Florida A&M football is entering a new era — and one of the program’s longtime traditions is being left behind.
According to Gerald Thomas III of the Tallahassee Democrat, Florida A&M Athletics will no longer broadcast its football games on the radio during the 2026 season.
For Rattler fans, the decision represents more than a simple change in how games are consumed. Radio has been a longstanding part of Florida A&M football, giving fans throughout Tallahassee and beyond a way to follow the team without needing a television or streaming service.
The change comes after Florida A&M’s agreement with Cumulus Media, which owns and operates WHBX 96.1 JAMZ, ended. The station has served as a home for Rattler football broadcasts for years. Florida A&M’s own game materials have previously identified 96.1 JAMZ as the flagship of the Rattler Radio Network, according to the newspaper.
Bryan Fulford, who was a prominent voice on FAMU broadcasts for years, said he learned of the news on Monday.
“I will say I was disappointed to hear it. I can’t say I wasn’t completely surprised considering where we were and the timeline of things,” he said on The O&G StrikeZone YouTube show.
“I honestly did not ask why. Why ask why? With all the things going on surrounding the athletic program, why just wasn’t on my mind. I don’t know if I would have gotten the full answer, the right answer, the PC answer. Asking why didn’t sit with me as a response.”
A shift toward streaming and television
The decision appears to be part of a broader shift in how Florida A&M and the Southwestern Athletic Conference are approaching sports media.
Vaughn Wilson, a former member of the Eddie Jackson 220 Quarterback Club, told the Tallahassee Democrat that the athletic department indicated it was shifting its media strategy toward the SWAC’s current television and streaming ecosystem.
“The athletic department expressed that they are shifting focus to the media aspects of the SWAC. And radio is just not a part of that package.”
That means Rattler fans will increasingly have to turn to television and digital platforms to follow the team.
Florida A&M’s 2026 football schedule includes games carried across SWAC TV, HBCU GO and ESPN’s family of networks. The move reflects a larger trend across HBCU athletics, where conference-level streaming and television partnerships are becoming increasingly important parts of the media landscape.
Other SWAC programs are following a similar model. Alabama A&M, for example, announced that 10 of its 12 football games in 2026 would be carried on SWAC TV, with additional games appearing on ESPN platforms.
Rattler fans react
The end of radio broadcasts has already generated disappointment among members of the Florida A&M community.
Florida A&M football legend Albert Chester Sr., who was part of the Rattlers’ 1978 Division I-AA national championship team and later became a broadcaster for the program, reacted to the news on Facebook.
Chester, who previously called Rattler games on 96.1 JAMZ alongside Fulford, described the development as a difficult one for Rattler Nation.
“RattlerNation..I have some very DISAPPOINTING news,” Chester wrote. “I was just advised by the athletic department that the 2026 FAMU Football season WILL NOT, I repeat WILL NOT be broadcast via radio. Sad day.”
His reaction underscores what the decision means to fans who have grown accustomed to experiencing Rattler football through the radio.
if they didn’t want to pay Cumulus, they could have broadcast these games on the campus radio station WANM 90.5, but then again we have an empty suit for an AD. https://t.co/MrjxVQk9ww pic.twitter.com/bZwveegqN2
— Rattler Nation Blog (@RattlerNationFL) August 12, 2026
What’s next for FAMU football coverage?
For the 2026 season, the answer is increasingly digital.
Florida A&M will have games available through SWAC TV, HBCU GO and ESPN platforms, giving fans several ways to watch the Rattlers. But there will be no radio broadcast filling the traditional role that 96.1 JAMZ once held.
“My thoughts as well as Alberts both went to what can we do? How can we save this,” said Fulford. “40 to 50 years … I don’t want to see it fall apart on my watch.”
That makes the 2026 season a significant transition for Florida A&M football.
The Rattlers aren’t losing access to their games altogether. They’re simply losing one of the most familiar ways fans have experienced them.
And for a program with as much history as Florida A&M, that’s a pretty big change.
