Florida State’s fall camp is still in its early stages, but the conversation around the program is already split between what the Seminoles just did and what they might do next.
On one side, ESPN’s Bill Connelly included FSU in his annual breakthrough-or-bounce-back discussion as a team positioned to keep climbing after a big step forward in 2025. On the other, The Athletic’s latest valuation update pushed the Seminoles down to No. 20, a reminder that the on-field surge still has to catch up to the bigger picture.
Connelly’s numbers tell the story of a program that has moved off the mat, even if nobody in Tallahassee is going to call 5-7 a celebration. Florida State went from 2-10 in 2024, when it ranked 83rd in SP+ at minus-3.2 adjusted points per game, to 5-7 in 2025 and 41st in SP+ at plus-7.2. For 2026, the projection sits at 6.6 average wins and 35th in SP+ at plus-8.7.
From his ACC preview, Connelly wrote: “Technically, anytime you improve by three wins and 42 spots in SP+, you have pulled off an excellent rebound season. And technically, going 5-7 just two years after you went 13-1 is never going to be anything but massively disappointing. It’s impossible to set expectations for Mike Norvell and FSU.”
He also pointed to a few reasons the Seminoles could take another step. The Ashton Daniels-to-Duce Robinson connection should be one of the more intriguing pieces of the offense, and the defensive front six is expected to be solid. The concern, as Connelly noted, is the offensive line, which Norvell has had to rebuild again.
Florida State fans won’t need to wait long for answers. The Seminoles open with SMU in Week 1, then head to Alabama in Week 3. By the end of September, they could be generating buzz for very different reasons.
The Athletic’s valuation piece offered a separate snapshot of where FSU stands financially. The outlet moved Florida State down two spots to No. 20, citing uncertainty around realignment and the school’s continued struggles on the field.
“As Congress debates legislation that could freeze or limit realignment, we place an even greater premium on being in the Big Ten or SEC. That was good for Iowa and Wisconsin.
The flip side is that there’s more uncertainty over whether the Seminoles will have a viable way to get into the Power 2. That (and their continued on-field struggles) led us to downgrade FSU.
The valuation of Sportico’s top WNBA team, the Golden State Valkyries, is in the middle of this bunch at $850 million.”
The valuation list placed Texas first at $2.46 billion, followed by Ohio State at $2.3 billion, Notre Dame at $2.1 billion, Michigan at $2 billion, Georgia at $1.95 billion, Alabama at $1.8 billion, Oklahoma and USC tied at $1.6 billion, Tennessee at $1.57 billion, Penn State at $1.4 billion, LSU at $1.32 billion, Florida at $1.16 billion, Oregon at $1.13 billion, Auburn at $1.11 billion, Nebraska and Washington tied at $1.06 billion, Texas A&M at $1.05 billion, Miami at $950 million, Wisconsin at $922 million, Florida State at $819 million, Iowa at $806 million, Indiana at $696 million, Arkansas at $690 million, Michigan State at $686 million, Clemson at $674 million, Utah at $638 million, Ole Miss at $636 million, Minnesota at $629 million, South Carolina at $597 million and Illinois at $568 million.
There was also a bright spot elsewhere in the athletic department. Florida State volleyball outside hitter Kyleene Filimaua was named to the Preseason All-ACC Team on Thursday.
Filimaua put together one of the strongest individual seasons in school history in 2025. The Second Team All-ACC selection finished with 443 kills and 4.35 points per set, both top-10 marks in school history.
She also had 13 double-doubles, ranked second on the team with 270 digs and led the Seminoles with 42 aces. Filimaua played in every set for Florida State and reached double-digit kills in 20 of 29 matches.
A three-year starter, Filimaua has piled up more than 600 kills, 800 digs, 200 assists and 100 aces in 92 career matches for the Garnet and Gold.
Florida State will open its season with the Garnet and Gold Scrimmage on August 21 at 6 p.m. at Tully Gym.
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Bradyn Welch-Joiner, a transfer center and Desirs teammate, went even further in praising the young lineman, seeing him as a potential first-round NFL draft pick if the upward trend continues. There is still work to do in the areas scouts care about most, including balance, strength and run defense, but Florida State got an important piece of news when Desir and his twin brother Darryll both entered the transfer portal and then returned for the upcoming season. [Read more 🡒]