Green, who also serves as FAMU’s director of student
activities, jumped to action after budget cuts led the FAMU Department of
Athletics to suspend the golf program in June. He said he wanted to keep the
team alive for the benefit of the student-athletes.
“This is what most of these guys have been doing since they
were 8, 9 years old; playing golf,” Green said in a quote published by the
Tallahassee Democrat. “They've worked hard to get offered a scholarship. They
chose FAMU, obviously because of that ability to compete and get a good
education.”
The MEAC apparently came up with a backup plan to ensure it
could hold on to its automatic berth this season even if FAMU was unable to
afford a team. On Wednesday, September 10, conference officials announced that
Georgia Regents University (GRU) had joined the MEAC as “an Associate Member
for Men’s Golf.”
Last season, the GRU Jaguar men’s golf program welcomed new Head Coach Jack O’Keefe to the team. GRU has competed in 13 NCAA Championships
and has two national NCAA titles. In 2010 and 2011, the Jaguars won back-to-back
Division I National Championships, becoming the first men’s golf program to
repeat as national champions since the 1984-85 Houston Cougars, coached by
the legendary Dave Williams.
With FAMU returning, the MEAC now has seven men’s golf
teams.
FAMU will play a ten-tournament schedule this season.