Florida A&M releases its 2011 football schedule

FAMU Athletic Director Derek Horne

The Florida A&M football team will play just four home games in 2011, but for at least two of the away contests that makes up the schedule, followers of the Rattlers won't have to travel much farther than they already do for the annual Atlanta Classic.

In one of the school's earliest releases of its football schedule, the athletic department announced the Rattlers' 2011 slate of games late Thursday night. The season will begin on Sept. 3 against Fort Valley State at Bragg Stadium.

Rattlers release 2011 football schedule

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Jan. 6) - The Florida A&M University Department of Athletics released its’ 2011 football schedule which features four home games, a September match up with a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent and two Classic events.

Last season the Rattlers finished with a record of 8-3 and 7-1 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play, by winning their last six of seven games and handing, Bethune-Cookman their only regular season lost in the Annual Florida Classic.

FAMU will open its 2011 campaign Sept. 3 with a non-conference home contest against Fort Valley (Ga.) State in Bragg Memorial Stadium. After the season opener, the Rattlers will hit the road for three weeks, travelling to Armstrong Stadium for their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener Sept. 10 against Hampton University at Hampton, Virginia.

The Rattlers will then travel to Tampa, Fla., to take on the University of South Florida at Raymond James Stadium on Sept. 17, then will conclude their three-game road swing on Sept. 24 in the annual Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic at the Georgia Dome.

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Rattlers 2011 Football Schedule

09-03 Fort Valley State                             Tallahassee, FL/Bragg Stadium
09-10 at Hampton University+                 Hampton, VA/Armstrong Stadium
09-17 at University of South Florida         Tampa, FL/Raymond James Stadium
09-24 at BofA Atlanta Football Classic      Atlanta, GA/Georgia Dome
10-01 Delaware State+                                 Tallahassee, FL/Bragg Stadium
10-08 Howard University+                          Tallahassee, FL/Bragg Stadium
10-15 at Savannah State+                            Savannah, GA/Ted Wright Stadium
10-22 at South Carolina State+                    Orangeburg, SC/Dawson Stadium
11-05 North Carolina A&T+                 Tallahassee, FL/Bragg Stadium
11-12 at North Carolina Central+            Durham, NC/O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium
11-19 at Fla. Classic - Bethune-Cookman+  Orlando, FL/Florida Citrus Bowl

(+)-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference games
All game times will be finalized at later date

The MEAC/SWAC SPORTS MAIN STREET Blog understands that FAMU is in negotiations with an unnamed opponent (message board leaks say its "Southern University") for the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic. You may have noticed that neither the Tallahassee Democrat nor FAMU Athletic site named "Tennessee State" as the opponent for the 9/24/11 game in the linked articles. More to come...