MEAC Commish talks new-look team, NCAA convention and expansion

Sonja Stills has called the MEAC office home for years. But she’s in her first month as the point-woman for the conference and she say that she’s still getting adjusted to what all that means.

Take last week, for example. Stills was at the NCAA Convention with the rest of the leaders of the world of intercollegiate athletics with her laptop getting work done – until Alabama State Director of Athletics Dr. Jason Cable stopped her.

“He’s like, ‘you know, you don’t see any commissioner around here with a laptop laid out in a hotel,” she recalled with a laugh. “You know you’re a commissioner now.”

Yes, the buck stops with Stills now. She was officially announced as the next commissioner last fall, and immediately began the work of putting together a team that can help her move the MEAC forward.

Stills talked about those hires and much more in an exclusive interview with HBCU Gameday. The full interview is available below.

The SIAC Sit Down | Tuskegee University Head Coach Aaron James on Returning Home & Leading the Golden Tigers – HBCU Gameday

The SIAC Sit Down | Tuskegee University Head Coach Aaron James on Returning Home & Leading the Golden TigersThis week on The SIAC Sit Down, we welcome Tuskegee University Head Football Coach Aaron James for an inspiring conversation about his football journey, his coaching career, and what it means to lead one of the most tradition-rich programs in HBCU football.Coach James reflects on every stop along his coaching path, sharing the lessons he learned and how each experience helped prepare him for the opportunity to become the head coach at his alma mater.He also takes us back to his playing days in Alabama and his standout career as a quarterback at Tuskegee University, discussing how those experiences shaped the coach and leader he is today.One of the highlights of the conversation is Coach James opening up about what it means to return home to Tuskegee as the man in charge. He talks about the pride, responsibility, and honor of leading the same program that helped shape his life.The conversation also dives into the rich traditions of Tuskegee football, the championship standard that has defined the Golden Tigers for generations, and his vision for maintaining that legacy while building for the future.If you're a fan of HBCU football, college football, or great leadership stories, this is an episode you don't want to miss.🔥 Topics Covered:Aaron James' coaching journeyLessons learned throughout his coaching careerHis playing days as a star quarterback at TuskegeeReturning to his alma mater as head coachThe tradition and excellence of Tuskegee University footballBuilding on the Golden Tigers' championship legacy👍 Don't forget to Like, Comment, and Subscribe for more exclusive interviews and HBCU football coverage from The SIAC Sit Down!#SIAC #TuskegeeUniversity #TuskegeeFootball #AaronJames #HBCUFootball #GoldenTigers #CollegeFootball #TheSIACSitDown #CoachInterview #HBCUGameday

1. The SIAC Sit Down | Tuskegee University Head Coach Aaron James on Returning Home & Leading the Golden Tigers 47:23
2. SIAC Sit Down | David Bowser on Leading Albany State Football, Building Champions & the Golden Rams Tradition 01:03:57
3. The SIAC Sit Down I From Blue Devil to Maroon Tiger, Morehouse College's Brad Sherrod I 55:12

The new NCAA constitution

“Is it perfect? No. But I think it’s the best thing that could have come from the constitutional committee because, you know, nothing’s going to be perfect for everybody. But I think it it’s tremendously puts an emphasis on student athlete first, their mental health and their physical health. And it’s something a foundation that we need to to grow from.”

HBCU representation at the NCAA level

“There is one particular issue or one thing that came out of the Constitution is the HBCU ex-officio member of the Board of Governors. And so that particular, we’re grateful that we have a voice in the room for four HBCUs.

And that’s that’s extremely important. But we want to work towards the future where we are a voting member and on the board of governors. I mean, since it’s just a nine member board, we want to be able to to make sure that even if we leave the room, our voice is still there. So we think that will come in time. We want to, as they begin to look at the criteria, we want to be able to be able to select who that individual will be to serve on the board, to have our voice in.”

MEAC expansion

“We’re going to take our time, be methodical, be strategic about who we bring into the conference, make sure that they align with those academically, athletically and just make sure they’re going to be a good fit. We see what’s going on around the around the nation in regards to members moving around in conferences, but we’re staying steadfast in what we believe in – in the MEAC and our legacy, the culture of being HBCUs.”