The Border Conference, officially known as the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association, was an NCAA-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931 that disbanded following the 1961–62 school year. Centered in the southwestern United States, the conference included nine member institutions located in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
The NCAA was without a playoff for the major college football teams in the University Division, later known as Division I-A, during the 20th century. The NCAA recognizes Division I-A national champions based on the final results of polls including the "wire service", FWAA and NFF. The 1964 AP poll continued to rank only ten teams, compiling the votes of 55 sportswriters, each of whom would give their opinion of the ten best. Under a point system of 10 points for first place, 9 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined.
The black college football national championship is a national championship honor that, since 1920, has been regularly bestowed upon the best football teams among historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) within the United States.
The 1962 NCAA University Division football season was played by American football teams representing 140 colleges and universities recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as major programs. The remaining 370 colleges and universities that were NCAA members and fielded football teams competed in the 1962 NCAA College Division football season.
A national championship in the highest level of college football in the United States, currently the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), is a designation awarded annually by various organizations to their selection of the best college football team. Division I FBS football is the only National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sport for which the NCAA does not sanction a yearly championship event. As such, it is sometimes referred to as a "mythical national championship".
The Florida A&M Rattlers represent Florida A&M University (FAMU) in college athletics. Florida A&M is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and participates in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). FAMU offers men's sports in baseball, basketball, football, golf, and track and field. It offers women's sports in basketball, bowling, cheerleading, cross country, softball, tennis, track and field and volleyball.
The Florida A&M Rattlers football team represents Florida A&M University in the sport of American football. The Rattlers compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Starting with the fall 2021 season, the Rattlers will compete in the East Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), after a long tenure in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). They play their home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee. The Rattlers have won 16 black college football national championship, 29 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) titles, eight MEAC titles, one SWAC title and one I-AA national title in the history of their football program. During the 2004 season, the Rattlers briefly attempted to move up to Division I-A and become the only HBCU at college football's highest level, but the team was forced to abort its bid.
The 1962 small college football rankings are rankings of college football teams representing smaller college and university teams during the 1962 college football season, including the 1962 NCAA College Division football season and the 1962 NAIA football season. Separate rankings were published by the Associated Press (AP) and the United Press International (UPI). The AP rankings were selected by a board of eight sports writers, and the UPI rankings were selected by a board of small-college coaches from throughout the country.
The 1958 NCAA College Division football season was the third season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the NCAA College Division level.
The 1960 NCAA College Division football season was the fifth season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the NCAA College Division level.
The 1961 NCAA College Division football season was the sixth season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the NCAA College Division level.
The 1963 NCAA College Division football season was played by American football teams representing 299 colleges and universities recognized the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as minor programs. The remaining 120 colleges and universities that were NCAA members and fielded football teams competed in the 1963 NCAA University Division football season.
The 1965 NCAA College Division football season was the tenth season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the NCAA College Division level.
The 1978 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Florida A&M Rattlers and the UMass Minutemen. The game was played on December 16, 1978, at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The culminating game of the 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Florida A&M, 35–28.
The 1962 Florida A&M Rattlers football team was an American football team that represented Florida A&M University as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) in the 1962 NCAA College Division football season. In their 18th season under head coach Jake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled a 9–1 record, were ranked No. 1 in the final AP small college poll and No. 2 in the final UPI coaches poll, and suffered its sole loss to Jackson State in the Orange Blossom Classic. Florida A&M shared the SIAC title with Alabama A&M.
The 1961 Florida A&M Rattlers football team was an American football team that represented Florida A&M University as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1961 NCAA College Division football season. In their 17th season under head coach Jake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled a perfect 10–0 record, including a victory over Jackson State in the Orange Blossom Classic for the black college football national championship, and shut out six of ten opponents. The team was ranked No. 4 in the final AP small college poll and No. 6 in the final UPI coaches poll. The team played its home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.
The 1959 Florida A&M Rattlers football team was an American football team that represented Florida A&M University as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1959 NCAA College Division football season. In their 15th season under head coach Jake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled a perfect 10–0 record, including a victory over Prairie View A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic for the black college football national championship. The team was ranked No. 14 in the final UPI small college poll. The team played its home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.
The 1960 Florida A&M Rattlers football team was an American football team that represented Florida A&M University as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1960 NCAA College Division football season. In their 16th season under head coach Jake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled a 9–1 record, including a victory over Langston in the Orange Blossom Classic. The team was ranked No. 5 in the final 1960 UPI small college poll. The team played its home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.
The 1964 Florida A&M Rattlers football team was an American football team that represented Florida A&M University as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1964 NCAA College Division football season. In their 20th season under head coach Jake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled a 9–1 record, were ranked No. 9 in the final AP small college poll and No. 12 in the final UPI coaches poll, and suffered its sole loss to Southern. In the post-season, the Rattlers defeated Grambling in the Orange Blossom Classic.
The 1969 Florida A&M Rattlers football team was an American football team that represented Florida A&M University as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1969 NCAA College Division football season. In their 25th and final season under head coach Jake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled an 8–1 record, were ranked No. 16 in the final AP small college poll, and defeated Grambling in the Orange Blossom Classic.