40 years after helping found the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, North Carolina Central University is back in the conference.

At a news conference that seemed more like a pep rally Thursday, officials from the MEAC and NCCU announced the new partnership.

The Eagles will be the 13th team in the conference.

They're joining as part of the process of moving up from Division II to Division I; and the move means they're no longer part of the CIAA.

"When the opportunity arose for us to become members again, there was a lot of appeal because of the highly esteemed academic institutions, the historical bond and the very competitive programs," Ingrid Wicker-McCree, NCCU's athletic director, said.

While the Eagles are officially MEAC members now, they won't be eligible to compete for conference titles until they finish the move to Division I.

The school won't start a conference schedule in football until next season.