MID-EASTERN
Bethune-Cookman: @ Tennessee State, vs. Virginia-Lynchburg (Low), @ Florida Atlantic (FBS), vs. Mississippi Valley State.
For a MEAC team, this is a pretty balanced schedule. The road games will be difficult and the home games are potential victories.
Delaware State: @ Buffalo (FBS), @ St. Francis, @ Western Michigan (FBS), vs. Virginia-Lynchburg (Low).
A much more difficult schedule here. Two road games against the FBS. They need to make the most of their other two games.
Florida A&M: vs. Fort Valley State (Low), @ Troy (FBS), vs. Jackson State, vs. South Carolina State.
An odd schedule here, though it’s balanced. But three home games are a nice change of pace. The last one being against conference foe, South Carolina State.
Howard: @ Ohio (FBS), @ Kent State (FBS), vs. Savannah State, vs. Bryant.
Back-to-back roadies to FBS schools is a rough way to start the year, even though one of those was proven a target for a MEAC team last year.
Morgan State: vs. Towson, @ Akron (FBS), @ Albany, @ North Carolina A&T.
Getting Colonial neighbor Towson to play on the road, albeit very close proximity, is a good thing. The other three road games should sport a mighty challenge.
Norfolk State: vs. Virginia State (Low), vs. James Madison, @ Liberty (FBS), @ South Carolina State.
A lower class home game, then a home game with the 2016 FCS National Champion should be a major shot in the arm for attendance. The road game at South Carolina State will be the only time they leave Virginia during the month of September.
North Carolina A&T: vs. Jacksonville State, @ East Carolina (FBS), vs. Gardner-Webb, vs. Morgan State.
Probably the highest profile regular season game a MEAC team has had in years, when they face Jacksonville State in the season opener. A road game at East Carolina provides an opportunity to knock of an FBS team for a third consecutive season.
North Carolina Central: vs. Prairie View A&M, vs. St. Augustine’s (Low), @ Duke (FBS), vs. Edward Waters (Low).
Two lower class teams and a SWAC opponent at home will do nothing for the strength of schedule, but should offer a solid shot at three wins. The crosstown game at Duke should be fun.
Savannah State: @ Alabama-Birmingham (FBS), @ Miami, FL (FBS), @ Howard, vs. Charleston Southern.
The Road Warriors of FCS take to the pavement with four games, right out of the gate. Two of those are at FBS schools. This is the program’s swan song in FCS, going out playing anyone anywhere.
South Carolina State: @ Georgia Southern (FBS), @ Central Florida (FBS), vs. Norfolk State, @ Florida A&M.
Maybe the most awkward schedule in FCS this year. Two road games at FBS schools, but then two games against fellow MEAC teams as non-conference opponents. It does give them the distinction of being the only team in the MEAC to play all other conference opponents.
MEAC Opponent Breakdown
2 vs. Big South
3 vs. Colonial
8 vs. Mid-Eastern, these are from four non-conference games against MEAC opponents
2 vs. Northeast
2 vs. Ohio Valley
3 vs. Southwestern
14 vs. FBS
6 vs. Lower Class Opponents (Div-II, Div-III or NAIA)
The late departure of Hampton to the Big South Conference really caught the Mid-Eastern off guard. Six of the ten teams were forced into playing one conference opponent as a non-con. South Carolina State has to play two. When asked by Hampton to play some of these schools anyway, every one of them allegedly turned them away. This has put Hampton’s schedule into an even bigger bind than the MEAC, but that will be discussed later. The conference as a whole is playing fourteen games against the FBS, but still six with lower class opponents. That means exactly half of their non-cons will be against non-FCS foes.
