Florida State fans have decided they’re done waiting for somebody else to make the first move.
With frustration mounting around Mike Norvell and no meaningful response from university administrators, Seminoles supporters are organizing their own public statement for Saturday’s game against Clemson. According to TJ Pittinger of the Double Fries No Slaw Podcast, fans have started a GoFundMe to pay for an aircraft that will circle campus and the stadium area towing a banner that reads “FIRE MIKE NORVELL.”
The planned flight is supposed to pass over the stadium, the tailgate areas, and the entire campus.
Florida State enters the matchup at 3-4, while Clemson is 4-3. The ACC Network will carry the game. The Seminoles also have not beaten Clemson in Tallahassee since 2014.
The anger stems from what fans see as a poor return on investment from Norvell’s tenure and a football program that keeps failing to produce wins. They’ve also been irritated by the silence from above, and now they’re trying to push the issue themselves.
That broader frustration comes as Florida State has already been dealing with plenty of off-field and on-field turbulence since the 2023 ACC championship season. The program has gone 10-22, including the loss in the 2023 Orange Bowl, and is 0-12 in true road games. Florida State has won only four ACC games, the university is carrying more than $400 million in debt, and the school has struggled to land top NIL talent, especially at quarterback.
Still, those headaches aren’t Florida State’s alone. The same pressures have hit programs everywhere to some extent.
What keeps separating schools, though, is how quickly they find the money when a coaching change becomes unavoidable. The buyouts get massive, but athletic departments usually find a way to pay them.
Norvell’s buyout sits around $51 million.
And that number hits even harder when paired with the $80 million extension Florida State handed him at the end of the 2023 season.
Norvell had even been mentioned as a possible candidate to replace Nick Saban at Alabama after Saban abruptly retired at the end of the 2023 campaign. That idea looks very different now.
Pittinger pushed back on the idea that the fan effort is embarrassing for Florida State.
“I don't understand how people say this is a bad look for FSU, because I think it's a good look for FSU,” said Pittinger.” At least the fan base. I think it'd be spun as a good look in terms of this fan base still cares deeply about what's going on here.
“The response of doing something like this is an incredible look for FSU. FSU fans are so passionate that you've got a random message board poster organizing an aircraft to fly around the stadium and the tailgate lots and the campus and the city of Tallahassee because they're so fed up with what this football program has become. I think it's an incredible look for Florida State's fan base.”
For a fan base that remembers Bobby Bowden putting Florida State on the college football map, the anger is plain. And right now, it’s not staying quiet.
In Other News...
Florida State Clemson Week Just Got Bigger Than The Game
Florida States Halloween home date with Clemson is shaping up to be more than just a rivalry game. The school is planning themed events around the matchup, including a drone show and a Trunk or Treat, giving the night a little extra pageantry before the Seminoles even take the field. On top of the holiday atmosphere, the program will also honor Peter Warrick with an NFF College Football Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute during the game, adding a nod to one of the programs most recognizable former stars.
The bigger off-field storyline, though, may be what comes next for the athletic department. Florida State president Richard McCullough said the search for a new athletic director will begin soon, an important step as the school looks to steady its leadership picture while the football program keeps moving through a pivotal stretch. With Clemson coming to town on a night packed with events and recognition, it is the kind of weekend that blends celebration, tradition and a little uncertainty in Tallahassee. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Line Faces A Brutal Test With Ashton Daniels At Risk
Florida States offensive line has become the obvious pressure point as the Seminoles head into a matchup that will ask a lot more of Ashton Daniels than simply extending plays with his legs. Coach Hand has been clear that the group has to do a better job in pass protection if Daniels is going to work from a cleaner pocket, and the stakes are easy to see. Daniels has been one of Florida States most dangerous threats with 354 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, but the protection issues have also helped contribute to eight interceptions under pressure.
Clemson is hardly the kind of defense that lets an offensive line ease into anything. The Tigers have piled up 20 sacks this season and have recently been smothering opponents on the ground, holding them to low rushing totals and keeping them out of the end zone. For Florida State, the challenge is bigger than just surviving a pass rush, because Daniels best traits and the Seminoles overall rhythm may depend on whether the pocket holds long enough for the offense to function the way it wants to. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Faces A Dangerous ACC Test With Little Room For Error
Florida State comes out of its Week 8 bye still carrying the sting of that overtime loss to Miami in Week 7, and now the Seminoles are turning their attention to a home date with Clemson in Week 9. It is the kind of ACC matchup that tends to sharpen the focus quickly, especially with the conversation around Florida State centering on quarterback Ashton Daniels and how the offense stacks up as the schedule tightens.
The broader picture is pretty straightforward: Florida State has a chance to steady itself against a conference opponent that always draws extra attention, while the discussion around the game has also spilled into odds and promotions ahead of kickoff. For the Seminoles, though, the real intrigue is less about the betting angle than whether Daniels and the rest of the roster can turn a tough stretch into a response game when Clemson comes to Tallahassee. [Read more 🡒]