FAMU will play USF in its first area game since the Florida Classic left after '96.
By KEITH NIEBUHR
Published November 25, 2004
TAMPA - Wearing a white Florida A&M jersey with orange lettering and green trim, Ted Taylor beamed at a news conference Wednesday to announce that South Florida would host the Rattlers Sept. 10 at Raymond James Stadium.
"Ever since USF started playing, I hoped (the Rattlers) would play here," said Taylor, a 1975 FAMU graduate who practices law and lives in Plant City. "Now, the moment is here."
For FAMU faithful, it was a long time coming. The Rattlers last played here in 1996, when Tampa hosted the Florida Classic, the annual game between FAMU and Bethune-Cookman that moved to Orlando in 1997. The teams had played in Tampa since 1978, except for 1983 and '84, when the game wasn't played.
"This is a very exciting time for USF and FAMU," USF president Judy Genshaft said. "This stadium is going to be filled to the brim."
USF and FAMU never have played.
The game, which is being called the Tampa Bay Sports Commission Classic, appears to be a win-win situation for both schools. The Rattlers not only return to the city where many of their greatest triumphs occurred but will be compensated well. As part of the one-year contract, USF will pay FAMU $250,000, Bulls athletic director Doug Woolard said.
"This is a game that all of our fans have wanted for a long time," FAMU athletic director Joseph Ramsey II said.
One Bulls fan in particular was just as excited. Tampa mayor Pam Iorio, who earned a master's degree in history from USF in 2001, was among those who attended the announcement.
"Today, I'm a Rattler and a Bulls fan," she said. "This is such a positive thing for our community."
Although the teams are slated to play just once, Woolard said he and Ramsey will evaluate things after next year's game to determine whether the programs will meet again, and if so how often. FAMU is a bonus to an beefed up 2005 Bulls schedule that includes games against teams from the Big East, which USF joins next fall. The Rattlers have a strong fan base, and FAMU's Marching 100 band is among the most celebrated in college sports.
"I think this will have a great economic impact to the Tampa Bay area," Woolard said.
When the Florida Classic was played here, the game brought an estimated $11.8-million in yearly business to the area, according to a USF study. But FAMU's history with Tampa wasn't all positive.
During the Classic's final years in Tampa, fans were upset about reservation and payment requirements at some area hotels, which led to a boycott of several by FAMU alumni. In 1994, they were further angered when Tampa Bay Center, a mall across the street from the stadium, closed early and prevented fans from visiting after the game.
Can one game mend those wounds?
"It sure can," Taylor said. "Everybody deserves a chance to be forgiven for their wrongs. This can help greatly, and finally put that all to bed."
