jjohnson@herald-sun.com
DURHAM -- Competing against teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is nothing new for N.C. Central.
For years, NCCU has played against North Carolina A&T, Winston-Salem State and most recently against Hampton in football.
Now the Eagles will be playing all the teams from the MEAC, and NCCU coaches are excited about the step up in competition.
Football coach Mose Rison said the move from Division II play to the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision was in motion when he became the head coach three seasons ago.
"When I became the football coach, I was told about the move from the CIAA to independent status and that we were applying to the MEAC," Rison said. "I didn't know how long or how much effort it would take, but I'm glad it's done."
NCCU likely will be competing as a full member of the MEAC during the 2011-12 school year. Until then, the Eagles will continue to compete as a Division I independent in all sports.
During the 2008-09 school year, the Eagles finished 4-7 in football, 4-27 in men's basketball and 10-17 in women's basketball.
Rison said he was looking forward to the day when NCCU is completely on the same level with the other MEAC schools in terms of scholarships. NCCU presently has about 50 football players on scholarship, but over the next two years, Rison said he expects to be at the limit of 63 for FCS schools.
"Recruiting is going to be helped so much by being in the MEAC," Rison said. "Now that we're in a conference, that's a point we can sell.
"It hurt us some by not being in a conference when kids we were recruiting asked about it. We couldn't play for a championship, and that hurt us. This will allow us to focus on new goals now like winning a MEAC championship."
Men's basketball coach LeVelle Moton said conference affiliation will mean a lot less travel for his squad. The past two seasons, the Eagles have been barnstorming the county playing teams from coast to coast.
"The conference will give us 14 or 16 games, and then all we have do is find another eight to fill out the schedule," Moton said. "It was just difficult for us to find games. And now we have the opportunity to work towards postseason play."
Women's basketball coach Joli Robinson said she felt her team, along with NCCU's other teams, would be able to hold their own in the MEAC.
"We're already playing against a lot of their teams, and we've been pretty competitive," Robinson said.
Robinson also said NCCU's coaches now should be able to recruit more talented athletes.
"The major thing we have now is a conference," Robinson said. "We're going to have to recruit stronger athletes now, but being in the MEAC will help."
