NORFOLK, Va., – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference released its spring 2021 football schedule on Monday, a slate of games that reflect unique divisional scheduling due to some members opting out of playing in the spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The conference’s spring football regular season will kick off on Feb. 20, 2021, and will conclude on April 3. An inaugural championship game will take place on April 17, the winner advancing to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs a week later.
With Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M both meeting the conference’s Nov. 16 opt-out deadline to not compete in spring football, the field of teams playing football in the spring was narrowed to seven teams – Delaware State, Howard, Morgan State, and Norfolk State, which will comprise the MEAC’s Northern Division, and North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central and South Carolina State, which will compete in the Southern Division.
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The new schedule approved by the MEAC’s athletics directors calls for the Northern Division teams to play four conference games within the division, including each institution playing one opponent twice. In the Southern Division, each of the three members will play each other twice, for a total of four games.
Teams from both divisions have open dates where they may choose to play non-conference games.
The Northern and Southern Division teams with the best records will square off for the MEAC championship on the campus of the team with the best conference record on April 17.
(Revised) 2021 MEAC spring football schedule | ||
Game | Date | Location |
North Carolina Central at South Carolina State | 2/20/21 | Orangeburg S.C. |
Norfolk State at Howard | 2/20/21 | Washington D.C. |
Delaware State at Morgan State | 2/20/21 | Baltimore Md. |
South Carolina State at North Carolina A&T State | 2/27/21 | Greensboro N.C. |
Norfolk State at Morgan State | 3/6/21 | Baltimore Md. |
North Carolina Central at North Carolina A&T State | 3/6/21 | Greensboro N.C. |
Howard at Delaware State | 3/6/21 | Dover Del. |
Delaware State at Norfolk State | 3/20/21 | Norfolk Va. |
South Carolina State at North Carolina Central | 3/20/21 | Durham N.C. |
Morgan State at Howard | 3/20/21 | Washington D.C. |
North Carolina A&T State at South Carolina State | 3/27/21 | Orangeburg S.C. |
North Carolina A&T State at North Carolina Central | 4/3/21 | Durham N.C. |
Howard at Norfolk State | 4/3/21 | Norfolk Va. |
Morgan State at Delaware State | 4/3/21 | Dover Del. |
Courtesy: MEAC