Florida A&M will leave the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and join the Southwestern Athletic Conference on July 1, 2021, it was announced.
The Tallahassee school's board of trustees voted unanimously to make the move, which was verified by the SWAC.
"While we have had a long-standing relationship competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Florida A&M's impending move to the Southwestern Athletic Conference is one that is in the best interest of the University," school president Dr. Larry Robinson said. "The positive impacts on student-athletes, cost savings, re-establishment of long-term rivalries and opportunities to generate revenue are among the key factors in this decision."
The MEAC and SWAC are the two Division I conferences that consist of historically black colleges and universities.
The MEAC is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, with Florida A&M having been a member in all but two academic years since 1979. The Rattlers would become the 11th member of the SWAC.
Coupled with North Carolina A&T's move to the Big South in 2021, the MEAC will be left with nine full members, only seven of which play football.