Florida State men’s basketball is looking forward to the 2026-27 season after a successful first season under Luke Loucks. The Seminoles are looking to take the next step forward, and perhaps they’ll get off on the right foot with their first matchup of the new season.
The Seminoles announced on Monday that their season opener against the Florida A&M Rattlers will take place in Tampa on Nov. 2 as part of the Orion180 Insurance Tipoff at Benchmark International Arena. FSU is 3-2 all-time in games played at Benchmark International Arena.
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“We’re excited to open our season in Tampa in an event that showcases four outstanding basketball programs from the state of Florida,” head coach Luke Loucks said. “To have Florida State, Florida, Miami and Florida A&M all together in one doubleheader is a great opportunity for our fans and a great celebration of basketball in our state. It’s also especially meaningful for me personally to bring our program back to the Tampa Bay area, so close to my hometown of Clearwater, and play in front of so many Seminole fans from that region.”
FSU is 5-0 against FAMU all-time. The last time the two played, whether in the preseason or regular season, was in 2025, when FSU defeated FAMU, 88-54.
In addition, the FSU-FAMU matchup is part of a doubleheader, with the Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes also meeting in a season-opening matchup in Tampa.
Florida A&M is led by former FSU two-sport phenom Charlie Ward, and the Seminoles will look to get off on the right foot against the Rattlers this upcoming season and set the tone early on.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU Basketball: Seminoles to play FAMU in Tampa to start season