After a year of COVID-19 season postponement and a recent move to the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Florida A&M University’s football team is entering an unprecedented era. Lately, the HBCU team nestled in Tallahassee, FL, boasts the best football record in the state. With a 7-2 overall record, FAMU has eclipsed Florida State University, the University of Florida, and the University of Central Florida so far this season.

Moreover, the team’s fans are also climbing the ranks. For week nine, the university landed at #11 for Big Game Boomer’s official ranking of the best student sections in the nation. The vaunted ranking comes as the only HBCU and Florida university to make the list.

Earlier this month, footage of the student section flooded timelines and caught the attention of none other than Plies. In a tweet, the Fort Myers-born rapper wrote, “I Wanna Watch One FAMU Football Game In The Student Section This Year!!!!!”

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???????? I Wanna Watch One FAMU Football Game In The Student Section This Year!!!!!

— Plies (@plies) October 5, 2021

The university's redemption era largely comes after COVID-19 thrust the athletics department into the face of adversity. According to FAMU Athletics, as of May 25, the projected net profit/loss coming from the department after a year without a season was $33,183. This significant loss in revenue caused a 7% salary decrease for the department staff.

Most recently, ESPN documented the storied history of the institution with the premiere of Why Not Us. The eight-episode docuseries is executively produced by Chris Paul and exclusively captures the football team’s 2021 season.

Nonetheless, with the recent tidal wave of support behind HBCUs, FAMU — which currently ranks as the U.S. News & World report’s No. 1 public HBCU — is still on center stage.

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As a self-proclaimed culture documentarian, Mia Duzzell expertly covers Gen-Z-centered content. She seeks to amplify the concerns of her generation while still creating thought-provoking content. Detailing a wide range of verticals such as entertainment, politics, and sports, you can follow all of her endeavors via Instagram.

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Writing since October 2021 · 1 story contributed