MEAC decision a boon for Central

The MEAC's decision to lift its moratorium on expansion, paving the way for N.C. Central's entrance, is great news for the school.

Central's move to Division I has forced the football and basketball teams to play as an independent, which means many, many road games and only a handful of home games. It's a difficult path for anyone to follow.

In the MEAC, they'll be with other HBCUs within driving distance, from Winston-Salem State and North Carolina A&T to Hampton and South Carolina State — natural fits in terms of both travel costs and rivalries. Central was an original member of the MEAC before it made the jump to Division I three decades ago.

A return is what NCCU envisioned when it made the jump from Division II and the CIAA to Division I. And now, it's a realistic possibility, with the MEAC likely to add N.C. Central and Savannah State to form a 14-team conference (12 teams in football). Central could end up in a football division with the two other North Carolina schools, Florida A&M, Bethune-Cookman and S.C. State — and a lot less travel than the Eagles are enduring now.

Central has been waiting three years for the MEAC to make a decision on expansion, so Monday's decision was no mere formality, but a long time coming.