Florida State will have a strong showing at the 2026 ACC Tipoff on Oct. 7, with head coach Luke Loucks joined by senior guard Anthony Robinson II and junior forward Sebastian Rancik at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Seminoles’ media session is set to begin at 8 a.m., with Florida State part of the morning rotation alongside Duke, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame and Virginia. Fans can also catch Florida State’s live press conference at 11 a.m. on ACC Network Extra.
For Loucks, this will be his second trip to ACC Tipoff as Florida State’s head coach. Now heading into his second season, the 2011 FSU graduate posted an 18-15 record and went 10-8 in ACC play in his first year, setting a program record for conference wins by a first-year Florida State head coach. The Seminoles closed that season by winning 10 of their final 12 games, a stretch that included a program-record five straight ACC road victories.
Robinson II arrives at the event for the first time after transferring to Florida State from Missouri. The Tallahassee native spent three seasons there, played in 96 games and made 50 starts. In 2025-26, he was named to the 2025 SEC All-Defensive Team, averaged 8.9 points per game and led Missouri with 54 steals, a total that ranked eighth in the SEC.
He’s back home now, and he’ll be playing alongside his brother, Amare.
Rancik will also be making his ACC Tipoff debut after coming to Florida State from Colorado. The Slovakia native played two seasons with the Buffaloes, appearing in 62 games with 37 starts. During the 2025-26 season, he averaged 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, good for third on the team in scoring and second in rebounding.
Florida State’s 2026-27 season opens Nov. 2 against Florida A&M at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida.
In Other News...
FSU Suddenly Has A Schedule Problem Fans Need To Watch
The line for Florida States matchup with Louisville has already moved in a notable way, and that kind of shift always gets attention when a Saturday game starts drawing closer. Between the betting market and the broader rhythm of the season, it is another sign that this one is being watched closely, with the over/under sitting at 59.5 and the spread tightening from Louisville by 5.5 to 3.5.
Elsewhere around the Seminoles, the calendar has already felt the effects of Tropical Storm Isaias, which forced Florida States mens basketball and baseball games in Pensacola to be canceled while rescheduling options are evaluated. There has still been plenty happening elsewhere in Tallahassee, with volleyball beating Jacksonville 3-1 to extend its home winning streak and womens tennis moving through the ITA Regional Championship, but the scheduling fallout is the part fans will keep an eye on if more changes surface. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Gets A Real Chance To Expose Louisvilles Biggest Weakness
Louisville comes into its matchup with Florida State carrying more than just the weight of three losses. The Cardinals have been undone by a defense that has given up too many big plays, along with penalty trouble that has repeatedly put them behind the chains. Add in an inconsistent running game, and there are clear reasons why this team has struggled to find steadier footing.
For Florida State, that creates a real opening to make Louisville defend every inch of the field and force the Cardinals to clean up the mistakes that have hurt them all season. Jacob Polacheck of Cardinal Authority has pointed to those problem areas ahead of the game, and they shape the entire matchup. If the Seminoles can pressure Louisville into the same kinds of errors, the Cardinals' biggest weakness may be impossible to hide for long. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Loucks Is Showing How Far FSU Will Go For Impact Talent
Florida States pursuit of impact talent took an uncommon route this spring, with Luke Loucks and Jim Moran going overseas to make a personal impression on Sebastian Ranciks family. The Seminoles were chasing more than a body for the frontcourt, targeting a 6-foot-11 junior power forward from Slovakia whose versatility fit what they want to build, and the lengths they went to say plenty about how aggressively this staff is recruiting in its first wave of roster construction.
Rancik eventually became one of the names that gave the class real traction after entering the transfer portal and landing at Florida State, where he is expected to play a meaningful role next season. For a program trying to reestablish itself quickly, adding a player with his size and skill was important, but the bigger story may be the willingness to cross borders and lean into personal relationships to get him in garnet and gold. [Read more 🡒]