MEAC Football Media Day kicks off the 2026 season with six teams aiming for a trip to Atlanta and the Cricket Celebration Bowl.
Ahead of Media Day, we have one big question for each program to answer during the season.
Can Norfolk State improve in Year Two of Michael Vick?
The Spartans (1-11, 0-5 MEAC in 2025) rallied to beat Virginia State for Michael Vick’s first and only win as a college football head coach.
NSU enters the 2026 season on an active 10-game losing streak, and they have questions to answer at quarterback with two juco transfers (Deljay Bradley and Reginald Johnson) and two freshmen (Tyrone Jackson and Da’Jean Goldmond) vying for the starting role.
A transfer-heavy defense will look to improve on Norfolk State’s dead-last conference ranking of a season ago.
Vick learned firsthand how hard being a head coach at the Division I level can be. It will be interesting to see what improvements and adjustments he makes as the Spartans look to escape the MEAC basement.
Will Morgan State finally put it all together?
The Bears (4-8, 1-4 MEAC in 2025) have consistently sported one of FCS’ better defensive units in the Damon Wilson era.
The problem is on the other side of the ball as Morgan State offensive woes cost them dearly as they lost five games by a total of 22 points in 2025.
After redshirt freshman QB sensation Raymond Moore III transferred out, it might be more of the same for the Bears this year, even with a talented group of receivers and running backs.
Morgan State has to find a way to put points on the board to win games or else another year of “What if?” will be staring them right in the face.
How will Ted White improve Howard’s offense?
Ted White, the MEAC’s all-time leading passer, returns home as head coach, and he will need to sharpen a Bison offense that finished last in the conference in points per game.
A healthy Eden James in the backfield should help Howard’s offensive fortunes, along with a deep quarterback room.
If the Bison offense can light it up similarly to White’s days at quarterback, they stand a good chance of improving on their 5-7 record of a year ago.
Can North Carolina Central get back into the MEAC title chase?
The Eagles (8-4, 3-2 MEAC) finished out of the top two in the conference standings for the first time since 2019 a season ago.
Graduating several key players on both sides of the ball are points of concern, but Trei Oliver and his staff have always coached kids up and expect them to do the same with this new-look North Carolina Central team.
Returning quicksilver wide receivers Chance Peterson and Mekhi Wall will give a young quarterback room a pair of reliable and fast targets to aim for.
The expectation in Durham is to compete for a Black College National championship and even with a young team, that mission will not change.
Can Delaware State prove 2025 was no fluke?
The whispers of an easy schedule and teams being caught off guard by MEAC observers follow the Hornets into 2026, one year after winning the most games the program has seen since their last MEAC title year of 2007.
For the second year of the DeSean Jackson era, DSU will be faced with replacing two 1000-yard runners, an elusive quarterback and key pieces on both offensive and defensive lines.
A tougher schedule in 2026 will test Delaware State early, but Jackson’s confidence and discipline will have the Hornets ready for every challenge they face.
Who can stop South Carolina State?
Chennis Berry has yet to lose a game in the MEAC and it will be tough to beat the Black College National Champion Bulldogs again in 2026.
All-FCS preseason selection Jordan Franklin leads a stingy South Carolina State defense while Tyler Smith and KZ Adams return to the backfield to give the offense quickness and big play ability.
SCSU’s region-specific schedule will help them when MEAC play begins as both true MEAC contenders – North Carolina Central and DSU – must visit Oliver C. Dawson stadium this season.
The answer to this question is that the only thing that could stop South Carolina State is South Carolina State themselves.
That brings up another question; just how likely is that to happen?
