Five years after Florida A&M University made the move from the MEAC to the SWAC, the conversation around Rattler athletics has shifted from early excitement and adjustment to accountability and reflection.
In this conversation during HBCU Sports’ 12-hour Pod-a-Thon, FAMU insider Brian Fulford takes a measured look at what those five years have revealed about FAMU’s athletic culture, coaching decisions, conference fit, and competitive reality.
The discussion touches on multiple sports, leadership turnover, and the moments that forced hard decisions—both on and off the field.
“We wouldn’t be FAMU if it wasn’t a little good with a little bad,” Fulford said. “That’s part of the history and part of why people keep talking about us.”
Fulford also points to success stories that didn’t always come with championships, while acknowledging the football losses that ultimately changed the trajectory of the program. Rather than leaning into extremes, the conversation focuses on how results, good and bad, stack over time.
“Things happened for a reason,” Fulford noted. “We lost those games, and now we’re in a different place because of it.”
