Head coach Charlie Ward and the Florida A&M men’s basketball team will once again face Florida State, this time in a regular-season showdown as part of the inaugural Orion180 Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 2.
Last season, the Rattlers opened their campaign with an exhibition game against Ward’s alma mater. Rather than waiting another 34 years for a rematch, the two programs will meet again less than a year later on one of college basketball’s biggest opening-night stages.
Ward has a unique connection to the rivalry. He was a member of the Florida State basketball team in 1991 when a game between the two schools ended in a highly publicized melee. Today, both universities are pleased to have moved beyond that chapter and are focused on renewing a competitive and respectful in-state rivalry…