Safe to say FSU AD Michael Alford has buyers remorse.
Take yourself back to January 2024.
The Florida State Seminoles are fresh off a 13-1 season, winning the ACC Championship and just narrowly missing the College Football Playoff.
Sure, they got their brains beaten in by Georgia in the Orange Bowl, but who cares!? Coach Mike Norvell has this thing trending in the right direction.
Their in-state rivals Miami and Florida are floundering in mediocrity, so it looks like the Seminoles will be the sultans of the Sunshine State for seasons to come.
Then (allegedly), Alabama came calling after legendary coach Nick Saban abruptly called it quits.
Florida State was faced with a decision, and for them, it was an easy one.
Of course, FSU wanted to extend Norvell and make him their coach for years to come; it was a no-brainer.
Flash forward less than 24 months after the massive extension locked Norvell in Tallahassee for eight more years, and it looks like AD Michael Alford is experiencing the ultimate case of buyers remorse.
The Seminoles are 5-14 since the start of the 2024 season and aren’t showing any signs of moving on from their current head coach.
And they have this massive contract from two years ago to thank for their stint in college football purgatory.
I can’t say I blame the boosters and athletic department for their reticence towards moving on from Norvell.
That buyout number ($58 million according to OutKick’s Trey Wallace) coupled with the amount of greenbacks it would take to coax a new head coach to the Panhandle makes for a staggering sum, but Florida State has no one to blame but themselves.
The signs were there: a lack of high school recruiting success (which, despite popular opinion, still matters in 2025), high rates of roster turnover and close calls against inferior opponents.
Alford and co. made a panic purchase, and it may have cost a proud program like Florida State another half a decade of relevance.
I don’t see a world where Norvell turns this thing around at Florida State.
I didn’t see it in December 2024, after a 2-10 season and I damn sure don’t see it today.
The transfer portal and another retread at offensive coordinator won’t save his career, and it won’t dig FSU out of the rut it is in currently.
The powers that be have made the bed in Northwest Florida, now the fans have to sleep in it.
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