FAMU shifts blame in UGA football contract fiasco

FAMU AD John Davis

The controversy surrounding FAMU's decision to forfeit a $650,000 contractual buyout after the cancellation of its scheduled 2028 football game against the University of Georgia has taken another turn, as university officials have shifted scrutiny from the Athletics Department—where the decision originated—to the Office of General Counsel.

Multiple people familiar with internal discussions said university administrators have made longtime Associate General Counsel David Self the "fall guy" after it was revealed that he approved a mutual termination agreement requested by Athletic Director John Davis. The agreement released the University of Georgia from its contractual obligation to pay FAMU a $650,000 cancellation fee. According to those familiar with the matter, however, the decision to pursue and execute the agreement originated with Davis.

Those sources cautioned that assigning responsibility to the legal office oversimplifies how such agreements are typically handled.

The Office of General Counsel does not negotiate football contracts, determine athletic scheduling or decide whether games should be canceled. Instead, attorneys are generally asked to review documents for legal sufficiency after university officials have already made a business decision, ensuring that agreements comply with applicable law and university policy before they are executed. In this case, sources said Davis forwarded the proposed agreement to the legal office for review after indicating his intention to accept Georgia's request for a mutual termination.

"By the time a document reaches legal, the decision has already been made," one source familiar with the process said.

That distinction has become increasingly important as criticism has mounted over Davis' handling of what many alumni and observers consider one of the most consequential contract decisions in recent FAMU athletics history.

Rather than requiring Georgia to honor the contract or pay the negotiated cancellation fee, FAMU voluntarily agreed to terminate the agreement, relinquishing its contractual right to collect the $650,000 buyout.

The controversy came to light after the Athens Banner-Herald reported that it had obtained the cancellation agreement through a public records request. The agreement, signed by Davis on Jan. 13, released the University of Georgia from its contractual obligation to pay FAMU the $650,000 buyout, allowing the Bulldogs to cancel the scheduled 2028 game without financial penalty and leaving FAMU any form of compensation or the football game.

The disclosure immediately prompted questions from alumni and supporters about why the university surrendered a significant guaranteed payment without receiving any compensation in return and whether the decision reflected a lack of experience in negotiating and managing major athletic contracts.

Davis, who is serving in his first collegiate athletics director role, has faced sustained criticism over the decision. During the Athletics Department's recent statewide "Strike Tour," alumni said they repeatedly asked Davis to explain why FAMU agreed to waive the buyout.

Attendees at multiple tour stops, including South Florida, Tampa and Jacksonville, said Davis offered differing explanations from one event to the next and never directly answered why the university chose to release Georgia from its contractual obligation. Several alumni who attended the sessions described his responses as confusing and said they left without a clear understanding of the decision-making process.

The university has not publicly disclosed whether alternative options were considered, what financial analysis, if any, was conducted before the agreement was signed, or how it plans to replace the $650,000 in lost revenue.