- Florida State’s football program has struggled since filing a lawsuit against the ACC two years ago.
- The university announced it will retain coach Mike Norvell, partly due to the high cost of a buyout.
Just when you think you don’t believe in karma, along comes Florida State.
The Seminoles filed a scathing lawsuit against the ACC two years ago as they sought to nullify the financial penalty they had agreed to in a grant of rights deal, if only they could lure another conference to accept them.
The maneuvering reeked of FSU thinking it’s better than the ACC.
“This is all about having the option to go somewhere,” Florida State board of trustees chair Peter Collins told USA TODAY Sports in 2023.
The only place FSU went was down in the ACC standings.
Since filing the lawsuit, the Seminoles are 7-17.
In Florida State’s latest loss, the NC State punter recovered a FSU fumble back at the original line of scrimmage, after his punt caromed off a Seminoles player’s noggin. Re-read that sentence, watch the highlight of the truly bizarre Florida State gaffe, and tell me you don’t believe in karma.
Two days after that loss, Florida State announced it’s retaining sunken coach Mike Norvell — not because it believes in the momentum he’s building, but because Norvell and his staff would be expensive to fire.
The playoff committee cruelly rejected an undefeated Seminoles team in 2023 in favor of Alabama, the SEC’s one-loss champions. True, FSU was down to its third-string quarterback, because of injuries, but it had earned a playoff spot through its performance.
I said that then, and I’ll say it now: That was an unjust fate.
But, these past two seasons? Those are just desserts.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
