Sizing up the black college conferences
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
There are those who
feel the NCAA Div. I-AA conferences, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
(MEAC) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), are
head and shoulders above their NCAA Div. II counterparts, the Central
Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and the Southern Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference (SIAC).
They argue that there should be two polls or rankings, one for the MEAC and SWAC, another for the CIAA and SIAC. They cite the fact that the I-AA conferences have 63 scholarships while the poor Div. II fellas only get 36.
Others don't buy that argument. They think the differences between the conferences are so minuscule that they are undetectable. They say black colleges, whether I-AA or Div. II, primarily pick from the same talent pool and that at least for the first 22 players on the field, there is no appreciable gap in ability. The difference-maker, they say, is sometimes one outstanding player or perhaps the depth of the I-AA programs. And many of the I-AA schools do not use their full allotment of scholarships thus negating that advantage.
They add that many times stars in both divisions are Div. I castoffs and many, like all-SWAC-caliber players Santino Hall and Adam Lamb (Texas Southern to Morehouse) and MEAC standard bearers Damien Walker and Rico Walker (Howard to Bowie State), leave I-AA for greener pastures with their Div. II brethren.
Still others follow the head-to-head outcomes, as few as they are, to make their determination as to which is the best (See box above).
The 2002 season is no different.
Through the first six weeks of this year's campaign, there have been enough upsets, surprises and outcomes that defy explanation like 3-2 North Carolina Central of the CIAA knocking off MEAC title contender North Carolina A&T (33-30 in overtime) and then losing badly to the SIAC's Morehouse (19-3) and the CIAA's own Virginia State (22-7) to call the whole dichotomy thing into question.
Or how about 1-4 Kentucky State of the SIAC foiling 2-3 SWAC-member Arkansas-Pine Bluff (47-44 in four overtimes) for its only win of the year, but losing to both Fort Valley State (45-33) and Morehouse (45-16) in conference play? Do the results indicate that the Morehouse's, Virginia State's and Fort Valley's of the black college world could compete week in and week out with SWAC and MEAC teams, or are these just fluke outcomes?
No one knows for sure, but it makes for good argument fodder.
Based on this year's results a strong case could be made that the SIAC's top three squads Tuskegee (5-0), Fort Valley State (4-2) and Morehouse (4-2) could compete in the upper echelon of the MEAC or SWAC. Witness FVSU's narrow 10-7 loss to serious SWAC title contender Alcorn State (4-1) this past weekend. Fort Valley beat Alcorn State a year ago as the Braves were challenging for the SWAC East crown.
Three-time SIAC champion Tuskegee has proven as much the past two years defeating SWAC member Alabama State in their annual Thanksgiving Day match-up en route to winning 28 of its last 29 games and taking the 2000 BCSP top final ranking. Alabama State challenged for the SWAC East title in 2000 and won the East last season to earn a spot opposite Grambling in the 2001 SWAC Championship Game. Grambling won that game by only a 38-31 score.
Bowie State (4-2), Virginia Union (3-2), Winston-Salem State (1-4) and Fayetteville State (4-1) are the class of the CIAA this season with 4-1 Virginia State making a quick move up the ladder. VSU played the MEAC's Norfolk State tough in its season opener this season before losing 31-21. NSU is a second-tier MEAC team.
Bowie State gets a chance this week at Hampton, a prime MEAC contender. Hampton beat fellow MEAC member Howard, 51-2 earlier this season. It's hard to believe the Bulldogs will do much worse. The SIAC gets four more cracks at the SWAC (Nov. 9, Miles vs. Southern and Clark-Atlanta vs. Texas Southern - Nov. 16, Lane vs. Ark. Pine Bluff and Nov. 28, Tuskegee vs Alabama State).
Five MEAC schools are in this week's BCSP Top Ten (see below) Bethune-Cookman (#1), South Carolina State (#2), Hampton (#5), Florida A&M (#7) and North Carolina A&T (#8). Three others are from the SWAC Grambling (#3), Alcorn State (#4) and Jackson State (#9) while Tuskegee (#6) and Fort Valley State (#10) hail from the SIAC.
But it's in ranking the next ten that it really gets interesting (see difficult). Two other SWAC teams Alabama A&M (#11) and Alabama State (#12) are joined by Morehouse and the CIAA contenders. Sifting through the rest of the conferences or the independents to fill out the list is a quite a challenge (see hard). That's why BCSP writer Roscoe Nance says with 51 black colleges playing football, at best you'll get a top 15.
Bottom line is, while there may be some distinct differences at the top of the conferences, it evens out as you go down. Kentucky State proved that in its win over UAPB the second win in a row for the Thorobreds over the Golden Lions and NCCU did the same in its win over A&T. Parity runs through the middle of the leagues.
And as the saying goes, 'on any given Saturday . . .'
Now, what about basketball?
© 2002 Azeez Communications, Inc.