FAMU 2008 Football Schedule Finalized; includes Southern University

Photo: Florida A & M University President Dr. James H. Ammons continues to deliver on promises made to the FAMU community. The rivalry game with Southern University will go forth in 2008.

TALLAHASSEE, FL (Feb. 18) – Florida A&M University, in co-operation with officials from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and member schools, announced Monday the resolution of a conflict on their 2008 schedule which will allow them to play Southern University in Baton Rouge.

The two longtime rivals will play in A.W. Mumford Stadium on the Southern campus on October 18, 2008, a move from the originally contracted date of September 20.

Florida A&M will now play 12 games in 2008 with the addition of the Southern game, with one open date on September 13.

FAMU President James H. Ammons and Athletic Director Bill Hayes worked for the past several weeks with MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas and South Carolina State Athletic Director Charlene Johnson to move the Rattlers’ October 18 home game with SCSU to October 4, paving the way for the Southern game to be played.

“We want to express our thanks to Commissioner (Dennis) Thomas and Ms. Charlene Johnson and her staff at South Carolina State for working with us in this matter,” said President Ammons upon announcing the resolution.

“The FAMU-Southern series has a rich tradition behind it, dating back to the 1940s, and it is extremely popular with the alumni and supporters of both schools, so we felt it important to do all we could to preserve the relationship between us by working out this situation,” Ammons concluded.

With the recent expansion of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, an additional league game was added to all schedules, causing a shift in play dates beginning with the 2008 campaign.

Since the FAMU-Southern contract was agreed to prior to the 2007 season, the newly-aligned MEAC scheduling format was not taken into account.

The new MEAC schedule alignment eliminated the open date that FAMU had on the third week in September for the past several years, causing the conflict.

The result left the Rattlers with road games at both Southern University and Howard University on September 20.

Additionally, the agreement between FAMU and Southern was to have begun in 2007, but both schools agreed to put the four-year deal on hold for one season to accommodate the SWAC/MEAC Challenge in Birmingham, Alabama last year.

FAMU and Southern will begin talks shortly to work out future play dates for the remaining years on the contract.


FLORIDA A&M 2008 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

1. AUG. 30 ALABAMA STATE HOME/Bragg Stadium
Sports Hall of Fame

2. SEPT. 6 at Delaware State* Dover, DE/Alumni Stadium

3. SEPT. 20 at Howard University*+ Philadelphia, PA/Franklin Field

4. SEPT. 27 Tennessee State@ Atlanta, GA/Georgia Dome
Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic

5. OCT. 4 S.C. STATE* HOME/Bragg Stadium
Football Reunion • Parents’ Weekend

6. OCT. 11 WINSTON-SALEM STATE HOME/Bragg Stadium
1,000 Strikes Recognition Game

7. OCT. 18 at Southern University Baton Rouge, LA/Mumford Stadium

8. OCT. 25 at Norfolk State* Norfolk, VA/Dick Price Stadium

9. NOV. 1 MORGAN STATE* HOME/Bragg Stadium
Homecoming Weekend

10. NOV. 8 at North Carolina A&T*` Greensboro, NC/Aggie Stadium

11. NOV. 15 HAMPTON* HOME/Bragg Stadium
Senior Day • Community and Youth Day

12. NOV. 22 Bethune-Cookman#* Orlando, FL/Florida Citrus Bowl
Walt Disney World Florida Classic XXIX

(*)-Conference game; (+)-Philadelphia; (@)-Atlanta Classic; (#)-Florida Classic (Bold) - Games played in Florida