The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is a collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern and the Mid-Atlantic United States. It participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I, and in football, in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
The black college football national championship is a national championship honor that, since 1920, has been regularly bestowed upon the best football teams among historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) within the United States.
The Delaware State Hornets football team represents Delaware State University (DSU) at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). They play at the 7,193-seat Alumni Stadium located in Dover, Delaware. The facility opened in 1957 as a multi-purpose venue, for football and track and field.
The Alabama A&M Bulldogs are the college football team representing the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University. They play in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
The Delaware State Hornets are the sixteen sports teams representing Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware in intercollegiate athletics, including men and women's basketball, cross country, tennis, and track and field; women's-only bowling, softball, and volleyball; and men's-only baseball.
The 2008 Delaware State Hornets football team represented Delaware State University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Al Lavan and played their home games at Alumni Stadium. They and finished the season with a record of 5–6 overall and 5–3 in MEAC play, tying for second place.
The 1987 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-AA level, began in August 1987, and concluded with the 1987 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 19, 1987, at the Minidome in Pocatello, Idaho. The Northeast Louisiana Indians won their first I-AA championship, defeating the Marshall Thundering Herd by a score of 43–42.
The Turkey Day Classic is a college football game, traditionally held annually on Thanksgiving Day. Originally, it was played between Alabama State University and Tuskegee University, two historically black universities. The game was originally played in Montgomery, Alabama's Cramton Bowl, but relocated to Alabama State's new Hornet Stadium in 2012. The game is one of two black college football classics to be associated with Thanksgiving weekend; the other is the younger, but more widely known, Bayou Classic, held two days later.
The 2011 Delaware State Hornets football team represented Delaware State University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Hornets were led by first-year head coach Kermit Blount and played their home games at Alumni Stadium. They finished the season 3–8 overall and 1–7 in conference play to tie for ninth place in the MEAC.
The 2014–15 Delaware State Hornets men's basketball team represented Delaware State University during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hornets, led by first year head coach Keith Walker, played their home games at Memorial Hall and were members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They finished the season 18–18, 9–7 in MEAC play to finish in fifth place. They advanced to the championship game of the MEAC tournament where they lost to Hampton. They were invited to the College Basketball Invitational where they lost in the first round to Radford.
Nelson Elijah Townsend was an American college athletics administrator. Townsend served seven tenures as athletic director at four different universities: the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Delaware State University (1979–1986), Florida A&M University and the University at Buffalo (1987–1998). He was the University at Buffalo's first African American athletic director. At both Delaware State and Buffalo, Townsend was responsible for leading the athletic department to achieve full NCAA Division I status, as both schools transitioned from lower levels of NCAA hierarchy. Townsend was inducted to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in 1995 and was inducted to both the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Halls of Fame in 2012.
The 2017–18 Delaware State Hornets men's basketball team represented Delaware State University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hornets, led by fourth-year head coach Keith Walker, played their home games at Memorial Hall in Dover, Delaware as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
The 2018 Delaware State Hornets football team represented Delaware State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by first-year head coach Rod Milstead and played their home games at Alumni Stadium. The team was a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). They concluded the season with a record of 3–8 overall and 2–5 in MEAC play, finishing in a tie for eighth place.
The 2019 Delaware State Hornets football team represented Delaware State University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Rod Milstead and played their home games at Alumni Stadium. They were a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). They finished the season 2–10, 1–7 in MEAC play to finish in last place.
The 2020–21 Delaware State Hornets men's basketball team represented Delaware State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hornets, led by third-year head coach Eric Skeeters, played their home games at Memorial Hall in Dover, Delaware as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. With the creation of divisions to cut down on travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they played in the Northern division. They finished the season 3–16, 1–11 in MEAC play to finish in fourth place in the Northern division. They failed to qualify for the MEAC tournament.
The 1970 Delaware State Hornets football team represented Delaware State College—now known as Delaware State University—as a member of the Northern Division of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) in the 1970 NCAA College Division football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Arnold Jeter, the Hornets compiled an overall record of 6–2 and a mark of 4–1 in conference play, placing third in the CIAA's Northern Division. This was Delaware State’s final season competing in the CIAA, as they moved to the newly-formed Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in 1971. Following the season, running back Steve Davis was selected with the 60th pick in the 1971 NFL Draft, becoming the first Hornet to be selected in an NFL Draft.
The 1971 Delaware State Hornets football team represented Delaware State College—now known as Delaware State University—as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in the 1971 NCAA College Division football season. This was their first season as a member of the newly formed MEAC. Led by fifth-year head coach Arnold Jeter, the Hornets compiled an overall record of 1–8 and a mark of 1–5 in conference play, tying for sixth in the MEAC. The team played most of the season with mainly freshmen and sophomores, as many veteran players were suspended after being involved in a drug scandal.
The 1972 Delaware State Hornets football team represented Delaware State College—now known as Delaware State University—as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in the 1972 NCAA College Division football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Arnold Jeter, the Hornets compiled an overall record of 5–4 and a mark of 2–4 in conference play, trying for fifth in the MEAC.
The 1976 Delaware State Hornets football team represented Delaware State College—now known as Delaware State University—as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in the 1976 NCAA Division II football season. Led by second-year head coach Ed Wyche, the Hornets compiled an overall record of 3–7–1 and a mark of 1–5 in conference play, placing sixth out of seven teams in the MEAC.
The 1977 Delaware State Hornets football team represented Delaware State College—now known as Delaware State University—as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in the 1977 NCAA Division II football season. Led by third-year head coach Ed Wyche, the Hornets compiled an overall record of 7–4 and a mark of 4–2 in conference play, placing third out of seven teams in the MEAC.
