Hampton, MEAC finally reach agreement on Pirates' departure to Big South

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Officials from the MEAC and Hampton University hammered out a compromise agreement during last week’s basketball tournament at Scope that allows the Pirates to exit to the Big South Conference next season.

The league and university announced the agreement Monday morning.

Terms weren’t announced, but Hampton agreed to pay “an undisclosed fine for failing to meet the MEAC’s July 1, 2017 deadline for withdrawal from the Conference,” according to a statement released jointly by the MEAC and Hampton.

Hampton announced in November, four months after the MEAC deadline, that it was leaving for the Big South in July.

MEAC officials imposed a $250,000 fine and, oddly, told the Pirates they would be required to play full league football schedules through the 2021 season, Hampton officials said.

That was despite MEAC football refusing to play the Pirates in 2018.

Hampton officials called the fine unfair and accused the MEAC of telling league schools not to play the Pirates in nonconference games in any sport in 2018.

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