After 2022 eligibility crisis, FAMU turns 'dark time' into new hope for football team

It is a date that will be remembered in Florida A&M University history.

Aug. 26, 2022.

A day of chaos, commotion, and confusion that attracted national headlines.

Twenty-six FAMU football players were deemed NCAA ineligible ― most due to certification issues ― a day prior to the team's season-opener at North Carolina. After players initially voted not to play, they changed course and boarded the charter flight to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to face the Atlantic Coast Conference's (ACC) Tar Heels.

The undermanned Rattlers lost to UNC 56-24 and FAMU earned $450,000 for playing the game.

The dramatic ordeal opened the floodgates of various issues that had to be addressed by university leadership ― spotlighting compliance, academics, and the overall student-athlete experience.

A year later, FAMU says it has addressed and corrected its internal processes in the certification process that designates whether student-athletes have met academic and amateurism standards.

FAMU has increased compliance and academic department personnel and improved communication between leadership, coaches, staff, and student-athletes.

On the field, the Rattlers posses a talented and eager football team for their season opener against the two-time defending Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) champions Jackson State in Sunday's Orange Blossom Classic at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.

Kickoff is at 3 p.m. on ESPN.

FAMU head football coach Willie Simmons, entering his sixth season, believes last August's mishap has made the university and athletics department stronger and more resilient.

"What many people saw as a dark time or a bad time for FAMU football and athletics last August with the certification issues we had, I saw it as an opportunity for university and athletic administration to come together and do something for the well-being of our student-athletes," Simmons told the Tallahassee Democrat.

Returning starting right tackle Cameron Covin was one of the 26 players who missed last season's UNC game. The All-SWAC performer agreed with Simmons, stating that current players feel valued and appreciated by the university.

"I definitely feel like we're being heard now," Covin said.

As excitement builds for football's return, uncertainty overtakes FAMU's opener at North Carolina

Concerns surrounding the status of the FAMU-UNC game emerged when the Rattlers' departure to North Carolina was delayed by six hours.

Simmons empowered his players to decide on proceeding with the game after meeting with university leadership, including FAMU President Dr. Larry Robinson. They were also led in prayer in their locker room by Bethel Missionary Baptist Church Reverend Dr. RB Holmes.

Three days later, the Rattlers penned a five-page open letter, signed by 89 players, to President Robinson that expressed their frustrations. The letter addressed deficiencies such as delayed financial aid disbursement, compliance, summer school, underrepresentation, and underappreciation.

Simmons called the players' act of solidarity to invoke change the turning point of the season that saw the Rattlers win nine consecutive games and finish 9-2.

"The letter was a cry for help from my student-athletes," Simmons said. "And I think Dr. Robinson heard their cries and answered the call. That's very important for our student-athletes in general to know they have a university president that's here for them, listens to them, and willing to address their needs.

"It meant a lot to our players to see the entire university administration in the locker room the week after Jackson State (second game of the season). It's a moment I'll always remember because of what came out of it. It showed that 'FAMULY' has real meaning to it. Because the leadership stepped up in a major way and has allowed our student-athletes to have a much better experience.

"Without the students, there's no head football coach, no athletic director, no president. They want to know that they're being placed in the best position to be successful."

President Robinson launched FAMU's Athletics Action Plan last fall, setting goals and strategies to enhance compliance support, academic support and financial assistance. FAMU's Board of Trustees stressed its commitment to holding university leadership and student-athletes accountable as 17 steps have been implemented.

FAMU has held frequent meetings to monitor and coordinate the plan.

"We are proud of our student athletes and appreciate last year's statement expressing their concerns," President Robinson said of last year's letter.

"Since then, we have developed and are implementing a comprehensive Athletics Action Plan designed to elevate our program to one of the best in the nation when it comes to compliance and so much more."

Needing move swiftly and strategically, FAMU begins process towards progress

Last October, FAMU hired Tiffani-Dawn Sykes as its new Vice President and Director of Athletics.

Sykes officially began her tenure on Jan. 4, 2023, replacing Kortne Gosha, who resigned eight months earlier. Longtime FAMU employee Michael Smith held the interim director of athletics' tag during the six-month search.

Sykes has helped direct and implement the Athletics Action Plan, which builds a calendar of deadlines for coaches to expect communication updates. Focus points also include admissions and audit services.

"Everyone has been incredibly supportive on accomplishing everything in the plan," Sykes said.

Upon Sykes arrival, the institution partnered with local Certified Public Accountants (CPA) firm Thomas Howell Ferguson to outline needed improvements in a 20-plus page document available via FAMU's website.

The reasons for the significant number of ineligible players varied, according to the firm's report:

• Student-athlete academic performance matters (15 instances)

• Transfer student-athletes whose credits had not been processed by the time of certification (3 instances)

• Student-athletes with declared majors/minors not processed before the first day of classes (5 instances)

• Student-athletes with outstanding tasks required by the individual student athlete in the NCAA Eligibility Center (3 instances)

• Student-athletes certified as ineligible based on the information available at the time of the certification. Information received subsequent to the certification led to those student athletes achieving eligibility (i.e., additional hours were cleared through the Registrar's Office that were degree applicable) (3 instances)

FAMU athletics only had one compliance officer and one academic advisor on staff last August. The compliance officer also served as a financial aid officer.

President Robinson committed to hiring at least five athletics compliance offers, which was finalized in January. He also hired a graduate assistant.

"The addition of six compliance staff and fulfillment of our commitment of five academic advisors have already reaped positive benefits," Robinson said. "But more importantly, it is our institutional commitment to the success of our student athletes and our athletic program that will ensure sustained positive outcomes into the future."

FAMU hired Brittney Johnson as its Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance, Senior Woman Administrator, and Deputy Title IX Coordinator.

Prior to FAMU, she worked at South Alabama as the Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development and Academic Success.

Johnson said the busiest time of compliance and certification is August during FAMU's Certification Summit, when fall sports ― football, cross-country, golf, volleyball are preparing to begin. She said every student-athlete must be certified prior to their first competition.

The Certification Summit to clear student-athletes requires representatives from the athletic department, compliance, the registrar's office, academic affairs, and the provost.

Keys to help streamline that process include preparation, diligence, and communication.

"One of the things I was charged with when I got here was building a collaboration between athletics compliance and the university personnel ― deans, department heads, and advisors," Johnson, who has compliance experience at SWAC schools Alabama A&M and Prairie View A&M said.

"So, they're getting a better understanding of what we do. We're dotting our I's and cross our T's at this point and tracking it since May to make sure anything else didn't shock or surprise us."

Sykes has more than a decade of compliance experience and knows the process of ensuring student-athletes are eligible to compete. Special monitoring and support are in place for student-athletes 'at risk' for academic achievement.

Sykes also takes pride in being accessible to FAMU athletes and coaches.

"When we did the very-early preliminary certification [last] May, we sat down with every head coach for a time period of 30 minutes to two hours and went through every single student-athlete and told them what their eligibility status is," Sykes said.

"Then, we send a separate communication to every single student athlete. Just really making myself available and visible to establish as many open lines of communications possible.

"Because I can't address their needs if I don't know their needs."

FAMU receives good news from the NCAA, but the job isn't finished as program looks to improve APR scores

Last October, the NCAA notified the university of a clean audit of its Division 1 Academic Performance Program (APP).

In a letter to President Robinson, the NCAA commended FAMU for its “diligence and cooperation during the APP Data Review Process.”

Areas of review included Academic Progress Rate (APR) retention, APR eligibility, graduation, retention, receipt of athletically related financial aid, enrollment, exhausted eligibility and graduated, policies and procedures certifying continuing eligibility and others.

In May 2019, FAMU was placed on a five-year probation by the NCAA after the school was cited for a lack of institutional control for failing to monitor its athletics program between the 2010-11 and 2016-17 seasons. The university also applied a self-imposed postseason ban for the 2019-20 academic term.

According to the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions' 36-page report, FAMU improperly certified 93 student-athletes on 162 occurrences in 12 sports. The issues took place prior the arrival of President Robinson, Simmons, and many other coaches and administrators.

FAMU is focused on raising its APR scores that measure how teams perform academically. Teams that don't reach the 930 APR requirement could face restrictions and sanctions, which includes postseason bans and reduction of athletic scholarships.

Last year, the NCAA reported FAMU football posted a four-year APR score of 901, the lowest in all of Division I, that reflected the 2017-18 to 2020-21 academic years. It was the first time APR scores were released following a two-year moratorium due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

FAMU's APR Improvement Plan features steps to expand academic resources to student-athletes and identify 'at risk' student-athletes on all 13 of the school's sports teams.

"The APR plan requires a lot of buy in from academics and the coaching staff," Sykes said.

"We don't want to have students who are unsuccessful academic, potentially because we made a bad recruiting decision, or blew through the methodology on us determining how many people we have the appetite for.

"And then the entire group of student athletes who are doing the right thing don't have access to postseason."

The NCAA Transfer Portal also is part of the academics equation. The Rattlers signed 34 transfer players in the 2023 recruiting cycle.

Simmons said he's taking all precautionary measures to not sign talent with potential academic deficits that could negatively impact the football team's APR while trying to increase the score.

He is optimistic that FAMU's APR Improvement Plan will be successful.

"I feel really good about our improvement plan," Simmons said. "It's something we've put together and submit to the NCAA. It's a solid plan. The key is following it.

"So, it's our job as coaches, student-athletes, athletic administration, and university administration to make sure that all the bullet points are being followed. If we do that, I feel good about the direction of the program and our student-athlete's academic success."

As the dark clouds clear from an adverse year, FAMU athletes, coaches, and administration are back on the same page

Covin and fellow All-SWAC performers Isaiah Land (graduated) and BJ Bohler (graduated) were among the uncertified players forced to stay home and watch the FAMU-UNC game.

Covin and Land were originally notified by the NCAA they were suspended for four games. But after retaining Texas attorney Tom Mars, the duo (and Bohler) were reinstated to play in the following week's Orange Blossom Classic against Jackson State.

Covin, now a FAMU graduate with a Bachelors in Sociology, is currently utilizing his final year of athletic eligibility. He is proud of the his team's decision to write a letter to President Robinson, saying their demands were met and the team feels respected.

"Dr. Robinson has put staff in place to meet with us whenever to listen to us, see where we come from, or if we need improvements," Covin reflected. "It's very encouraging. It makes us want to go ten times harder and represent the school."

Sykes is proud of the support from the university and Rattler Nation. With the help of FAMU alumni and boosters, Sykes raised over $75,000 for the Rattler Athletic Fund during her first STRIKE TOUR this summer.

"Everyone recognizes that we're kind of the front door to all things related to the institution because we get the most media attention whether it's positive or negative," Sykes said.

FAMU has high expectations this season, being voted to win the SWAC East in the league's predicted order of finish. The Rattlers aim to secure their first SWAC and HBCU Celebration Bowl titles in program history.

"Every year has its set of challenges. Last year, it was certification. We're beyond that and don't harp too much on what happened this time last year," Simmons said. "This year's adversity hopefully won't be the same. But, we have to be prepared for whatever comes our way.

"If it's another opportunity for Rattler Nation to come together, I feel confident that we'll do the same this time just like we did last year."

Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@gannett.com or on Twitter @3peatgee.

No one covers the Rattlers like the Tallahassee Democrat. Subscribe using the link at the top of the page and never miss a moment.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Football: How the university responded to 2022 eligibility crisis