Georgia Regents University Men's Golf Joins MEAC As Associate Member

AUGUSTA, Georgia -- The GRU Augusta men's golf program joined the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference as an associate member for men's golf, the MEAC announced Wednesday morning from their league headquarters in Norfolk, Va.

"We are really excited about our men's golf program joining the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference as an associate member," Director of Athletics Clint Bryant said. "It has been increasingly more difficult to make it as a Division I Independent in recent years and the MEAC invite couldn't have come at a better time. Georgia Regents University Augusta is honored to be a member and we look forward to competing against the fine institutions that make up the MEAC."

Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC consists of historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Savannah State University and South Carolina State University.

The MEAC sponsors 16 Division I (FCS) sports with automatic qualifying bids for NCAA postseason competition in men's golf, baseball, bowling, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field,
softball, and volleyball.

GRU Augusta starts its second season under head coach Jack O'Keefe when they tee off at the Tar Heel Intercollegiate, hosted by the University of North Carolina, at UNC Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, N.C.

"We are looking forward to being in an athletic conference," O'Keefe said. "It's a great opportunity for our team to step into the end of the year to compete for a conference championship and help us springboard in regional and NCAA play."

The UNC Finley Golf Course is a par-72, 7,242 yard course that will feature a three day, 54-hole tournament with 18 holes to be played Friday through Sunday. Tee times begin at 8:00 a.m. each day off No. 1 and No. 10. Live scoring will be available on www.Golfstat.com and www.GoHeels.com.

The MEAC will host the 2014 Men's Golf Championship from April 25-27, 2014 at the Crosswinds Golf Club in Savannah, Ga.

COURTESY GEORGIA REGENTS UNIVERSITY JAGUARS MEDIA RELATIONS