FAMU adds Southern to '08 schedule

FAMU announced this morning that a scheduling conflict with Southern University has been resolved and that the two long time rivals will meet on October 18th in Baton Rouge, LA, a move from the originally contracted date of September 20.

Florida A&M will now play 12 games in 2008 with the addition of the Southern game, with one open date on September 13.

FAMU President James Ammons and Athletic Director Bill Hayes worked for the past several weeks with MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas and South Carolina State Athletic Director Charlene Johnson to move the Rattlers’ October 18 home game with SCSU to October 4, paving the way for the Southern game to be played.

“We want to express our thanks to Commissioner (Dennis) Thomas and Ms. Charlene Johnson and her staff at South Carolina State for working with us in this matter,” said President Ammons upon announcing the resolution.

“The FAMU-Southern series has a rich tradition behind it, dating back to the 1940s, and it is extremely popular with the alumni and supporters of both schools, so we felt it important to do all we could to preserve the relationship between us by working out this situation,” Ammons concluded.

With the recent expansion of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, an additional league game was added to all schedules, causing a shift in play dates beginning with the 2008 campaign.

Since the FAMU-Southern contract was agreed to prior to the 2007 season, the newly-aligned MEAC scheduling format was not taken into account.

FAMU and Southern will begin talks shortly to work out future dates for the years remaining on the contract.

FAMU's revised football schedule is as follows:
2008 FLORIDA A&M FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

AUG. 30 ALABAMA STATE HOME/Bragg Stadium
Sports Hall of Fame

Sept. 6 at Delaware State* Dover, DE/Alumni Stadium

Sept. 20 at Howard University*+ Philadelphia, PA/Franklin Field

Sept. 27 Tennessee State@ Atlanta, GA/Georgia Dome
Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic

OCT. 4 S.C. STATE* HOME/Bragg Stadium
Football Reunion • Parents’ Weekend

OCT. 11 WINSTON-SALEM STATE HOME/Bragg Stadium
1,000 Strikes Recognition Game

Oct. 18 at Southern University Baton Rouge, LA/Mumford Stadium

Oct. 25 at Norfolk State* Norfolk, VA/Dick Price Stadium

NOV. 1 MORGAN STATE* HOME/Bragg Stadium
Homecoming Weekend

Nov. 8 at North Carolina A&T*` Greensboro, NC/Aggie Stadium

NOV. 15 HAMPTON* HOME/Bragg Stadium
Senior Day • Community and Youth Day

Nov. 22 Bethune-Cookman#* Orlando, FL/Florida Citrus Bowl
Walt Disney World Florida Classic XXIX

(*)-Conference game; (+)-Philadelphia; (@)-Atlanta Classic; (#)-Florida Classic