Florida A&M Rattlers football
2023 Florida A&M Rattlers football team
First season1907
Head coachWillie Simmons
4th season, 34–12 (.739)
StadiumBragg Memorial Stadium
(capacity: 19,633)
Field surfaceAstroTurf
LocationTallahassee, Florida
NCAA divisionDivision I FCS
ConferenceSWAC
All-time record594–340–22 (.633)
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

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]

History

Classifications

  • 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

† 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

Championships

National, Black College

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 a NCAA power ranking of FCS HBCU teams.[7][8]

National

Year Championship Coach Overall record Conference
1938Black College National ChampionsWilliam M. Bell8–0SIAC
1942Black College National ChampionsWilliam M. Bell9–0SIAC
1950Black College National co-championsJake Gaither8–1–1SIAC
1952Black College National ChampionsJake Gaither8–2SIAC
1953Black College National co-championsJake Gaither10–1SIAC
1954Black College National co-championsJake Gaither8–1SIAC
1957Black College National ChampionsJake Gaither9–0SIAC
1959Black College National ChampionsJake Gaither10–0SIAC
1961Black College National ChampionsJake Gaither10–0SIAC
1962Black College National co-championsJake Gaither9–1SIAC
1977Black College National ChampionsRudy Hubbard11–0SIAC
1978Black College National ChampionsRudy Hubbard12–1SIAC
1998Black College National co-championsBilly Joe11–2MEAC
2001Black College National co-championsBilly Joe7–4MEAC
2019Black College National co-championsWillie Simmons9–2MEAC
2023Black College National ChampionsWillie Simmons12–1SWAC

National, Division I–AA/FCS

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
1978NCAADivision I–AARudy HubbardPlayoffs12–1Massachusetts35–28

National, Division II/College Division

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 a NCAA football title, the championship is not claimed by the university.

Year Association Division Coach Selector Record
1962NCAACollege DivisionJake GaitherPoll9–1

Conference championships

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
1937William M. BellSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference7–1–1
1938William M. BellSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference8–0
1942William M. BellSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference9–0
1943Herman NeilsonSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference7–3
1945Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference9–1
1946Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference6–4–1
1947Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference9–1
1948Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference8–2
1949Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference7–2
1950†Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference8–1
1952†Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference8–2
1953Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference10–1
1954Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference8–1
1955Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference7–1–1
1956Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference8–1
1957Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference9–0
1958Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference7–2
1959Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference10–0
1960Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference9–1
1961Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference10–0
1962†Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference9–1
1963†Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference8–2
1964Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference9–1
1965Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference7–3
1967Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference8–2
1968Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference8–2
1969Jake GaitherSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference8–1
1977Rudy HubbardSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference11–0
1978Rudy HubbardSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference12–1
1988†Ken RileyMid-Eastern Athletic Conference6–4–1
1990Ken RileyMid-Eastern Athletic Conference7–4
1995Billy JoeMid-Eastern Athletic Conference9–3
1996Billy JoeMid-Eastern Athletic Conference9–3
1998†Billy JoeMid-Eastern Athletic Conference11–2
2000Billy JoeMid-Eastern Athletic Conference9–2
2001Billy JoeMid-Eastern Athletic Conference7–3
2010†Joe TaylorMid-Eastern Athletic Conference8–3
2023Willie SimmonsSouthwestern Athletic Conference11–1

† Co-champions

Bowl games

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

Year Bowl Location Opponent Result
1938Prairie View BowlHouston, TexasPrairie ViewL 27–14
1946Angel BowlLos Angeles, CaliforniaWileyT 6–6
1993Heritage BowlTallahassee, FloridaGrambling StateL 45–15
1995Heritage BowlAtlanta, GeorgiaSouthernL 30–25
2023Celebration BowlAtlanta, GeorgiaHowardW 30–26

NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoff results

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
1978Semifinals
National Championship Game		Jackson State
Massachusetts		W 15–10
W 35–28
1996First RoundTroy StateL 25–29
1997First RoundGeorgia SouthernL 37–52
1998First Round
Quarterfinals		Troy State
Western Illinois		W 27–17
L 21–24
1999First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Appalachian State
Troy State
Youngstown State		W 44–29
W 17–10
L 24–27
2000First RoundWestern KentuckyL 0–27
2001First RoundGeorgia SouthernL 35–60
2021First RoundSoutheastern LouisianaL 14–38

College Football Hall of Fame members

Alumni in the NFL

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

References

  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". 6 June 2020.
  7. ↑ "The final HBCU football power rankings for the 2021 season".
  8. ↑ https://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/college/2023/12/15/famu-football-tangles-with-howard-for-hbcu-national-championship/71891385007/
  9. ↑ http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2022/Bowls.pdf
  10. ↑ "Florida A&M Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
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