The Black College Sports Network recognizes Florida A&M and head coach Willie Simmons as the 2023 Division-I HBCU Football National Champions. This is the second Black College Sports Network National Championship for FAMU. Overall, it is the 16th HBCU National Championship, which ties the school with Tennessee State for the most in history.

In 2019, Florida A&M took themselves out of contention to compete for the 2019 Celebration Bowl as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference after they finished the season with a league best 7-1 record and FCS best win percentage via their 9-2 overall record. The result of a self-imposed postseason ban by the university in anticipation of unknown NCAA violations allowed the North Carolina A&T Aggies a chance to travel to Atlanta and eventually win their 3rd consecutive bowl and national championship, in some polls and rankings.

The Black College Sports Network’s National Division-I rankings were not one of those rankings. 

The Rattlers had defeated the Aggies, two-time defending MEAC and Celebration Bowl champions, in the regular season and their sole FCS loss came to the hands of rival Bethune-Cookman in the final regular season game of the year. They also finished with the most wins in the regular season, 9. North Carolina A&T and their Celebration Bowl opponent, Alcorn State would both reach the 9 win mark thanks to postseason wins from the bowl game and SWAC conference championship, respectively. Thus, the Rattlers ranked higher than the Aggies when the dust settled and a national champion was crowned.

Coach Simmons, and FAMU, accepted their 15th National Championship in school history at the time, but winning it on the field via a win the final game of their season was not lost on the coach with the most wins in school history during the first five seasons (45-13) at the school that sits on the highest of seven hills in the state of Florida’s capital city.

After finishing the last two seasons 7-1 in the SWAC, their first two seasons in the SWAC after leaving the MEAC, Florida A&M made it a goal to not only win their division, the conference, and do what only one other member of the SWAC had done prior, win the Celebration Bowl. From preseason media day throughout the season, the Rattlers were not shy about letting you know their goal if you asked them.

With one of the nation’s best defenses, nationally ranked first in the FCS at the end of the regular season, and top 5 in many others, FAMU defeated 10 of their 12 opponents by 10+ points this season. They finished with the most all-conference selections in SWAC, 13, the Coach of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year (quarterback Jeremy Moussa), and Defensive Play of the Year (linebacker Isaiah Major), and several All-Americans from various outlets.

Florida A&M’s Celebration Bowl victory secured their national championship status among all media outlets that cover HBCU Football and happened to be on the same day (December 16) where 45 years ago FAMU won the first NCAA Division-IAA (FCS) National Championship with a 12-1 record. It was a historic day and historic season for Coach Simmons and his team.

The Rattlers were the best FCS/Division-I HBCU football team in 2023. The numbers and performances don’t lie.

1. Florida A&M (12-1, 855)

2. North Carolina Central (9-3, 655)

3. Howard (6-6, 650)

4. Alabama State (7-4, 582)

5. Tennessee State (6-5, 567)

6. Hampton (5-6, 567)

7. Jackson State (7-4, 527)

8. Prairie View A&M (6-6, 500)

9. Southern (6-5, 468)

10. Alabama A&M (5-6, 466)

2023 - Florida A&M*

2022 - North Carolina Central*

2021 - Jackson State

2020 - No rankings due to pandemic

2019 - Florida A&M

2018 - North Carolina A&T*

*Celebration Bowl winner

"The Black College Sports Network is the first online media outlet dedicated to LIVE coverage & broadcasting of HBCU sporting events on a weekly basis. The BCSN partners with individual colleges and universities as well as HBCU events to share the HBCU culture with the world! August of 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the launching of the BCSN SportsWrap podcast! The first streaming program dedicated to Black College Sports! The BCSN is the flagship product of the JERICHO Broadcast Networks (JBN). For more information, please visit https://www.mybcsn.net/ .