Florida State, already disgruntled with the Atlantic Coast Conference due to issues of revenue sharing, is considering its future affiliation options in the wake of its College Football Playoff snub, ESPN reported on Tuesday.
The Seminoles improved to 12-0 when they beat Louisville in the ACC championship game, yet they became the first unbeaten Power 5 school to be left out of the CFP semifinals. The committee chose a pair of one-loss league champions, the Texas (Big 12) and Alabama (Southeastern Conference), over Florida State.
The CFP disappointment renewed internal discussions at Florida State over future conference possibilities, per ESPN. The report indicated that formal talks with the board of trustees could be forthcoming.
In August, Florida State University president Richard McCullough told the school’s trustees that the infusion of new school into the Big Ten and the SEC left FSU in “an existential crisis.”
He added, “(ACC schools) will be $30 million per school, per year behind in our gap in conference distribution with contracts that are said to go through 2036. This current situation presents a very difficult situation for us. …
“Without increasing revenue, we will face major challenges in being able to compete in football, as the landscape is changing dramatically, with our ability to compete in NIL, coaching salaries and attractive facilities to continue to build our brand and be competitive.”
Several months later, Florida State athletic director Michael Alford told The Athletic that becoming a football independent wasn’t feasible.
“Is that a true option? No, it’s not a true option,” he said.
Stanford, Cal and SMU are set to join the ACC next year, an expansion that Florida State opposed. Florida State is seeking unequal revenue sharing, pointing to its brand value and TV draw.
–Field Level Media
