TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  – The Florida A&M men's basketball team will open its 2026-27 season against Florida State in the Orion180 Tip-Off Classic at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa on November 2nd. The doubleheader also features a matchup between Florida and Miami, bringing four of the state's premier programs together for an early season showcase.

The game marks the first regular-season meeting between the Rattlers and the Seminoles since 1991 — a historic collision that highlights FAMU's growing profile on the national basketball stage.

Head coach Charlie Ward — a Tallahassee legend who won the 1993 Heisman Trophy as Florida State's quarterback before going on to a distinguished 11-year NBA career — brings his Rattlers program into the spotlight against his alma mater. Ward, who still holds FSU's all-time record for career steals, has been steadily building FAMU into a formidable program, and the Tampa tip-off gives the Rattlers a high-profile platform to announce their intentions for the 2026-27 season.

The Orion180 Tip-Off Classic represents exactly the kind of elevated scheduling that signals a program on the rise. Playing in front of a statewide audience at Benchmark International Arena — a modern, high-capacity venue in the heart of the Tampa Bay market — FAMU will have the opportunity to showcase its roster to fans, recruits, and media across Florida.

Coach Ward's respect within the college basketball community was on full display when FSU head coach Luke Loucks acknowledged the matchup, calling Ward "a great friend" and expressing admiration for the program he's building in Tallahassee. "We have tremendous respect for the program he's building at FAMU," Loucks said.

For Rattler fans, November 2nd in Tampa is the perfect way to kick off what promises to be an exciting season.