COLLEGE TOWN, FL — Florida A&M University's football program cannot participate in the 2026 playoffs after they received Level Two Academic Progress Rate penalties from the NCAA.
The penalties also include practice restrictions.
The school announced the penalties on Friday, saying the program's multi-year APR score fell below the NCAA's 930 benchmark. APR measures academic eligibility and the retention of student-athlete scholarships. The rate is calculated on a four-year average.
FAMU says they "knew the data was trending toward this outcome and was optimistic a conditional waiver approved for the 2025 season would provide relief, the conditions of that waiver were not met."
The playoff ban comes ahead of head coach Quinn Gray's first season with the Rattlers.
He responded to the penalties, saying in part:
"Academics and football are not competing priorities in our program — they are the same priority. Every player on this roster knows the expectation: you handle your business in the classroom first. We have put the systems in place. Now it is about execution and accountability, every single day."
President Marva Johnson also commented on the penalties, saying they reflected "a failure of institutional infrastructure, not a failure of our student-athletes."
FAMU says they've initiated "structural and operational changes" to improve academic performance, including tracking student-athlete academic engagement and implementing early intervention policies.
The school also said each student-athlete was notified individually about the penalty and their eligibility status.
FAMU football will open the 2026 regular season on August 29 against Albany State at home. Their season will end on November 21, following the Florida Blue Florida Classic against Bethune-Cookman.
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