TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida A&M University women's tennis is headed to the Big Easy with a target on its back — and a championship banner worth defending.

The reigning SWAC Tournament champions, the Rattlers enter the 2026 SWAC Women's Tennis Tournament as the No. 5 seed, drawing a first-round matchup against No. 4 Southern on Friday, April 17 at 9:00 a.m. CST at City Park Tennis Center in New Orleans. A win would propel FAMU into Saturday's semifinals against the winner of No. 1 Jackson State and No. 8 Mississippi Valley State.

Florida A&M finished conference play with a 4-4 SWAC record — a mark that tells only part of the story. The Rattlers know what it takes to compete and win in this league. They proved that last year, and tournament play on a neutral court is where champions are revealed, not seedings.

The bracket sets up as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. Southern, sitting at 5-3 in conference play, is a winnable first-round opponent for a defending champion that has shown the ability to raise its game when it matters most. A road through the bracket — should the Rattlers advance — would be earned the hard way, but Florida A&M has never shied away from that challenge.

City Park Tennis Center in New Orleans provides a true neutral setting, erasing any home-court advantage and putting the emphasis squarely on preparation, composure, and competitive will. Those are qualities the Rattler program has built its identity around — and qualities that produced a championship twelve months ago.

The Rattlers don't just know how to get to New Orleans. They know how to leave with the trophy.

Quarterfinal action gets underway Friday at 9:00 a.m. CST, with semifinals scheduled for Saturday, April 18 and the championship match set for Sunday, April 19 at 10:00 a.m. CST. The semifinals and finals rounds will be broadcast live on SWAC TV