Florida State’s trip to Alabama comes with plenty of attention already attached to it, and the betting line tells the story: the Seminoles are 20.5-point underdogs against the No. 10 Crimson Tide, with a +890 moneyline and a 49.5 over/under, according to FanDuel.
That matchup also gives FSU another ranked opponent on the schedule. Alabama is the second straight top 25 test for the Seminoles, with No. 25 Virginia now listed among their ranked foes as well.
The game arrives after Florida State’s first bye week of the season, and the Seminoles will be trying to end a road drought that has stretched for 1,024 days.
Around the program, senior wide receiver Duce Robinson picked up another honor when he was named to the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Watch List. The award recognizes players who have shown leadership, courage, integrity and sportsmanship on and off the field. It will be handed out at an award ceremony in Spring 2027, and the winning school receives a $10,000 contribution from the SCORE Foundation, Witten’s charity.
Robinson, from Phoenix, was a first-team All-ACC wide receiver and third-team All-American in 2025 after catching 56 passes for 1,081 yards and six touchdowns. He was also twice named ACC Receiver of the Week and was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award. In addition, Robinson is on the watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Wuerffel Trophy and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.
Florida State women’s golf is also back in action this week, heading to the Jackson T. Stephens Cup at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas.
The event returns to the DFW area for the first time since 2023, and the Seminoles are part of a six-team field that includes five opponents ranked in the top 15 of the Golfweek preseason rankings: Stanford at No. 1, Wake Forest at No.
6, Texas at No. 3, Oregon at No. 12 and South Carolina at No.
Stroke play begins Monday with 36 holes and continues Tuesday with 18 more. The top four teams move on to match play Wednesday.
FSU enters after opening the season with a title at the Folds of Honor Collegiate. The Seminoles erased a seven-stroke deficit in the final round, shooting a five-under 283 to finish at three-under and win the team championship. It was the largest final-round comeback by Florida State since 2006, when the Seminoles overcame a nine-shot deficit to win the Cougar Classic.
That win was Florida State’s first season-opening victory since 2016 and gave head coach Amy Bond career team win No. 30.
Haruhi Nakatani completed the sweep by sharing medalist honors after a four-under 68 in the final round, finishing at six-under 210. Sophia Fullbrook added a steady performance of her own, shooting one-under 215 to tie for ninth and collect her 10th career top 10 finish as a Seminole.
Florida State’s lineup in Frisco will feature Nakatani, Fullbrook, Louise Landgraf, Alexandra Gazzoli and Elin Pudas Remler. The Seminoles, ranked No. 8 in the Golf Channel preseason poll and No. 21 in the Golfweek preseason poll, also played in the Jackson T. Stephens Cup in 2024, when they tied for fourth but missed match play on the tiebreaker.
Six individuals from Navy, Howard, Prairie View A&M and Jackson State will also compete.
On the volleyball side, Florida State fell 3-0 to FIU on Sunday and moved to 4-4 on the season. Kyleene Filimaua led the Seminoles with 10 kills and eight digs, while Nenu Kpea finished with nine kills and four blocks and Delaney Ewing added eight kills and four blocks. Callie Kieffer had a match-high 17 assists, and Victoria David led FSU with nine digs.
FIU controlled the first set early, building a 14-7 lead and later going up 16-8 before Florida State made a push. FSU closed to 19-17 on kills from Filimaua, Kpea, Johanna Sova and Sofia Moss, plus a combined block from Sova and Kpea, but FIU answered with three straight points and went on to take the set 25-22.
The Seminoles had a strong start in the second, using kills from Ewing and Moss and a block from Bailey Higgins and Ewing to move ahead 9-6. FIU tied it at 14-14, and the teams were even again at 17-17 before the Panthers scored six in a row. Florida State fought back to 23-22 on a Filimaua kill after Kieffer served through a Sova kill and two blocks, but FIU closed it out 25-23.
FSU opened the third set with a 5-2 lead behind an Ewing kill and a block from Ewing and Higgins, but FIU quickly turned it around. The Panthers ran off four straight points, carried a 15-10 lead into the media break and finished the sweep with a 25-16 win.
In Other News...
Mike Norvell's Future Suddenly Hangs On Florida State's Next Stretch
Florida States season has already turned into a referendum on Mike Norvell, with the Seminoles now entering a stretch that could shape his future in Tallahassee. The path forward is not especially complicated: if the team steadies itself, shows real progress and gets to bowl eligibility, Norvell could keep his job and give the administration a reason to let the evaluation continue.
Mike Norvells margin for error, though, is clearly thin enough that a prolonged slide could force an even quicker decision. A major losing streak could put a midseason dismissal on the table, while a finish that never really improves would leave the more likely outcome of a change after the season. Finances will matter, as they always do in a coaching search, but so will the risk of moving too late and making the next hire even harder to pull off. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Faces An Early Test That Could Change The Narrative
Florida States next trip carries a little more weight than a standard September road game. The Seminoles are headed to face Alabama on Sept. 19 in a matchup that will be on ABC, and the Crimson Tide enter at No. 12 with a 2-0 record after beating Kentucky 45-17. With Alabama favored, it is the sort of early-season test that can either steady a program or keep the questions swirling.
For Florida State, the challenge is not just the opponent but the setting. The Seminoles have had trouble away from home, and this game arrives with the kind of national attention that can sharpen the scrutiny even more. If they can make it competitive, it would say something about where this team is headed, even before the calendar turns deeper into the season. [Read more 🡒]