Florida A&M men’s basketball, led by new head coach Charlie Ward, will play at the Most Magical Place on Earth this season.
The Rattlers are one of four men’s basketball teams that will play in the inaugural HBCU Hoops Invitational alongside Barber-Scotia, Florida Memorial, and Tuskegee, scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 4, and Sunday, Dec. 7, inside the State Farm Field House at Walt Disney World Resort’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, near Orlando.
Bethune-Cookman, Cheyney, Edward Waters, and Hampton will compete on the women’s side.
The four-team brackets will be in a single-elimination format, and the winner will be named the first-ever HBCU Hoops Invitational champion.
HBCU Hoops Global, Inc. runs the HBCU Hoops Invitational and “plans to support HBCU players, schools and students by hosting a college admissions fair at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, creating scholarships, providing academic assistance and identifying career development opportunities throughout the year,” it said in a press release.
“We are excited about the opportunities to bring thrilling, family-friendly events to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and this HBCU Hoops Invitational adds to our lineup of high-caliber youth and college events,” said Jorge Senior, Disney’s Director of Sports Planning and Development.
“If you’re a college basketball fan, there’s no better place to be during the holidays than at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.”
Tickets are now on sale for the HBCU Hoops Invitational.
Ward will make his college coaching debut with FAMU men’s basketball on Sunday, Nov. 3, at the South Florida Bulls in Tampa’s Yuengling Center to open the 2025-2026 season.
The Rattlers return from having a 14-17 record last season, their most single-season wins since 2008, under former head coach Patrick Crarey II, who’s now at Grambling State.
Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.