Florida A&M will open its football season on Saturday against North Carolina, but it will do so without 20 players.

The school announced that these 20 players are out due to eligibility issues. Head coach Willie Simmons told ABC27 in Tallahassee that the eligibility issues were due to transfer rules and academics, and that the team is able to dress just seven offensive linemen.

The list was not made public but did not include quarterback Jeremy Moussa, according to Simmons.  

In a separate statement, Simmons said that the players initially did not want to play but ultimately changed their minds.

“The players didn’t feel comfortable playing under those conditions and they are all understandably frustrated with many of our internal processes in the certification process, so they decided not to play,” he said. “After a few more discussions with university leadership, including the president of the university, the players ultimately decided to play the game. I support these young men 100 percent in whatever they decide and I’m extremely proud of them for advocating for themselves!”

Earlier Friday, Action Network’s Brett McMurphy shared a report from independent FAMU blog Rattler Nation that had said players had “planned to boycott [the game against UNC] until they receive explanation from FAMU officials.” The report added that “major starters” would be missing.

According to ESPN, FAMU, an HBCU in the FCS division, is getting paid $450,000 to play in the game versus North Carolina, a power-five ACC program.

The game is slated to take place Saturday night at 8:15 pm EST on ACC Network.