Florida State is moving from fall camp into game week, but there’s still plenty happening around the Seminoles beyond the football field. Women’s soccer keeps rolling, volleyball is set for its first public tune-up, and the latest NCAA legal mess is already affecting eligibility across the sport.
No. 3 Florida State women’s soccer kept its perfect start intact Thursday night with a 3-0 home win over FAU, pushing the Seminoles to 3-0 overall after earlier victories over Stetson and FIU. The result also stretched FSU’s non-conference winning streak to 36 straight games.
The Seminoles have outscored opponents 9-0 so far this season, and Thursday brought their first first-half goal of the year when Tanner Strickland headed in a finish at the 10:05 mark off a cross from Anaiyah Robinson.
Florida State’s schedule gets tougher fast from here. The Seminoles head to Gainesville on Sunday for their first power conference matchup of the season against Florida at 2:00 p.m.
ET on the SEC Network. Next Thursday, they travel to Athens, Georgia, to face the Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m.
ET on ESPNU.
On the volleyball side, Florida State will officially open the 2026 season next Friday at the FGCU Invitational against BYU, but first comes the Garnet and Gold scrimmage on Friday, August 21, at 6:00 p.m. ET inside Tully Gymnasium.
The Seminoles are coming off a 16-13 season and a 10-10 mark in ACC play. They are unranked in the AVCA Top 25 heading into 2026, though they did receive three voting points in the preseason poll. Pittsburgh, Stanford, and Louisville are viewed as the league’s top three teams.
And then there’s the NCAA, where the legal churn keeps turning.
On Friday, the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit granted the NCAA’s stay request in Wisne v. NCAA. That move put Judge Sweeney’s nationwide injunction on hold pending appeal, which means qualifying Class of 2022 athletes lose federal fifth-season protection for now.
Athletes who are named plaintiffs in state and local court cases and have already been granted temporary restraining orders still have eligibility. That includes the group of 16 football players who were granted a TRO to return from the NFL and enter the transfer portal. But athletes who did not file their own separate lawsuit are now ineligible.
Mike Norvell has said he has been in contact with former Seminoles about the possibility of a return, though he has not made a move yet. Former Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos has filed a lawsuit seeking an additional year of eligibility and the chance to enter the transfer portal after his request for an NCAA waiver was denied. That case is still pending, and the outcome could preserve his eligibility for the 2026 season regardless of this stay.
Former FSU forward Alex Steen filed his own lawsuit against the NCAA on August 14 seeking a fifth year of eligibility. His case has not been decided yet, but the stay on the federal injunction does not affect his individual lawsuit. He would have been eligible under the injunction before this stay, which makes his decision to file separately look like a smart one as more athletes now face having to do the same.
In Other News...
Florida State Has A Comeback Story Fans Will Be Pulling For
Ethan Pritchards progress has become one of the more encouraging off-field storylines around Florida State as the linebacker continues recovering from a gunshot wound to the head he sustained last season. He has been taking steps with a walker, a sign of how far he has come in rehabilitation, and his work has already been recognized with a spot on the Comeback Player of the Year watch list.
Pritchard also received the Doc Fauls Rise Above Adversity Award, a fitting nod to the challenge in front of him and the determination it has taken to keep moving forward. He is still focused on regaining strength with the goal of returning to play for Florida State, and his journey has given Seminoles fans plenty of reason to keep rooting for him. [Read more 🡒]
FSU QB Commit Is Giving The 2027 Class Early Momentum
Florida States 2027 quarterback pledge, Logan Flaherty, keeps stacking up the kind of early-season moments that help a recruiting class feel real before it ever reaches campus. The three-star signal-caller led his high school team to a 62-26 win even without his top two wide receivers, showing the sort of versatility and playmaking that has already made him a name to watch in the cycle.
Flaherty did plenty of the damage himself, rushing for 242 yards and four touchdowns as his team stayed unbeaten. Ranked by 247Sports Composite Ratings as the No. 801 overall prospect and the No. 39 quarterback in the class, he is giving Florida State some early momentum in the 2027 group while continuing to flash the dual-threat ability that made his commitment stand out in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
FSUs New Offensive Line Hinge May Already Be Coming Into Focus
Florida States overhaul up front already has a veteran centerpiece in place. Xavier Chaplin arrives through the transfer portal as the kind of experienced left tackle the Seminoles needed while rebuilding their offensive line for the 2026 season, bringing a long track record of durability after starting 37 consecutive games at Auburn and Virginia Tech.
For a unit that has spent the offseason searching for stability, Chaplin is expected to anchor the left side and help set the tone for the rest of the front. Mike Norvell and Herb Hand have both sounded encouraged by the groups potential and the way it could come together, but the real test will be whether that promise turns into the kind of cohesion Florida State has been trying to build. [Read more 🡒]