WSSU trustees voted unanimously on a proposal drafted by Chancellor Donal Reaves to discontinue the move to Division I, setting up a near-certain return to the CIAA.
Good move, Rams.
For all of the folks who thought that a move to Division I could be done in spite of economic hardship and a lack of community support, take heart in the fact that the university has given itself an opportunity to get clean house before having big-time guests over for dinner. The CIAA is ready and willing to host Ram Land again, and frankly, there was no good reason that Winston-Salem ever should’ve left such a good deal in the first place.
Plenty of community support, consistent challenging for conference championships, and an interested local media. Only a few schools in the CIAA have it, namely, Fayetteville State, Shaw and Virginia Union. And now, WSSU can get back to the good stuff.
I’m sure it will be hard for the Ram fans who thought that revenue sharing and national exposure were on the way in the MEAC, but the promises of riches and fame were still far off for the WSSU program. S.C. State and FAMU are too far ahead in football. Morgan State and Coppin State are too far ahead in basketball. The mid-level players in Hampton and Delaware State are money-making machines, and even Norfolk State is finding its legs as a legitimate MEAC threat in multiple sports.
This was the right decision, Winston-Salem. There is nothing wrong with the CIAA, at least until your alumni and fans decide that the Ram brand is one worth fighting – and paying for.
PharoahNupe 11:47 am on September 14, 2009 Permalink
Bad Move, there is a lot more that’s going on at WSSU.
We were going in the right place until this new Chancellor came onboard.
This chancellor has done nothing to raise money for the school or its programs all he has done is provide reasons why we cannot stay.