Seminole Sunday Sauce — July 14, 2024: FSU in Realignment Talks
There has no shortage of speculation about Florida State seeking a new athletic conference. As the old saying goes, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
It was reported this week by Yahoo! that FSU has spoken preliminarily with the Big 12. While that is far from a done deal, the report at least shows that the Seminoles are actively weighing their options.
Amid ongoing lawsuits against the ACC, FSU’s current relationship with the conference seems beyond repair. The Seminoles received a win on that front this week when the ACC was ordered to turn over the conference’s TV contract with ESPN.
The Big 12 wouldn’t likely be FSU’s first choice when it came to finding a new conference home, but at this point, it does seem like a preferrable option to the ACC. The conventional wisdom seems to be that the Big Ten is the desired option for FSU and perhaps the most likely. Michael Alford, FSU’s director of athletics, seemed to drop a subtle hint in April when he mentioned spending more time in Chicago.
Despite being denied entrance time and time again dating back to the 1950s before ultimately choosing the ACC in the early 1990s, the SEC seems to make the most geographical sense for the Seminoles. Florida, FSU’s archrival, has been a member of the conference since 1932. At this point, there has been no substantive evidence that the two sides are actively engaging in realignment discussions.
How soon matters between FSU and the ACC are resolved remains to be seen. The conference’s Grant of Rights runs until 2036, which seems to be the main point of contention in court and FSU’s biggest obstacle toward finding a new home.
FOOTBALL
Recognitions: None
Commitments: Max Redmon, 3-star S* (No. 1,089 overall); Daylan McCutcheon, 4-star WR* (No. 93 overall)
Decommitments: None
2025 Recruiting Class Rank: No. 17 nationally, third in ACC (12 total commitments)
Wrap-up: FSU continues to make noise on the recruiting trail. It has raised its class ranking by 50 spots in about a month.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Recognitions: None
Commitments: None
Decommitments: None
2025 Recruiting Class Rank: No. 6 nationally, second in ACC (2 total commitments)
Wrap-up: Less than four months separate us from basketball season.
*Recruiting rankings according to the 247Sports Composite rankings
- Mike Ferguson is the lead writer for Double Fries No Slaw. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson. For all of his work, “Like” or “Follow” Mike on Facebook.
