FAMU’s radio fumble: Fans left guessing days before kickoff

 

FAMU AD John Davis  (AI-generated image).

Three Key Takeaways

• FAMU had months of warning: The 220 Quarterback Club notified Athletics in April that it would not renew the radio deal.

• Fans still have no answers: Four days before kickoff, John Davis and FAMU Athletics have yet to announce a radio plan.

• A preventable communications failure: Fans learned the broadcast team was sidelined through Facebook, raising questions about leadership and accountability.

Four days before FAMU opens its football season, Athletic Director John Davis and FAMU Athletics have left fans without an answer to a simple question: Where can they hear the game?

Multiple sources familiar with the matter say the FAMU 220 Quarterback Club notified FAMU Athletics in April that it would not renew its radio arrangement with Cumulus Media’s WHBX-FM. The agreement, which costs roughly $20,000, expired June 30.

That gave FAMU nearly four months to find another broadcast partner, create an alternative or tell supporters that radio was going away.

Instead, the department has offered little publicly.

With the Aug. 29 opener against Albany State approaching, fans are searching Facebook and news reports for information that should have come directly from the athletic department.

For Davis, this is not simply a story about a radio contract. It is an early test of whether his department can anticipate problems, communicate clearly and respect the people who support the program.

Given Davis’ mishandling of the UGA contract and now the radio contract, his performance so far is becoming increasingly difficult to defend.

Fans heard it from the broadcasters

The most striking part of the episode is how fans learned the familiar FAMU radio team would not return.

On Aug. 10, former broadcasters Albert Chester Sr. and Bryan Fulford announced on Facebook that they had been sidelined for the upcoming season.

FAMU Athletics did not make the announcement first.

Radio has been part of the Rattler football experience for generations, allowing fans to follow games in cars, kitchens, workplaces and homes when television or streaming was not practical.

Ending or changing that access is a legitimate business decision.

Failing to communicate the decision is not.

FAMU had ample notice

The central question is not why the 220 Club chose not to renew. Contracts end and partnerships change.

The question is what FAMU Athletics did after receiving notice in April.

The university knew the Cumulus agreement would expire June 30. That was a known deadline with months of lead time.

There was time to contact other stations, negotiate a new agreement, develop a university-operated broadcast or tell fans what was happening.

Instead, the season is about to begin and the public still has no definitive answer.

That is a failure of planning — and communication.

Silence creates its own story

FAMU has television and streaming arrangements, including ESPN platforms, SWAC TV and HBCU GO. Those options do not answer the specific question about radio.

Reports have suggested that radio discussions may still be underway and that Davis has not completely ruled out a broadcast arrangement for 2026.

If that is accurate, FAMU should say so.

If negotiations continue, explain that. If radio has been eliminated, explain why. If a deal is close, announce it.

Instead, fans have been left to interpret silence.

That is particularly troubling for a department under new leadership. Credibility does not come from leaving supporters to discover important information on Facebook.

This is about leadership

FAMU asks fans to buy tickets, donate, support sponsors and invest their time and loyalty in Rattler Athletics.

The minimum in return is basic information. 

Four days to go

Saturday begins the Quinn Gray era when the Rattlers face Albany State.

There is plenty for FAMU fans to be excited about. But excitement does not excuse poor communication. Four days before kickoff, fans should be talking about football.

Instead, seasoned Rattler fans are still waiting to find out whether they will be able to hear it.