FAMU football 2025 schedule: Rattlers to play in Orange Blossom Classic, host Jackson State

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FAMU football 2025 schedule: Rattlers to play in Orange Blossom Classic, host Jackson State

Gerald Thomas III, Tallahassee Democrat · Tallahassee Democrat

Fri, Jan 31, 2025 ·

3 min read

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The wait is over.

On Thursday, Florida A&M released the Rattlers ' 2025 football schedule.

FAMU football will play 12 games this season. Eight of those are Southwestern Athletic Conference contests. The Rattlers have five home games on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium.

The Rattlers' 2025 slate includes returning to Miami's Orange Blossom Classic to open the season after a one-year absence. FAMU's Orange Blossom Classic opponent is the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team Howard Bison, who the Rattlers beat in the 2023 Celebration Bowl to claim the Black College Football National Championship .

FAMU's schedule features one Football Bowl Subdivision opponent, the Florida Atlantic Owls , for a Week 2 game in Boca Raton.

The Rattlers' home opener is on Sept. 13 when NCAA Division II HBCU Albany State visits Bragg.

FAMU's bye week is on Week 4 before it enters SWAC play by hosting Alabama State on Sept. 27.

FAMU football's homecoming game is on Oct. 18 against SWAC opponent Alcorn State, a team the Rattlers haven't faced since 1987. The annual Florida Classic football game between the Rattlers and the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats is on Nov. 22 at Orlando's Camping World Stadium.

FAMU's season-defining stretch may start when the Rattlers host perennial MEAC powerhouse North Carolina Central on Oct. 11 and ends with defending SWAC and Black College Football National Champions Jackson State on Nov. 1. Both games are at Bragg.

"This schedule presents an exciting mix of challenges and opportunities for our program," FAMU Vice President and Director of Athletics Angela Suggs said in a released statement.

"From the Orange Blossom Classic to the Florida Classic, our fans will have plenty of chances to support the Rattlers at home and on the road. We're particularly pleased to host five games at Bragg Memorial Stadium, including our Homecoming celebration against Alcorn State."

Florida A&M head coach James Colzie leads the Rattlers during the FAMU Spring Game on Saturday, April 13, 2024.

FAMU's 2025 season will be James Colzie III's second year as head coach . Colzie led the Rattlers to a 7-5 finish in 2024.

Here's the FAMU's entire 2025 schedule.

Week 1: Saturday, Aug. 30 ― vs. Howard (Orange Blossom Classic)

Location: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida