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Conference commissioners—Dennis E. Thomas of the MEAC, and Duer Sharp of the SWAC—are united in their belief that the best is yet to come for the MEAC/SWAC Challenge
By Donald Hunt
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Sharp, Mickey and Thomas are longtime buds.
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The MEAC/SWAC Challenge is at a turning point. After all, the annual football game for historically black colleges—showcasing a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference—has reached the five-year mark. The game is still looking to build on a steady following while gaining traction and respectability for the future. The men who head up both conferences—Dennis E. Thomas of the MEAC, and Duer Sharp of the SWAC—know better than most that the MEAC/SWAC Challenge is more than just a game for black college football. Both shared their thoughts with Donald Hunt about this year’s matchup, and the future.
Hunt: ESPN’s College Game Day Show went down to Florida A&M last season for its pre-game coverage. The school received a lot of publicity around the country. How important was getting a national television contract for the MEAC/SWAC Challenge?
Thomas: I have to commend ESPN for its visionary insight in its diversity and programming. Our job as commissioners is to provide additional exposure for these institutions. The exposure obviously comes from TV. To have a partnership and an association with the world’s leader in sports and entertainment is really tremendous for our conference.
Hunt: This is the fifth season for the MEAC/SWAC Challenge. What were your thoughts five years ago as this game was conceived?
Sharp: I thought it was something that was not only great for HBCU football, but for college football in general. So much of the time you don’t get a chance to see MEAC and SWAC schools on national television. Now you do, but when it first began you really didn’t see much of [black institutions] on a national platform. We were excited for what we could do on the football field, but we are also proud of what our institutions in both conferences are all about academically, as well.
Hunt: The game has come a long way in five years—from its first three years in Birmingham, and now in its second year in Orlando. Tell us about its growth to date.
Thomas: It’s very special because the student-athletes and coaches get a bowl-like experience. ESPN does a tremendous job of putting this on. Our student-athletes and coaches really appreciate not only participating in the game, but all the other ancillary activities surrounding the game. We’re just hoping we can continue to build on the attendance of the game. It is a tremendous event.
Hunt: The game moved from Birmingham to Orlando last year. Was that a positive?
Sharp: That was always the plan: three years in Birmingham in SWAC territory, followed by three years in MEAC territory, which is Orlando, of course. The involvement of Disney and Disney Resorts proved to be a great thing last year. That experience for the student-athletes from Jackson State and Hampton was first-class, top to bottom.
Hunt: Has this game made a difference with regard to recruiting?
Thomas: That’s part of our strategy with this game: to provide another vehicle for our institutions. This game promotes all that is great about our academic institutions. And part of that is all the successes they’ve had academically, and to recruit students to the institutions. This game is a marketing and promotional tool for our universities. We know a lot of the universities wouldn’t be known on a national scale were it not for athletics, on a big scale.
Hunt: Has the game been a good showcase for black college football?
Sharp: I think it has. The MEAC/SWAC Challenge features black college football’s premiere conferences. The game shows that we do have great athletes. It’s been a positive experience for not only the teams and conferences, but also the country.
Hunt: That’s a good point, as you’ve had a handful of players make it to the NFL who have played in this game.
Thomas: Certainly, the more times you can get in front of the national media, in front of professional teams and their personnel, the better it is. It’s a lot easier for that to happen when they see you on TV on a consistent basis. Obviously, [scouts] do their homework coming on campus visiting with coaches and reviewing tape. But it’s something different when they can be at home or in the office or traveling and your game is on. That makes it even better.
Hunt: It’s important to note that this game hasn’t been just about football. You’ve brought in people—like former Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams and legendary coach Herman Boone (of “Remember the Titans” fame)—to play key roles with the event.
Sharp: That’s a great point. It’s always good when you can bring in someone who has been a part of the heritage. Doug Williams did a great job last year as keynote speaker. I know I had a chance to speak with Shack Harris, former Grambling State quarterback. When you can touch those guys, it’s always beneficial because they’re a part of the great history, legacy and tradition of the SWAC and MEAC.
Hunt: Let’s talk about this year’s matchup between South Carolina State and Grambling State. You’ve got to be happy to have the best teams in both conferences going to battle.…
Thomas: This is a tremendous matchup. Two nationally known programs that not only have tremendous history—of sending student-athletes to the pros—but schools that have had tremendous teams over the years. To have the champions of the SWAC and the MEAC participating in the 2009 Challenge is special.
Hunt: Moving forward, what are your hopes for the MEAC/SWAC Challenge?
Sharp: Overall, I really don’t have much to complain about. I think with everything you want to see the fans come out and support it. It’s great football, and people need to know that, first and foremost. The exposure we’ve received from ESPN has really helped us with the event.
Hunt: But how do you specifically take this game to the next level?
Thomas: You keep building. You keep putting bricks on blocks. You have to put the right bricks on the blocks, and do the right things in terms of promoting the game–appealing to the mass audience and galvanizing not only the local alumni but the local community as well. This is another opportunity for the country to see not only our brand of football, but other entertainment aspects of HBCU football. A lot of people don’t understand that it is an event. Football is obviously a big part of it, but the Battle of the Bands, cheerleaders and tailgating is all wrapped up in this event. You have to see it to appreciate it, and we hope people will.
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Longtime administrator Dennis E. Thomas has been the MEAC commissioner for seven years. Duer Sharp joined the SWAC staff in 2004 as an assistant commissioner, and is in his second year as commissioner.
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