Charlie Ward and Luke Loucks wanted to celebrate Tallahassee basketball.
The figureheads of both FSU and FAMU men’s basketball brought the two programs together for a showcase of the new era of basketball for both teams at the Donald L. Tucker Center on Sunday, Oct. 26. It was also the first time both coaches took the sidelines in the arena where they both played in college.
Advertisement
It was the first meeting between the two programs since the infamous brawl in 1991, but on Sunday night, the game was a celebration, with FAMU head coach and FSU legend Ward at the center of it.
Ward had his number,12, retired in a pregame ceremony that drew shared cheers from the 5,527 both Rattlers and Seminoles inside the Tucker Center. Flanked by family members, former FSU head coach Pat Kennedy, Loucks, and members of the administration from both universities, Ward was humbled by the moment and what it signified.
“I was appreciative for the moment because this is a long time coming. The great part about it was the city being able to come together. FAMU and FSU, you’re seeing Orange and Green in the stands as well as the Garnet and Gold,” Ward said. “This is definitely a dream come true for me, because I was in the last game we played. Just to be able to have the jersey retired was another great moment.”
The Seminoles beat the Rattlers 88-54 behind five FSU players scoring in double-figures, but the win wasn’t taken easily. FAMU went on scoring stretches that drew roars from the Rattlers’ fans at the Tucker Center. It wasn’t the finest display, at times, with 47 combined turnovers and the two schools shooting a combined 14-of-64 from three, but there is tape for the teams to learn from ahead of the regular season.
Advertisement
“That’s the beauty of preseason, we can go watch film and clean it up,” Loucks said.
“I think people saw what we are capable of, and I think our guys saw once they started looking at the stat sheet, what they were capable of,” Ward added. “There were things we had to overcome tonight. I was trying to work the refs.”
Ward’s working of the refs earned him a technical foul, the first of his collegiate coaching career, matching the one he received while coaching high school.
“I was like, ‘Come on, man, can you not give me a tech on the night I get my jersey retired?” Ward joked.
While the result won’t impact either program’s record, the game showed what both Loucks and Ward want to do with their programs. A pair of coaches with NBA backgrounds, from both the player and coach perspectives, the pro-style of play was on display.
FSU basketball player Robert McCray gets a steal in an exhibition game against FSU on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025 at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
There was a party-like atmosphere at the Tucker Center, and long may it continue between the two programs on the court. Both Loucks and Ward want the game played annually, with Loucks going as far as to say he wants it on the regular season schedule.
Advertisement
While the city had to wait 34 years for the return of the game on the men’s side, here’s hoping the wait brings consistent cross-town basketball between the schools at both the Tucker Center and Lawson Center in the years to come.
Both coaches are pushing for it, and the schools are talking, so it doesn’t seem like the wait will be nearly as long for the next Rattler vs. Seminole showdown.
For now, let’s enjoy the game for what it was.
A celebration of Ward and two programs heading in exciting new directions in Tallahassee.
“This isn’t us against FAMU, this isn’t me against Charlie,” said Loucks. “This is celebrating Tallahassee and how special this town is for basketball.”
Advertisement
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU basketball, FAMU first game in decades was a celebration