Blu Panther
The name says it all
From the onnidan website posted by Decatur G of the MEACFans website
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http://www.onnidan.com/bcsp/904/stry9041.htm
Thomas determined to make MEAC better
Roscoe Nance
BCSP Contributing Writer
Dennis Thomas loves a challenge. That's why he left Hampton University, where he was athletic director for 12 years and led the Pirates to a number of milestones, to become the new commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
"I just felt it was a good opportunity for me and another challenge," said Thomas, whose first day in the Greensboro, N. C. office of the conference was Tuesday. "I thought I could make the conference better." He replaces Charles Harris who resigned over the summer after six years on the job.
Thomas, 49, has some definite ideas about what it will take to make the MEAC better. They include solidifying the league's financial stability, expansion and bringing back a postseason bowl game involving the champions of the MEAC and the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
"We're strong financially," Thomas says. "But my philosophy is to always improve your financial strength, and that's what I plan to do."
Thomas' plan calls for increased corporate sponsorship for the conference.
"I'd like to engage corporate America to buy into the MEAC," he says. "I think we have a product that will be attractive to corporate America, but you have to package your product to fit what corporate America is looking for."
He says the conference's selling point is it's 11 member-institutions and their alumni.
"That alumni has significant buying power," he says. "You have to package your product to let corporate America know you have significant alumni with discretionary funds to buy what they have to sell. I don't think it will be a tough sell."
Thomas says he would like for the conference to add one member-institution. That move would also help to solidify the league's financially stability because it would pave the way for divisional play in all sports, which cuts down on travel expenses. In addition, it would set the stage for a conference championship game in football, which potentially could be a big revenue producer.
He expects to face an uphill struggle in his efforts to renew a bowl game involving the MEAC and SWAC champions. The conferences created the Heritage Bowl in 1990 because their champions weren't receiving automatic bids to the NCAA playoffs. However, the game lost much of its appeal when the MEAC became eligible for an automatic berth for its champion. That meant the SWAC champion would face the MEAC's runner-up or it's third-place team if the second-place finisher received an at-large playoff berth.
Prior to becoming athletic director at Hampton in 1990 and overseeing the school's move from Division II to Division I, Thomas was chairman of the school's Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
"He did an outstanding job for us," says Hampton president Dr. William Harvey. "I think he will do an outstanding job as commissioner. He has a tremendous work-ethic and integrity beyond reproach. I was the architect of our move to Division I. He was the master-builder. We had planned for ten years to move to Division I. We had a master plan, but if he had not been here we would not have been as successful as we've been."
Thomas became affiliated with the MEAC in 1985 when he was named head football coach at South Carolina State University. A 1974 graduate of Alcorn State, where he played football, his experience also includes having been an assistant coach at Northeast Louisiana State and defensive coordinator at his alma mater. He earned a doctorate in physical education from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1984.
The MEAC Board of Chief Executive Officers selected him to be commissioner from among 15 candidates.
"When you look at his credentials and his experience in athletics and academics, he was the best candidate," says Delaware State University President, Dr. William B. Delauder, chair of the MEAC CEOs. "We take pride in the strength of our academics and athletics in the MEAC. You need them to work together. He has that rare combination. We've been on a pattern of greatly enhancing all our programs, and he will continue that."
---------------------------------------
http://www.onnidan.com/bcsp/904/stry9041.htm
Thomas determined to make MEAC better
Roscoe Nance
BCSP Contributing Writer
Dennis Thomas loves a challenge. That's why he left Hampton University, where he was athletic director for 12 years and led the Pirates to a number of milestones, to become the new commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
"I just felt it was a good opportunity for me and another challenge," said Thomas, whose first day in the Greensboro, N. C. office of the conference was Tuesday. "I thought I could make the conference better." He replaces Charles Harris who resigned over the summer after six years on the job.
Thomas, 49, has some definite ideas about what it will take to make the MEAC better. They include solidifying the league's financial stability, expansion and bringing back a postseason bowl game involving the champions of the MEAC and the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
"We're strong financially," Thomas says. "But my philosophy is to always improve your financial strength, and that's what I plan to do."
Thomas' plan calls for increased corporate sponsorship for the conference.
"I'd like to engage corporate America to buy into the MEAC," he says. "I think we have a product that will be attractive to corporate America, but you have to package your product to fit what corporate America is looking for."
He says the conference's selling point is it's 11 member-institutions and their alumni.
"That alumni has significant buying power," he says. "You have to package your product to let corporate America know you have significant alumni with discretionary funds to buy what they have to sell. I don't think it will be a tough sell."
Thomas says he would like for the conference to add one member-institution. That move would also help to solidify the league's financially stability because it would pave the way for divisional play in all sports, which cuts down on travel expenses. In addition, it would set the stage for a conference championship game in football, which potentially could be a big revenue producer.
He expects to face an uphill struggle in his efforts to renew a bowl game involving the MEAC and SWAC champions. The conferences created the Heritage Bowl in 1990 because their champions weren't receiving automatic bids to the NCAA playoffs. However, the game lost much of its appeal when the MEAC became eligible for an automatic berth for its champion. That meant the SWAC champion would face the MEAC's runner-up or it's third-place team if the second-place finisher received an at-large playoff berth.
Prior to becoming athletic director at Hampton in 1990 and overseeing the school's move from Division II to Division I, Thomas was chairman of the school's Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
"He did an outstanding job for us," says Hampton president Dr. William Harvey. "I think he will do an outstanding job as commissioner. He has a tremendous work-ethic and integrity beyond reproach. I was the architect of our move to Division I. He was the master-builder. We had planned for ten years to move to Division I. We had a master plan, but if he had not been here we would not have been as successful as we've been."
Thomas became affiliated with the MEAC in 1985 when he was named head football coach at South Carolina State University. A 1974 graduate of Alcorn State, where he played football, his experience also includes having been an assistant coach at Northeast Louisiana State and defensive coordinator at his alma mater. He earned a doctorate in physical education from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1984.
The MEAC Board of Chief Executive Officers selected him to be commissioner from among 15 candidates.
"When you look at his credentials and his experience in athletics and academics, he was the best candidate," says Delaware State University President, Dr. William B. Delauder, chair of the MEAC CEOs. "We take pride in the strength of our academics and athletics in the MEAC. You need them to work together. He has that rare combination. We've been on a pattern of greatly enhancing all our programs, and he will continue that."
:idea: :redhot: It's unheard of to take the first and second place team in the east and west division and let them play a divisional championship, followed by a conference championship (east vs west). I've seen the SWAC do some strange things, but this would take the cake. 
