FAMU football to play 11 games on ESPN networks during HBCU title-defending 2024 season
Can’t make it to a Florida A&M football game this season?
No worries.
Most of the defending Black College Football National Champions’ games will be televised during the 2024 season.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference released its ESPN football schedule for 2024 on Wednesday. Eleven of the Rattlers’ 12 games will be on the network and its affiliates.
🚨 𝗧𝗩 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗟𝗘 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘 🚨
Rattlers are scheduled to play 11 of their 12 games on ESPN networks in 2024.
📰 https://t.co/xzb59rri3W#FAMU | #Rattlers | #RELOAD | #REPEAT pic.twitter.com/JoCFKcnH1l— Florida A&M Football 🏈 (@FAMU_FB) June 12, 2024
FAMU’s opener versus Norfolk State in Week 0’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge will kick off HBCU football season on ABC on Aug. 24. It’ll be the Rattlers’ first game under first-year head coach James Colzie III. This year’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge is FAMU’s first time participating in the annual game since 2013.
The Rattlers will play on ESPN+ for six games, starting with their Week 1 home opener versus the South Carolina State Bulldogs on Aug. 31. ESPN+ will also stream FAMU’s games against Troy (Sept. 21), Alabama A&M (Sept. 28), Alabama State (Oct. 5), Texas Southern (Nov. 2), and Prairie View A&M (Nov. 9).
FAMU will also play its SWAC games against Jackson State (Oct. 19), Southern (Oct. 26), and Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 23) on ESPN outlets that are to be determined.
The ACC Network will carry FAMU’s non-conference game at Miami on Sept. 7.
If the Rattlers are to reach the SWAC Championship game, they will play on ESPN2. The team with the better conference record will host the Dec. 7 game as FAMU did in 2023.
The Celebration Bowl, the de facto Black College National Championship, has been moved up a week and will played on Dec. 14 at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on ABC. The schedule modification keeps the game as the kickoff to bowl season as the College Football Playoff starts on Dec. 20 because of its new 12-team format.
Florida A&M Rattlers 2024 Football Schedule
Aug. 24 vs. Norfolk State in MEAC/SWAC Challenge, Atlanta* at 7:30 p.m., ABC
Aug. 31 vs. South Carolina State, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Sept. 7 at Miami, 6 p.m., ACC Network
Sept. 21 at Troy, 7 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN+
Sept. 28 vs. Alabama A&M, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Oct. 5 at Alabama State, 3 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN+
Oct. 19 at Jackson State, 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN Network
Oct. 26 vs. Southern, 7 p.m., ESPN Network
Nov. 2 vs. Texas Southern (HOMECOMING), 4 p.m., ESPN+
Nov. 9 at Prairie View A&M, 3 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN+
Nov. 16 vs. Mississippi Valley State, 1 p.m.
Nov. 23 vs. Bethune-Cookman in Florida Classic, Orlando*, 3:30 p.m., ESPN Network
Nov. 30: FCS Playoffs Begin
Dec. 7: SWAC Championship, LOCATION/TEAMS TBA, ESPN2
Dec. 14: Celebration Bowl, Atlanta*, TEAMS TBA, 12 p.m., ABC
BOLD = SWAC
* = Neutral Site
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 Football: Rattlers to play majority of 2024 games on ESPN networks
