North Carolina Central University

ATHLETICS

     DURHAM, N.C. – Applause could be heard from the Emma Marable Conference Room in the Williams Jones Building on the campus of North Carolina Central University (NCCU) as the NCCU Board of Trustees unanimously voted to submit an application to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to join Division I in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Division I-AA (now Championship Subdivision) in football. 
     “We will be reunited with universities in the MEAC such as North Carolina A&T State, South Carolina State, Morgan, and Howard,” said Chancellor James H. Ammons.  “Our mission is closely in alliance with these universities. NCCU will compete against other historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that offer similar comprehensive curricula and master’s degrees.  It makes a lot of sense to rejoin.  NCCU is No. 1 among North Carolina HBCUs and third in the state in recruiting National Achievement Scholars (NAS).”  
     In 1971, NCCU was one of the first seven institutions to be a member of the MEAC.
     “We are not applying to the MEAC, we are reapplying to the MEAC,” said William “Bill” Hayes, NCCU’s athletic director.
     Three years ago, NCCU began exploring the opportunity of an athletic reclassification.  The NCCU Department of Athletics presented an NCCU Athletic Study conducted by Inter-Collegiate Athletic Consulting (ICAC) to provide necessary information for NCCU to make an informed decision about its future direction of athletic programs. 
     “Enrollment at NCCU is growing,” said Glenn Adams, a member of NCCU’s Board of Trustees and chair of the trustees student relations committee.  “We have already met our enrollment goal ahead of time.  This move will enhance the university.  You always want to grow.”
     NCCU’s enrollment for 2005 reached 8,231 students, which represents a 6.5% increase over the 2004 enrollment of 7,727.
     “The coaches, the student athletes and the athletics staff feel good about this move,” said Hayes.  “We are going back to where we originally started.  The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) has been wonderful to us, but we need to position ourselves with other universities that are like us.”
     By moving to the MEAC, NCCU would need an annual athletics budget of $5.4 million.  In 2004, NCCU’s spent $2.288 million.  NCCU would also have to add another sport.
     “All we have to add to move is one more sport,” said Hayes.  “We are planning to add two sports, baseball and women’s golf.”
     Based on NCCU’s decision to pursue the Division I-AA path, the process can take 5 years to complete under the present NCAA regulations.
     “Our goal is to have a sound, balanced budget,” said Ammons.  “We are doing what we think is best for NCCU.”