ORANGEBURG, S.C. — There will be a major void for college football fans in the fall as the MEAC has announced it is cancelling all fall sports due to COVID-19.
That means South Carolina State University will not be on the football field in 2020. Playing in the spring is being considered but those talks are still in the preliminary stages.
For the Bulldog program, this is especially harsh since the team is coming off a season where S.C. State captured a share of the MEAC title and head coach Buddy Pough became the program's all-time winningest coach.
For players like defensive lineman Roderick Perry who was getting hype after being named a preseason All-American, this is especially tough as he was hoping to catch the eye of NFL scouts.
Throw in the money generated by the football program and this could be a major financial hit for the entire S.C. State Athletics Department.
South Carolina State has turned out a number of NFL players over the years such as four-time Super Bowl champion Donnie Shell who played with the Steelers and former New York Giants star Harry Carson who won a Super Bowl playing for Bill Parcells. Both Shell and Carson are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.
Most recently, Darius Leonard was a two-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Year who has become a star for the Indianapolis Colts. Javon Hargrave also was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Year. He spent four years with the Steelers before signing with the Eagles.