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Miami Gardens, FL — After a 62-year hiatus, the only Historically Black College south of Daytona, Florida launched Spring practice this week. Florida Memorial University (FMU) released its 10-game 2020 schedule after the first practice concluded. The buzz around the Betty T. Ferguson Center is apparent and much of the excitement roots from the head coach, Tim “Ice” Harris.
After day 1 of Spring practice, Coach Harris talks about how a tough schedule will help to build the @FMULionsFB program and @GoFmuLions as a whole. @FootballHotbed pic.twitter.com/lt73LmhxlR
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) March 9, 2020
“We were able to put it together today,” said Coach Harris. “I couldn’t sleep last night at all. I was so excited about this morning. The team was up early ready to go…I have pictures on my wall from all the older times when they were in St. Augustine and I looked at those guys this morning and said man we finally doing it for you guys.”
FMU, then known as Florida Normal and Industrial Institute, last played football in 1958 and moved to its current location in Miami Gardens in 1968. Coach Harris is a coaching legend in South Florida and most recently coached at Miami Booker T. Washington High School in Overtown. Harris’s practices are known to be intense and very organized and the players brought the energy on the practice field for week one.
“Everybody brought energy,” said freshman wide receiver Ponce Holloway. “Everybody wanted to compete. You have to remember, it is South Florida, it’s Miami. Everybody is going to be the best of the best, so you’re going to have to do your job.”
Coach Harris emphasizes that the goal is to bring the intensity that he saw on the field today also in the classroom. The @FMULionsFB team wrapped up day 1 of Spring practice in Miami Gardens. @FootballHotbed pic.twitter.com/1JEtubvGWB
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) March 9, 2020
The Lions will hold 15 official practices during the Spring to prepare for the 2020 fall re-birth of football at Florida Memorial. The schedule is a difficult one as the school will play five top 25 teams in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and there have been talks of adding a game against fellow Florida HBCUs Florida A&M or Bethune-Cookman University in the future. Athletic Director Ernest Jones mentioned a “special game versus a division I-AA HBCU at their place.”
“We’re going to play one of the toughest schedules in NAIA, right out the gate…and we love it,” Jones said. “We’re going to play five teams ranked in the top 25 in year one. There are two ways you can look at it – but we’re looking at it as we’re going to go out there and upset five top 25 ranked teams in year one. Be excited to be a Lion, be excited to be a part of the rebirth, be excited to be a part of the new day.”
Harris, who has never shied away from tough opponents on the high school level, will continue to schedule top tier opponents to build the program.
This is the correct schedule @_BenjaminReport pic.twitter.com/bbbRzJKoOc
— FMU Lions Football (@FMULionsFB) March 9, 2020
Notable home games include the home opener against Reinhardt (Waleska, GA) who has won 34 of their last 37 games on August 29th, Edward Waters (Jacksonville, FL) in the inaugural “Big Cat Classic” on September 12th, St. Thomas University (Miami Gardens, FL) on October 10th for homecoming and Keiser University (West Palm Beach, FL) October 24th.
“I think the expectation is to go undefeated,” said freshman defensive back Jordan Howard. “We are in a division that I feel like we are better than a lot of the teams. If we do [go undefeated], we do because we [are] the only HBCU in South Florida, so we are going to show them we are ready.”
Legendary South Florida Head Coach Tim Ice Harris at first Spring #collegefootball practice for @FMULionsFB. @GoFmuLions @FootballHotbed pic.twitter.com/1DGw1Hijbr
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) March 9, 2020
Home games are currently scheduled to be played at the reconstructed Betty T. Ferguson center with talks of possibly moving games to the newly renovated Traz Powell Stadium. A Florida Memorial Fan Fest is schedueld for April 4th and and Spring Football Game is schedueld for April 18th.
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