FAMU football team will play their opener at North Carolina without 20 players due to eligibility issues

FAMU Rattlers football team will be getting paid 450 thousand dollars to play North Carolina tomorrow to kick of their season. The wild thing is they will be without several of their stars.

Florida A&M college football to play season opener at North Carolina despite missing 20 players due to eligibility issues. According to FAMU head football coach Willie Simmons, it all centers around compliance issues ranging from academics to transfers.

“The responsibility ultimately falls on the student-athlete, but without support, it is really, really hard to juggle all they have to juggle and still maintain satisfactory academic progress and still compete at the highest level. we are asking for a little bit of grace and mercy from the NCAA,” Simmons said.

Rattlers coach Willie Simmons said the team initially decided not to play after learning Thursday night that seven offensive linemen were deemed ineligible. With three others nursing injuries, the Rattlers have just seven healthy offensive linemen.

“The players didn’t feel comfortable playing under those conditions and they are all understandably frustrated with many of our internal processes in the certification process, so they decided not to play,” Simmons’ statement said. “After a few more discussions with university leadership, including the president of the university, the players ultimately decided to play the game. I support these young men 100% in whatever they decide and I’m extremely proud of them for advocating for themselves!”

FAMU is on a plane headed to UNC and I am not sure how this is going to play out, but it looks like a major black eye for HBCU football.