GREENSBORO, N.C. – Defending champion North Carolina A&T is expected to win
the MEAC football title, as voted by the league’s Head Football Coaches, Media
and Sports Information Directors. North Carolina A&T, received four of the
possible eight first place votes from the MEAC coaches and led all teams with
seven first place votes from the media.
Hampton (5-2, 7-4), who lost to the Aggies, 38-29 in the deciding game last year, finished second in both preseason polls. Bethune-Cookman (5-2, 9-3) earned the third spot in the coach’s poll and South Carolina State (5-2, 8-4) was picked third by the media. Both the coaches and media were in agreement on the bottom four, as Morgan State, Howard, Norfolk State and Delaware State finished five through eight.
The Aggies (6-1, 10-3) topped off a fairy tale first season for coach George Small, capturing their first conference title since 1999 and earning the leagues’ automatic bid to the I-AA playoffs. Coach Small returns 15 starters from last year, including defensive lineman Rickie Lewis who finished with 7.5 sacks in 2003. Also returning for the Aggies: quarterback Orrick "Rico" Watson and runningbacks Micheaux Hollingsworth and Frank Patterson.
The 2004 season kicks off Labor Day Weekend as all eight MEAC teams will be in action against non-conference opponents. N.C. A&T will end the weekend on Sunday in a matchup against North Carolina Central in the annual Aggie-Eagle Classic. Howard and Hampton will battle in the first conference games of the year, as they face off in the week two, September 11 at Hampton.
MEAC teams will play in thirteen classic games in 2004 including two in Orlando, Fla. (Eddie Robinson Classic and the Florida Classic); the Circle City Classic in Indianapolis, Ind.; the Ford Detroit Classic in Detroit, Mich., and the N.Y. Urban League Classic in East Rutherford, N.J. The MEAC schedule will also feature a strong 1-AA presence in non-conference games that include Elon (NC A&T), Wofford (SC State), Western Illinois (Hampton); Southern Illinois (Delaware State), Bowie State (Morgan State) and Gardner-Webb (Morgan State, Hampton).
The MEAC football coaches will be on hand to discuss the upcoming season at the 2004 MEAC Football Kick-off Press Luncheon, July 30 at the Hilton Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, VA. For ticket information contact the MEAC office at (336) 275-9961.
