Florida State University Athletics
Seminoles to Open 2026-27 Season in Tampa
6/1/2026 9:59:00 AM | Men's Basketball
TALLAHASSEE – The Florida State men's basketball team will open its 2026-27 season against Florida A&M in the Orion180 Tip-Off Classic held at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa on November 2nd, it was announced Monday. The event also features a matchup between Florida and Miami.
"We're excited to open our season in Tampa in an event that showcases four outstanding basketball programs from the state of Florida," head coach Luke Loucks said. "To have Florida State, Florida, Miami and Florida A&M all together in one doubleheader is a great opportunity for our fans and a great celebration of basketball in our state. It's also especially meaningful for me personally to bring our program back to the Tampa Bay area, so close to my hometown of Clearwater, and play in front of so many Seminole fans from that region."
Florida State leads the all-time series with FAMU 5-0. The two teams met last season in an exhibition game and before that last played in 1991. The Rattlers are coached by Charlie Ward, who won the 1993 Heisman Trophy while also playing point guard for the Seminoles. Ward, who holds the program record for steals in a career, was a first-round pick in the 1994 NBA Draft and played in 630 games during his 11-year NBA career. Florida State also played in Benchmark International Arena last season, making its first appearance in Tampa since 2017. FSU is 3-2 all-time in games played at Benchmark International Arena.
"This game will also mark the first regular-season meeting between Florida State and Florida A&M since 1991, which makes the night even more special. Charlie Ward is a great friend and someone who means a lot to Florida State. We have tremendous respect for the program he's building at FAMU. We're also excited for this to be the first opportunity for our fans to see our nationally ranked recruiting class and transfer class compete together in a real game setting. We can't wait to get this group on the floor."
Florida State welcomes 13 newcomers for the 2026-27 season, including eight four-star prospects. Loucks' first high school class is ranked as the nation's No. 11 prep signing class according to 247Sports, and the full class is the consensus No. 2 group in the ACC while ranking No. 16 nationally by 247Sports. The group of five transfers is first in the ACC and No. 4 in the country in On3's Team Transfer Portal Index.
Last season, the Seminoles posted an 18-15 record with a 10-8 mark in the ACC to set the program record for conference wins by a first-year head coach. The Seminoles displayed solid improvement over the course of the season, winning seven of their final eight games, and 10 of 12, before falling 80-79 to No. 1-ranked Duke in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal. FSU's winning torrent over the final month of the season included a school-record five consecutive ACC road victories.
Louck's first team showcased an exciting brand of basketball as FSU led the ACC in turnovers forced per game and ranked second in the conference in turnover margin, steals, three-pointers made, and three-pointers attempted. The Seminoles had the conference's third-highest bench points average and were fourth in free throw attempts per game.
Season tickets are now on sale, providing fans a guaranteed seat location for every home game in the 2026-27 season starting at $150. Current season ticket holders have until August 20 to renew their existing seat locations. Following the renewal deadline, remaining seat locations and upgrade opportunities will be offered based on priority. For more information or to purchase season tickets, visit Seminoles.com/tickets or contact FSU's Ticket Office at 850-644-1830.
"We're excited to open our season in Tampa in an event that showcases four outstanding basketball programs from the state of Florida," head coach Luke Loucks said. "To have Florida State, Florida, Miami and Florida A&M all together in one doubleheader is a great opportunity for our fans and a great celebration of basketball in our state. It's also especially meaningful for me personally to bring our program back to the Tampa Bay area, so close to my hometown of Clearwater, and play in front of so many Seminole fans from that region."
Florida State leads the all-time series with FAMU 5-0. The two teams met last season in an exhibition game and before that last played in 1991. The Rattlers are coached by Charlie Ward, who won the 1993 Heisman Trophy while also playing point guard for the Seminoles. Ward, who holds the program record for steals in a career, was a first-round pick in the 1994 NBA Draft and played in 630 games during his 11-year NBA career. Florida State also played in Benchmark International Arena last season, making its first appearance in Tampa since 2017. FSU is 3-2 all-time in games played at Benchmark International Arena.
"This game will also mark the first regular-season meeting between Florida State and Florida A&M since 1991, which makes the night even more special. Charlie Ward is a great friend and someone who means a lot to Florida State. We have tremendous respect for the program he's building at FAMU. We're also excited for this to be the first opportunity for our fans to see our nationally ranked recruiting class and transfer class compete together in a real game setting. We can't wait to get this group on the floor."
Florida State welcomes 13 newcomers for the 2026-27 season, including eight four-star prospects. Loucks' first high school class is ranked as the nation's No. 11 prep signing class according to 247Sports, and the full class is the consensus No. 2 group in the ACC while ranking No. 16 nationally by 247Sports. The group of five transfers is first in the ACC and No. 4 in the country in On3's Team Transfer Portal Index.
Last season, the Seminoles posted an 18-15 record with a 10-8 mark in the ACC to set the program record for conference wins by a first-year head coach. The Seminoles displayed solid improvement over the course of the season, winning seven of their final eight games, and 10 of 12, before falling 80-79 to No. 1-ranked Duke in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal. FSU's winning torrent over the final month of the season included a school-record five consecutive ACC road victories.
Louck's first team showcased an exciting brand of basketball as FSU led the ACC in turnovers forced per game and ranked second in the conference in turnover margin, steals, three-pointers made, and three-pointers attempted. The Seminoles had the conference's third-highest bench points average and were fourth in free throw attempts per game.
Season tickets are now on sale, providing fans a guaranteed seat location for every home game in the 2026-27 season starting at $150. Current season ticket holders have until August 20 to renew their existing seat locations. Following the renewal deadline, remaining seat locations and upgrade opportunities will be offered based on priority. For more information or to purchase season tickets, visit Seminoles.com/tickets or contact FSU's Ticket Office at 850-644-1830.
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