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Voters expect Florida A&M football to be in the bottom half of the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s East division during the 2026 season, as released on Wednesday, July 15, during Media Day in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Rattlers were picked fourth out of six teams in the SWAC East in the league’s 2026 predicted order of finish. They received 70 points in the voting panel of head coaches and sports information directors.
The East, in order, is led by Alabama State (131 points, 16 first-place votes), and followed by Jackson State (122 points, seven first-place votes), Bethune-Cookman (71 points), FAMU (70 points), Alabama A&M (66 points), and Mississippi Valley State (29 points).
In contrast, the SWAC West’s six teams in order of prediction are Prairie View A&M (130 points, 19 first-place votes), Grambling State (93 points, two first-place votes), Alcorn State (90 points, one first-place vote), Texas Southern (79 points, one first-place vote), Southern (65 points, one first-place vote), and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (32 points).
That means FAMU received the eighth-most points out of the SWAC’s 12 teams.
After their first losing season in nearly a decade last year, going 5-7, the Rattlers haven’t gotten much preseason love as they turn to newly hired head coach and former FAMU record-setting quarterback Quinn Fordham Gray Sr.
The Rattlers had no players included on the All-SWAC preseason team and also picked 10th in the inaugural Black College Football top-10 poll.
Despite being on an NCAA-imposed Level Two sanctions and a postseason ban due to Academic Progress Rate, FAMU will still have opportunities to prove the doubters wrong.
The Rattlers will have 12 regular games and eight SWAC football matchups in the 2026 season.
Their season starts in Tallahassee for a non-conference matchup against NCAA Division II’s Albany State on Aug. 29 at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m. SWAC games begin with FAMU hosting Alabama A&M on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.
The Rattlers’ season concludes on Nov. 21 against longtime rivals Bethune-Cookman in Orlando’s Florida Classic at Camping World Stadium at 3 p.m.
All FAMU games will be televised in 2026.
All times are Eastern
Gerald Thomas, III, is a multi-time national award-winning reporter for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at [email protected] or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU football picked in bottom half of SWAC preseason poll
Continue reading...
The Rattlers were picked fourth out of six teams in the SWAC East in the league’s 2026 predicted order of finish. They received 70 points in the voting panel of head coaches and sports information directors.
The East, in order, is led by Alabama State (131 points, 16 first-place votes), and followed by Jackson State (122 points, seven first-place votes), Bethune-Cookman (71 points), FAMU (70 points), Alabama A&M (66 points), and Mississippi Valley State (29 points).
In contrast, the SWAC West’s six teams in order of prediction are Prairie View A&M (130 points, 19 first-place votes), Grambling State (93 points, two first-place votes), Alcorn State (90 points, one first-place vote), Texas Southern (79 points, one first-place vote), Southern (65 points, one first-place vote), and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (32 points).
That means FAMU received the eighth-most points out of the SWAC’s 12 teams.
After their first losing season in nearly a decade last year, going 5-7, the Rattlers haven’t gotten much preseason love as they turn to newly hired head coach and former FAMU record-setting quarterback Quinn Fordham Gray Sr.
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The Rattlers had no players included on the All-SWAC preseason team and also picked 10th in the inaugural Black College Football top-10 poll.
Despite being on an NCAA-imposed Level Two sanctions and a postseason ban due to Academic Progress Rate, FAMU will still have opportunities to prove the doubters wrong.
The Rattlers will have 12 regular games and eight SWAC football matchups in the 2026 season.
Their season starts in Tallahassee for a non-conference matchup against NCAA Division II’s Albany State on Aug. 29 at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m. SWAC games begin with FAMU hosting Alabama A&M on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.
The Rattlers’ season concludes on Nov. 21 against longtime rivals Bethune-Cookman in Orlando’s Florida Classic at Camping World Stadium at 3 p.m.
All FAMU games will be televised in 2026.
Florida A&M football 2026 schedule
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All times are Eastern
- Saturday, Aug. 29: vs. Albany State, 7 p.m., SWAC TV
- Sunday, Sept. 6: vs. South Carolina State, Orange Blossom Classic at Miami Gardens' Hard Rock Stadium, 3 p.m., ESPNU
- Thursday, Sept. 10: at Miami, 8 p.m., ACC Network
- Saturday, Sept. 19: vs. Tennessee State, 7 p.m., HBCU GO
- Saturday, Sept. 26: vs. Alabama A&M (SWAC), 7 p.m., SWAC TV
- Saturday, Oct. 3: BYE
- Saturday, Oct. 10: at Alabama State (SWAC), 3 p.m., HBCU GO
- Saturday, Oct. 17: at Jackson State (SWAC), 3 p.m., ESPN Network
- Saturday, Oct. 24: vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC/Homecoming), 3 p.m., HBCU GO
- Saturday, Oct. 31: vs. Southern (SWAC), 3 p.m., HBCU GO
- Saturday, Nov. 7: at Alcorn State (SWAC), 3 p.m., SWAC TV
- Saturday, Nov. 14: vs. Mississippi Valley State (SWAC), 3 p.m., SWAC TV
- Saturday, Nov. 21: vs. Bethune-Cookman (SWAC/Florida Classic), 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
Gerald Thomas, III, is a multi-time national award-winning reporter for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at [email protected] or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU football picked in bottom half of SWAC preseason poll
Continue reading...
