Florida A&M sees promising update with APR issue

After Florida A&M was hit with NCAA sanctions over APR issues, University President Marva Johnson declared that the institution is working to get the football program back on track.

Last week, Florida A&M Rattlers football was assessed a Level II Academic Progress Rate (APR) penalty by the NCAA, the university announced. The sanction includes a postseason ban along with limits on practice time for the program. Under NCAA rules, Division I teams must maintain a four-year APR average of at least 930 to avoid penalties. Florida A&M’s most recent APR score fell below that benchmark, triggering the sanctions.

In a statement, the university noted that the program previously received a waiver for the 2025 season and was aware of its standing relative to the APR threshold. However, officials said the team was unable to correct the academic performance issues tied to the sub-930 score in time to avoid the penalties.

Per a report by the Tallahassee Democrat, Johnson addressed the Board of Trustees in a meeting on Wednesday and discussed the APR penalties and the university’s course of action. Johnson announced an assessment of the football program, including early intervention and academic monitoring of the academic success and progress of student-athletes.

“We’ve got additional corrective measures to follow. One of the things I want to make sure we don’t make promises we don’t deliver and make sure the things we’re promising make sense,” she said.

Johnson also showed support for new head coach Quinn Gray Sr. The Florida A&M president indicated that Gray was fully on board with demanding academic success from his players.

“Coach Gray has also been very public about his expectations for the team, and in private, he’s been very forceful and clear about his expectations for the team.

In last week’s statement from the insitution, Gray addressed the postseason ban and charted the way forward.

“Academics and football are not competing priorities in our program — they are the same priority. Every player on this roster knows the expectation: you handle your business in the classroom first,” said Gray. “We have put the systems in place. Now it is about execution and accountability, every single day. Our job is to build this program the right way — on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. While this ban seems daunting, it does not take away our ability to continue to impact our student-athletes’ lives on and off the field, and still work toward the ultimate goal of earning degrees.”

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