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Florida A&M Rattlers football

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The Florida A&M Rattlers football team represents Florida A&M University in the sport of American football. The Rattlers compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Starting with the fall 2021 season, the Rattlers will compete in the East Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), after a long tenure in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).[2] They play their home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee. The Rattlers have won 16 black college football national championship, 29 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) titles, eight MEAC titles, one SWAC title and one I-AA national title in the history of their football program. During the 2004 season, the Rattlers briefly attempted to move up to Division I-A (now known as the FBS) and become the only HBCU at college football's highest level, but the team was forced to abort its bid.[3]

Florida A&M Rattlers football
2024 Florida A&M Rattlers football team
First season1907; 117 years ago (1907)
Head coachJames Colzie III
1st season, 6–5 (.545)
StadiumBragg Memorial Stadium
(capacity: 19,633)
Field surfaceAstroTurf
LocationTallahassee, Florida
NCAA divisionDivision I FCS
ConferenceSWAC
All-time record598–343–22 (.632)
Bowl record29–24–2 (.545)
Claimed national titles17
(Div. I FCS): 1978
(Black College): 1938, 1942, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1977, 1978, 1998, 2001, 2019, 2023
Unclaimed national titles1
(Div. II): 1962
Conference titles38
RivalriesBethune-Cookman (rivalry)
ColorsGreen and orange[1]
   
Marching bandMarching 100
WebsiteFAMUAthletics.com

History

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Classifications

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  • 1952–1972: NCAA College Division
  • 1973–1977: NCAA Division II
  • 1978–2003: NCAA Division I–AA
  • 2004: NCAA Division I–A
  • 2005–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS

Conference memberships

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† In 1978, FAMU was a member of SIAC, a Division II conference. FAMU had successfully petitioned the NCAA for Division I classification (Division I-AA in football), which took effect on September 1, 1978.[5]

The Rattlers have been part of a couple controversies in recent years. In 2022, FAMU almost had to forfeit a week 1 game against North Carolina because 20 players were academically ineligible to play. In July 2023, Florida A&M halted all football related activities after a rap video containing explicit lyrics was filmed in their locker room.

Annual Classics

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Championships

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National, Black College

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The Rattlers claim 16 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) championships[6] 15 come from official HBCU championship selectors, while the 2021 claim is the result of an NCAA power ranking of FCS HBCU teams.[7][8]

National

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Year Championship Coach Overall record Conference
1938 Black College National Champions William M. Bell 8–0 SIAC
1942 Black College National Champions William M. Bell 9–0 SIAC
1950 Black College National co-champions Jake Gaither 8–1–1 SIAC
1952 Black College National Champions Jake Gaither 8–2 SIAC
1953 Black College National co-champions Jake Gaither 10–1 SIAC
1954 Black College National co-champions Jake Gaither 8–1 SIAC
1957 Black College National Champions Jake Gaither 9–0 SIAC
1959 Black College National Champions Jake Gaither 10–0 SIAC
1961 Black College National Champions Jake Gaither 10–0 SIAC
1962 Black College National co-champions Jake Gaither 9–1 SIAC
1977 Black College National Champions Rudy Hubbard 11–0 SIAC
1978 Black College National Champions Rudy Hubbard 12–1 SIAC
1998 Black College National co-champions Billy Joe 11–2 MEAC
2001 Black College National co-champions Billy Joe 7–4 MEAC
2019 Black College National co-champions Willie Simmons 9–2 MEAC
2023 Black College National Champions Willie Simmons 12–1 SWAC

National, Division I–AA/FCS

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Florida A&M has one championship in the division formerly known as Division I-AA. They are the only HBCU to play in and win a I-AA/FCS championship game.

Year Association Division Coach Selector Record Opponent Score
1978 NCAA Division I–AA Rudy Hubbard Playoffs 12–1 Massachusetts 35–28

National, Division II/College Division

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One Florida A&M team has been awarded a national championship from NCAA-designated designated major selector, as they were declared Associated Press (AP) small college national champion for the 1962 season. While the school holds the distinction of being the first HBCU to win an NCAA football title, the championship is not claimed by the university.

Year Association Division Coach Selector Record
1962 NCAA College Division Jake Gaither Poll 9–1

Conference championships

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Legendary FAMU (formerly FAMC) football coach Jake Gaither talking to one of his players

Florida A&M has won 38 conference championships, 31 outright and 7 shared.

Year Coach Conference Record
1937 William M. Bell Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 7–1–1
1938 William M. Bell Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 8–0
1942 William M. Bell Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 9–0
1943 Herman Neilson Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 7–3
1945 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 9–1
1946 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 6–4–1
1947 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 9–1
1948 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 8–2
1949 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 7–2
1950† Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 8–1
1952† Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 8–2
1953 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 10–1
1954 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 8–1
1955 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 7–1–1
1956 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 8–1
1957 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 9–0
1958 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 7–2
1959 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 10–0
1960 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 9–1
1961 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 10–0
1962† Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 9–1
1963† Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 8–2
1964 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 9–1
1965 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 7–3
1967 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 8–2
1968 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 8–2
1969 Jake Gaither Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 8–1
1977 Rudy Hubbard Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 11–0
1978 Rudy Hubbard Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 12–1
1988† Ken Riley Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 6–4–1
1990 Ken Riley Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 7–4
1995 Billy Joe Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 9–3
1996 Billy Joe Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 9–3
1998† Billy Joe Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 11–2
2000 Billy Joe Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 9–2
2001 Billy Joe Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 7–3
2010† Joe Taylor Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 8–3
2023 Willie Simmons Southwestern Athletic Conference 11–1

† Co-champions

Bowl games

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Further information: Orange Blossom Classic

This is a partial list. The Rattlers have an overall bowl record of 29–24–2. [9]

Year Bowl Location Opponent Result
1938 Prairie View Bowl Houston, Texas Prairie View L 27–14
1946 Angel Bowl Los Angeles, California Wiley T 6–6
1993 Heritage Bowl Tallahassee, Florida Grambling State L 45–15
1995 Heritage Bowl Atlanta, Georgia Southern L 30–25
2023 Celebration Bowl Atlanta, Georgia Howard W 30–26

NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoff results

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The Rattlers have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs eight times with a record of 5–7. They were I-AA National Champions in 1978, the first year of Division I-AA.

Year Round Opponent Result
1978 Semifinals
National Championship Game		 Jackson State
Massachusetts		 W 15–10
W 35–28
1996 First Round Troy State L 25–29
1997 First Round Georgia Southern L 37–52
1998 First Round
Quarterfinals		 Troy State
Western Illinois		 W 27–17
L 21–24
1999 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		 Appalachian State
Troy State
Youngstown State		 W 44–29
W 17–10
L 24–27
2000 First Round Western Kentucky L 0–27
2001 First Round Georgia Southern L 35–60
2021 First Round Southeastern Louisiana L 14–38

College Football Hall of Fame members

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Alumni in the NFL

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Over 60 Florida A&M alumni have played in the NFL,[10] including:

References

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  1. ^ FAMUAthletics.com Style Guide (PDF). Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  2. ^ "SWAC Announces Addition of Florida A&M as Full Member" (Press release). Southwestern Athletic Conference. June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  3. ^ Powell, Robert Andrew (October 9, 2004). "Florida A&M Tries to Recover From Failed Bid". The New York Times. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
  4. ^ Connelly, Bill (May 4, 2016). "That time FAMU nearly made it in college football's top level, but the timing was all wrong". SB Nation.
  5. ^ Cooper, Barry (August 31, 1978). "Florida A&M granted Division 1 status". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. p. 1B. Retrieved May 13, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "FAMU to join Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2021". June 6, 2020.
  7. ^ "The final HBCU football power rankings for the 2021 season".
  8. ^ "Simmons rebuilds FAMU football, Rattlers eye HBCU national championship in Celebration Bowl".
  9. ^ http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2022/Bowls.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  10. ^ "Florida A&M Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
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