FSU on FAMU: "Nothing to Gain From It"

[Brad]

Rattlers would need 'A' game to play 'Noles

Column by Randy Beard

DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

If it were left up to Bobby Bowden, it would be the one game he'd keep off Florida State's schedule.

"There's nothing to gain from it," said the FSU head coach Wednesday.

It wasn't the mention of Miami that elicited such concern from major college football's victory leader, either.

It was Florida A&M.

Although the NCAA Board of Directors did what it could last week to make it easier for Division I-A schools to schedule a I-AA opponent every season, don't look for Tallahassee's two college football teams to share a field anytime soon.

From a national perspective, an FSU-FAMU matchup might make perfect sense.

From a Tallahassee perspective, probably not.

At least that's how Bowden and FAMU head coach Billy Joe feel.

"I love FAMU, and I think ol' Billy is really one of the finest coaches around. But golly, I'm afraid if we played, it could get heated and separate us," said Bowden. "We've got too great of a relationship right now to have that happen."

Joe agrees. Although the Rattlers have played Miami twice and Florida once in the past six years, Joe doesn't want any part of the Seminoles.

"Bobby Bowden and FSU, we have such a good relationship, we're family," said Joe. "Miami and Florida aren't family to us."

Suffering a 63-3 loss to Florida two seasons ago was tough for the Orange & Green crowd to swallow. But even if the Rattlers were guaranteed to stay within 30 points of FSU, Joe believes the disappointment still would be twofold for the FAMU faithful.

"Losing to FSU would touch every community in Tallahassee," said Joe. "Education. Government. Business ... There would be a lot of hard feelings ... We can play FSU in softball or volleyball without causing many hurt feelings, because those sports don't have the following that football has."

Even so, the door was at least opened for the two universities to meet in a Tallahassee Bowl after the NCAA Board of Directors signed off on a 12-game schedule for I-A schools beginning in 2006 - and also decided that one victory over a I-AA team could be counted toward the six wins currently needed to qualify for a bowl game every season. Previously, I-A teams were allowed to count a win over a I-AA school only once every four years.

The fact that a cash-strapped FAMU could receive a $400,000 payday from playing FSU without having to incur any travel costs would seem to give the Rattlers incentive to push for a game against the Seminoles, too.

Bowden did concede that he would agree to play FAMU if FSU Athletic Director Dave Hart or President T.K. Wetherell decided it was the right thing to do.

"The game might happen one of these days," said Bowden. "And I would not stand in the way. But, gosh, it would be awful to me if we had a situation that was divisive."

Joe doesn't believe the matchup will make sense until FAMU is in better position to make the jump up to I-A competition full time.

"I think that will happen at some point, and then I'd be willing to play FSU. I think the community would even support the game then," said Joe. "But right now, I wish the NCAA had a rule that said we couldn't play."

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[Bruce]

I see FSU's point but they are worth having just for the halftime show.

[goodknightfl]

I agree with bobby on this one... FSU has nothing to gain.. and everything to lose.

[Velcro]

I guess we aren't family?  

[Apis Bull]

FSU and FAMU almost share a campus.  They're only 2 miles apart.  In fact, I know that their engineering programs are combined.

[TripleB]

I agree with bobby on this one... FSU has nothing to gain.. and everything to lose.

Apparently LeeRoy and CJL had the same philosophy, too ..........

[bulls96go]

we should play famu every year.

why not?

[TripleB]

we should play famu every year.

why not?

If we go to 12 games and they still have a team, I've got no problem at all with playing them ...

[USFPDiddy]

If the guy wants to avoid a game for personal and community reasons, I see no reason he shouldn't be able to.  Bowden's done as much for FSU as any coach has done for any program in history (bold statement, but he and JoePa are living legends).

If it would be a divisive game in tally, that would be a shame.  But on that note, hopefully The USF FSU mirrof school initial battle begins soon too.  There's a very good chance they'll be the last state 1-a school we play now. (as long as u count our FAU games we played before they moved up).

[smazza]

silly

what kind of coach is billy joe?

i never heard of such garbage

thankgod other schools don't think like that

like usc/ucla