Summer isn’t a time to rest for Florida A&M’s athletic department.

It’s a time when the program implements and continues ongoing projects to assist its competitive sports teams for the 2024-2025 athletic season and beyond.

The first order of business for FAMU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes is standing before Rattler Nation at the annual Strike Tour and National Alumni Association Convention, which are streamlined to start on May 30 in Tampa.

During the events, Sykes will provide updates on FAMU’s athletic program and raise money from Rattler supporters.

The Strike Tour includes stops in Tampa, Washington D.C., Jacksonville, Davie, and Atlanta in two months. Last year, the Strike Tour raised nearly $250,000 for FAMU Athletics.

“It’s not summer break for us,” Sykes said at Wednesday’s 220 Quarterback Club virtual luncheon.

“I’m excited about the additional stops. So, looking forward to seeing what city will bring home the crown this year and hoping they compete to raise some money to support our student-athletes.”

Last month, during the 1887 Strikes FAMU Day of Giving, Sykes said athletics raised nearly $50,000 for the Rattler Athletic Fund to support its 14 NCAA Division I teams, including cheerleading.

Additional funds FAMU Athletics raises are planned to be used for team needs. Sykes said she emailed FAMU coaches to provide her with three to five asks they have for the 2024-2025 season. For example, FAMU golf coach Mike Rice, who enjoys driving his team to matches, would like a sprinter van for their commutes.

However, Sykes acknowledges that FAMU Athletics will have to make a slight adjustment in allocating funds to repair damages from the three tornadoes that hit Tallahassee on May 10.

The fence at FAMU’s Althea Gibson Tennis Complex is caved in. Veronica Wiggins’ Softball Field fence is knocked over. Outside of Rattlers football’s Bragg Memorial Stadium is a snapped light pole.

Sykes said that FAMU administrators Rebecca Brown, Ashley Davis, and Ivy Baker have greatly assisted FAMU Athletics in the cleanup efforts.

“We’re having to make a little bit of a pivot of where we need support because of the immense damage that we have seen in our athletic spaces,” Sykes said.

FAMU athletic director Tiffani-Dawn Sykes sets the stage for 2024 football season

Investing in Champions packages for the 2024 football season have been on sale since Feb. 7, with the costs ranging from $1,000 to $25,000. Though Investing in Champions packages has football-specific benefits, its revenue supports all FAMU sports teams.

The Rattlers will open their season in Atlanta’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge against Norfolk State for a Week 0 game between the two Division I HBCU leagues. The game’s tickets are already on sale, but Sykes plans to acquire some inventory for FAMU’s box office to make available for Investing in Champions members.

Season tickets are on sale as FAMU’s football team hosts five games this season, starting with South Carolina State on Aug. 31.

Another Sykes implementation is adding an extra $1 to the price of homecoming game tickets when the Rattlers host the Texas Southern Tigers on Nov. 2. The $1 per purchased ticket will go towards FAMU’s Marching ‘100’ band.

“While I recognize we have an HBCU national champion, the reality is that there are people who come to the game just to see the Marching '100,’” Sykes said.

FAMU athletic director Tiffani-Dawn Sykes addresses NIL in college sports

Name, Image, and Likeness partnerships have become a staple in college athletics, allowing athletes to earn revenue by representing businesses and entities not affiliated with their university.

Additionally, NIL heavily impacts team retention, especially with the emergence of the transfer portal.

“We have a few student-athletes who have NIL opportunities. It’s a matter of the business owner reaching out,” Sykes said. “The student-athlete will send their contract to our compliance staff for approval. It has to be something worth their while and in the student-athlete’s best interest for our compliance office to sign off for it.”

Rattler supporters, such as two-time FAMU alumna Ashley Coleman, have begun making headway into establishing an NIL collective called the ‘Fang Exchange.’

Additionally, FAMU alum Eli Patrick has partnered with a handful of Rattlers student-athletes from various sports to represent his outreach organization, the Patrick Youth Development Foundation.

That is what Sykes is looking for to assist with keeping student-athletes on the Highest of Seven Hills.

“Over my year here, we’ve had a number of student-athletes whom we have lost for lack of a better reason than NIL opportunities at other institutions,” Sykes said.

“To recruit and retain student-athletes, we’ve got to be active in this NIL space. Coaches have to recruit their student-athletes every day because of the onset of the NCAA Transfer Portal and the one-time transfer exception. You have to continuously recruit them until they exhaust their eligibility if you want them to remain on the roster.

“And one way for us to stay in that space is activating NIL opportunities and participating in collectives.”

Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Athletics: Rattlers AD Sykes working ahead for 2024-2025 season