Florida A&M is leaving the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to join the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2021-22.
The Rattlers have 14 sports competing in Division I, including football (FCS level) and men’s and women’s basketball.
The SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors unanimously approved adding Florida A&M on Thursday, calling it “a great fit” in a press release.
“FAMU boast a strong loyal base of alumni, fans, and supporters and they have shown a collective commitment to excellence in all facets,” council chairman Andrew Hugine said in a statement. “We welcome the Rattlers to the SWAC and look forward to many years of high-level competition with them as a member of our conference.”
Florida A&M, located in Tallahassee, was a member of the MEAC from 1979-83 and rejoined the league in 1986 after two years as an independent.
“While we have had a long-standing relationship competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Florida A&M’s impending move to the Southwestern Athletic Conference is one that is in the best interest of the University,” said FAMU president Larry Robinson. “The positive impacts on student athletes, cost savings, re-establishment of long-term rivalries and opportunities to generate revenue are among the key factors in this decision.”
The Rattlers also participate in baseball, softball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track and field, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s golf, women’s volleyball and women’s bowling.