 | Coppin State South Carolina State | South Carolina State |
| 1997 | Coppin State | Coppin State |
| 1998 | Coppin State | South Carolina State |
| 1999 | South Carolina State Coppin State | Florida A&M |
| 2000 | South Carolina State | South Carolina State |
| 2001 | Hampton | Hampton |
| 2002 | Hampton | Hampton |
| 2003 | South Carolina State | South Carolina State |
| 2004 | South Carolina State Coppin State | Florida A&M |
| 2005 | Delaware State | Delaware State |
| 2006 | Delaware State | Hampton |
| 2007 | Delaware State | Florida A&M |
| 2008 | Morgan State | Coppin State |
| 2009 | Morgan State | Morgan State |
| Season | Regular season champion(s) | Tournament champion |
| 2010 | Morgan State | Morgan State |
| 2011 | Bethune–Cookman | Hampton |
| 2012 | Savannah State | Norfolk State |
| 2013 | Norfolk State | North Carolina A&T |
| 2014 | North Carolina Central | North Carolina Central |
| 2015 | North Carolina Central | Hampton |
| 2016 | Hampton | Hampton |
| 2017 | North Carolina Central | North Carolina Central |
| 2018 | Hampton | North Carolina Central |
| 2019 | Norfolk State | North Carolina Central |
| 2021 | | Norfolk State |
| 2022 | Norfolk State | Norfolk State |
| 2023 | Howard | Howard |
| 2024 | Norfolk State | Howard |

#### Tournament performance by active schools

| School | Championships | Championship Years |
| Howard | 5 | 1980,1981,1992,2023,2024 |
| South Carolina State | 5 | 1989,1996,1998,2000,2003 |
| Coppin State | 4 | 1990,1993,1997,2008 |
| North Carolina Central | 4 | 2014,2017,2018, 2019 |
| Morgan State | 3 | 1977,2009,2010 |
| Norfolk State | 3 | 2012, 2021, 2022 |
| Maryland Eastern Shore | 1 | 1974 |
| Delaware State | 1 | 2005 |

### Women's basketball

| Season | Regular season champion(s) | Tournament champion |
| 1978 | – | South Carolina State |
| 1979 | – | South Carolina State |
| 1980 | – | – |
| 1981 | – | – |
| 1982 | – | Howard |
| 1983 | – | South Carolina State |
| 1984 | South Carolina State | Bethune–Cookman |
| 1985 | South Carolina State | Howard |
| 1986 | South Carolina State | South Carolina State |
| 1987 | Howard | Howard |
| 1988 | North Carolina A&T | Howard |
| 1989 | North Carolina A&T | Howard |
| 1990 | North Carolina A&T | Howard |
| 1991 | South Carolina State | Coppin State |
| 1992 | South Carolina State | South Carolina State |
| 1993 | South Carolina State Coppin State Florida A&M | South Carolina State |
| Season | Regular season champion(s) | Tournament champion |
| 1994 | South Carolina State | North Carolina A&T |
| 1995 | Florida A&M | Florida A&M |
| 1996 | Florida A&M | Howard |
| 1997 | Howard | Howard |
| 1998 | Howard | Howard |
| 1999 | Hampton | Florida A&M |
| 2000 | Howard | Hampton |
| 2001 | Howard | Howard |
| 2002 | Howard | Norfolk State |
| 2003 | Hampton | Hampton |
| 2004 | Delaware State Hampton | Hampton |
| 2005 | Coppin State | Coppin State |
| 2006 | Coppin State | Coppin State |
| 2007 | Coppin State | Delaware State |
| 2008 | North Carolina A&T | Coppin State |
| 2009 | North Carolina A&T | North Carolina A&T |
| Season | Regular season champion(s) | Tournament champion |
| 2010 | North Carolina A&T | Hampton University |
| 2011 | Hampton | Hampton |
| 2012 | Hampton | Hampton |
| 2013 | Hampton | Hampton |
| 2014 | Hampton | Hampton |
| 2015 | Hampton | Savannah State |
| 2016 | Bethune Cookman North Carolina A&T | North Carolina A&T |
| 2017 | Bethune Cookman | Hampton |
| 2018 | North Carolina A&T | North Carolina A&T |
| 2019 | North Carolina A&T | Bethune Cookman |
| 2021 | | North Carolina A&T |
| 2022 | Howard Norfolk State Morgan State | Howard |
| 2023 | Norfolk State | Norfolk State |
| 2024 | Norfolk State | Norfolk State |

### Baseball

Last 10 years of champions. In 2023, the four remaining baseball programs from the MEAC joined the Northeast Conference to compete in baseball as associate members.
| Season | Regular season champion(s) | Tournament champion |
| 2012 | Bethune–Cookman | Bethune–Cookman |
| 2013 | Delaware State | Savannah State |
| 2014 | | Bethune–Cookman |
| 2015 | | Florida A&M |
| 2016 | | Bethune–Cookman |
| 2017 | | Bethune–Cookman |
| 2018 | | North Carolina A&T |
| 2019 | | Florida A&M |
| 2021 | | Norfolk State |
| 2022 | Delaware State | Coppin State |