Eight year a ago, Dr. William R. Harvey had a vision.
The Hampton University president was convinced
that with the right approach, the school could hold
its own at the highest level of collegiate competition. Now
that is is clear that Harvey's vision was not just a case of
wishful thinking, there appears to be another school -- Norfolk
State University (NSU) -- ready to follow his lead.
Although Hampton is just in its second year of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I competition, the institution is holding its own. The Pirates, as they are athletically known, are members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), which is one of the two Division I conferences composed of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The women's tennis and softball teams have already won conference titles and the football and basketball teams are on the site.
"It took a lot of research and planning to make sure that we would have a smooth transition [to Division I]," says Dr. Dennis Thomas, Hampton athletics director. "Dr. harvey provided the leadership for that. We felt our program had developed to a point where we could compete on the highest level of the NCAA -- and that's Division I."
Hampton's move to Division I is just the first -- if all goes according to plan, Norfolk State will also make the move to Division I this summer. Currently, NSU is completing the application process with the NCAA and expects to get a decision in it's request by June 1. The school is severing its Division II and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) ties in an attempt to "keep up with the Joneses."
"The exposure a school gets in Division I is not only good for athletics, but good for the academic side," says William Price, Norfolk State's athletics director. "And in our situation, we're in a hotbed. Our main rival, Hampton, is seven miles away and Old Dominion (another Division I competitor) is four miles form us. We're recruiting the same kids as they are for athletics and academics, so it benefits us to move on too."
