RALEIGH -- If you're looking to get into the MEAC basketball tournament this week at the RBC Center, you can probably walk up to the gate at game time and get a very good seat. 

But chances are that a few years from now, that's may not be the case. 

The conference has accepted Winston-Salem State for the 2007-08 academic year and is expected to approve N.C. Central's application for 2008-09 sometime after the end of this academic year. 

Once the Rams and Eagles are eligible for NCAA Division I championship competition -- that is supposed to be in 2010-11 for WSSU and the next year for NCCU -- there should be three full MEAC members in North Carolina, all within 100 miles of where the tournament is being held this week. 

And a lot of folks around the conference can't wait. 

"I think it can only help the conference," said North Carolina A&T women's coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs, whose third-seeded Aggies (17-12) won't play until Thursday at noon against No. 6 seed Florida A&M (15-15). "You've got two good teams, two good programs. 

"It's going to be a big gain for the MEAC, although it's a loss for the CIAA. I won't have any problem playing Central right away -- twice next season if they want to, just as long as I get a game in the 'Dog Pound' [A&T's Corbett Center]." 

Former NCCU men's coach Greg Jackson, whose top-seeded Delaware State team plays its tournament opener tonight at 8 p.m., said he's looking forward to having both teams in the conference although he doesn't want to go against the Eagles until he has to. 

"I love the people at Central," Jackson said. "When I was there, I always got great support from the community. Coach [Henry] Dickerson's teams play hard, and I think they're going to be a great addition to the league." 

Laverne Sweat, a member of the CIAA's Hall of Fame who was once president of the conference, is the legendary former women's track coach at Norfolk State and a former assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic track & field team. 

"Both Winston-Salem State and North Carolina Central have very good programs, and they're going to add a lot to this conference," Sweat said. "It's going to mean a lot as far as a rivalry situation goes. And they've been CIAA fans, which means they're used to staying until the end of the [conference] tournament even if their teams have lost." 

Mike Wilson, a one-time sports information director at NCCU, now is associate athletics director for marketing and development at Delaware State. 

"I think both of them will add to the whole experience of the tournament," Wilson said of the Eagles and Rams. "Two more schools from North Carolina will make a big difference. NCCU has some great fans, and Winston has done a lot over the past few years with improving its facilities. 

"When they come in, it will bode well for the future of the MEAC." 

Norfolk State women's coach James Sweat, who has announced his retirement at the end of the season, said he's looking forward to seeing new members in the center of the conference's geographic footprint. 

"They've got good coaches and good programs," said Sweat, who is LaVerne Sweat's husband. "Winston-Salem beat me twice this year, and I think Central can come in and compete right away [in the women's game]. From what I saw at the CIAA, they would have been in the upper division of this conference this season. They run the fast break as good as the old Boston Celtics." 

FAMU women's coach Debra Clark was head coach at Winston-Salem State from 1994-2001 before taking over the Rattlers' program. 

"I think both of them will be good fits as long as they make the commitment in resources," Clark said. "When I was at Winston-Salem State, I had to teach a class. 

"But they're both successful programs, and they could add a lot to the conference."