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FAMU football vs Mississippi Valley State game rescheduled, relocated amid Atlanta stadium snafu
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- FAMU football vs Mississippi Valley State game rescheduled, relocated amid Atlanta stadium snafu
The Florida A&M versus Mississippi Valley State football game is still on.
However, it won't be played this Saturday, Oct. 4. Additionally, the Southwestern Athletic Conference matchup won't be held at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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The Week 6 college football game, initially touted as the Georgia Football Classic , will now take place on Saturday, Nov. 29, at Mississippi Valley's Rice-Totten Stadium in Itta Bena. It will kick off at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
"The SWAC contest on October 4, 2025, a MVSU home game, will not be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta," FAMU athletics said in a released statement. "As Mississippi Valley State is the designated home team, the decision has been made to postpone the game and play at Rice-Totten Stadium in Itta Bena, Mississippi, on Saturday, November 29, 2025."
Officials from FAMU, Mississippi Valley, and the SWAC met early Tuesday, Sept. 30, to set the new date and location of the game.
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"We regret the impact that this unexpected change will have on our fans, and we will make every effort to provide a quality game-day experience during the rescheduled date of competition," FAMU athletics' statement read.
"While this outcome is disappointing for our fans and community, our focus remains on upholding the standards and integrity of our athletics program."
The FAMU versus Mississippi Valley game's relocation and rescheduling follow months of uncertainty about its likelihood of being held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The NFL venue is home to the Atlanta Falcons and the site of the Rattlers' Celebration Bowl victory over Howard to win the 2023 Black College National Championship.
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Following an initial report from HBCU Gameday about the probable move of FAMU versus Mississippi Valley, the Tallahassee Democrat confirmed the schedule and location snafu with a source close to the Rattlers football program.
This May, FAMU Vice President and Director of Athletics Angela Suggs first announced that the game was moving to Atlanta , stating it was Mississippi Valley's decision, as it was a home contest for the Delta Devils. Mississippi Valley followed Suggs' announcement by promoting the Georgia Football Classic game on its athletics website.
Suggs has been on paid administrative leave since June, shortly after the announcement, stemming from her arrest on fraud and theft charges dating back to her prior job with the Florida Sports Foundation.
Dan Anderson is the founder of the Georgia Football Classic.
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The Georgia Football Classic is listed on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium website . Ticketmaster also began selling tickets for the HBCU matchup, but has since removed the option to purchase .
The FAMU versus Mississippi Valley game postponement gives both teams an unexpected bye week.
Under second-year head coach James Colzie III, the Rattlers are 1-3 and 0-1 in the SWAC and fresh off a 42-14 loss in their league opener to Alabama State at Tallahassee's Ken Riley Field on Bragg Memorial Stadium last Saturday, Sept. 27.
Mississippi Valley is under first-year head coach Terrell Buckley and has a 0-4 record and 0-1 in the SWAC after narrowly falling to Texas Southern 23-20 last Saturday.
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FAMU football returns to action at Bragg Memorial Stadium when it hosts a Week 7 non-conference game versus North Carolina Central on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 3 p.m. Mississippi Valley will travel to Alabama A&M that day for a SWAC matchup.
The Rattlers and the Delta Devils last met in 2024, where Mississippi Valley pulled off a major upset to get its lone win of the season in a 24-21 victory over FAMU. Mississippi Valley's triumph at Bragg Memorial Stadium ended FAMU's 23-game home winning streak that spanned across five seasons.
"MVSU and FAMU remain committed to excellence on and off the field, and we will continue to provide our student-athletes and supporters with competitive and high-quality experiences," FAMU said.
"Information regarding tickets will be forthcoming on each school's respective athletics websites," it concluded.
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Florida A&M Football's Remaining 2025 Schedule
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Week 7: Saturday, Oct. 11 ― vs. North Carolina Central, 3 p.m., HBCU GO
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Week 8: Saturday, Oct. 18 ― vs. Alcorn State (SWAC/Homecoming), 4 p.m., ESPN Plus
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Week 9: Saturday, Oct. 25 ― at Southern (SWAC), 5 p.m., SWAC TV
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Week 10: Saturday, Nov. 1 ― vs. Jackson State (SWAC), 7 p.m., ESPN Network
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Week 11: Saturday, Nov. 8 ― at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC), 3 p.m., HBCU GO
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Week 12: Saturday, Nov. 15 ― at Alabama A&M (SWAC), 3 p.m., SWAC TV
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Week 13: Saturday, Nov. 22 ― vs. Bethune-Cookman (SWAC/Florida Classic at Orlando's Camping World Stadium), TIME TBA, ESPN Plus
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Makeup Game: Saturday, Nov. 29 ― at Mississippi Valley State (SWAC), 3 p.m.
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Saturday, Dec. 6 ― SWAC Championship Game (If Necessary)
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Saturday, Dec. 13 ― Celebration Bowl at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium (If Necessary)
All times listed are in Eastern Standard Time.
Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist 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 GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee .
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida A&M football vs Mississippi Valley game rescheduled, relocated
