Florida A&M will return from its first Southwestern Athletic Conference and HBCU Celebration Bowl championships next season. Here’s who stands in front of the Rattlers in 2024.
Florida A&M football will return from its first Southwestern Athletic Conference and HBCU Celebration Bowl championships next season.
The Rattlers finished 12-1, their most wins in a season since the program’s 1978 NCAA Division I-AA championship-winning team.
Their lone loss in 2023 was against Football Bowl Subdivision opponent South Florida, faltering 38-25 in Tampa.
2024 is a chance for FAMU to replicate the near-perfect, title-winning year.
The Rattlers’ new season will feature a new head coach as Willie Simmons resigned on Jan. 1 to become Duke’s running backs coach.
FAMU’s Board of Trustees has scheduled a meeting on Tuesday where Vice President and Director of Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes will provide an update on the search to land the Rattlers’ 19th full-time head coach.
Here’s the link for the 1 p.m. virtual meeting.
FAMU to play more non-conference football games in 2024
The Rattlers season starts with four non-conference games before entering SWAC play.
FAMU will face two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponents, Norfolk State and South Carolina State.
FAMU and NSU will meet in Atlanta’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Aug. 24. The Rattlers and Bulldogs face each other a week later for FAMU’s Aug. 31 home opener at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
Additionally, the Rattlers will play two FBS opponents, traveling to play the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Miami Hurricanes on Sept. 7 and then defending Sun Belt Conference champions Troy Trojans on Sept. 21.
A portion of FAMU’s SWAC schedule has already been set
Three of FAMU’s SWAC games are set.
The Rattlers will have to play homecoming spoiler against the Alabama State Hornets, who host the game in Montgomery on Oct. 5.
FAMU will have its homecoming when the Rattlers welcome the Texas Southern Tigers to Bragg on Nov. 2.
FAMU and Bethune-Cookman will play the annual Florida Classic on Nov. 23 for their final regular season SWAC game of the season.
The dates of FAMU’s remaining SWAC games are to be announced
It’s FAMU’s turn to host SWAC foes Alabama A&M, Mississippi Valley State, and Southern.
FAMU-Southern has been one of the most heavily-attended games outside of homecoming as the longstanding rivalry now has SWAC implications.
FAMU will be on the road for a SWAC Championship rematch against Prairie View A&M.
The Rattlers versus Jackson State Tigers games will be moved to a traditional home-and-home SWAC matchup beginning in 2024, closing the chapter of the annual Orange Blossom Classic meeting in Miami Gardens from 2021-2023.
The Rattlers game versus the Tigers meeting for the 2024 season has not been released yet.
Florida A&M Rattlers 2024 Football Schedule
Aug. 24 vs. Norfolk State in MEAC/SWAC Challenge, Atlanta*
Aug. 31 vs. South Carolina State
Sept. 7 at Miami
Sept. 21 at Troy
Oct. 5 at Alabama State
Nov. 2 vs. Texas Southern (HOMECOMING)
Nov. 23 vs. Bethune-Cookman, Orlando*
TBA: Alabama A&M, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State, Southern, Another SWAC opponent?
BOLD = SWAC
* = Neutral Site
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at [email protected] or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
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2024-01-16 18:44:41
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