The NCAA has imposed a postseason ban on Florida A&M’s football program for the 2026 season, citing academic shortfalls that have plagued the team for five consecutive years.
Yet the Rattlers have chosen continuity over exodus; a majority of the squad elected to remain despite the opportunity to transfer, a decision that has helped lift the team’s cumulative GPA to 3.05 this spring, up from 2.57 the previous fall.
A new era under Coach Gray
New head coach Quinn Fordham Gray Sr., a former standout at the university and now its head coach, will make his debut on August 29 against his alma mater, Albany State, at Ken Riley Field in Tallahassee. The matchup pits Gray against the team he once played for, adding a personal narrative to the season’s opening chapter.
Quarterback Isaiah Knowles praised Gray’s transparency and leadership, noting that the coach’s clear communication has helped unify the locker room as the team prepares for the challenges ahead.
The roster includes roughly 15 seniors and graduate students who are set to play their final college season, while over 40 players earned academic honor roll recognition in the spring semester, underscoring the team’s dual focus on scholarship and sport.
Offseason work has been steered by new Director of Sports Performance Joshua Woods, whose conditioning program has already attracted about 60 participants in organized activities that began in late May.
Looking ahead, Florida A&M will play a 12‑game regular season, all of which will be televised, beginning with preseason camp on July 30 and the first practice on August 2.