Around the ACC and college football, there's an expectation that the same leadership void and lack of alignment that dug FSU into a hole on and off the field could end up affecting the school's critical upcoming moves.
When FSU fired athletic director Mike Alford on Sept. 14, the industry expectation was for a quick AD search and then a decision on Norvell by the end of the year. But as of now, Florida State hasn't been seriously engaged with any major search firms and there's an expectation that board chairman Peter Collins, whose tenure has coincided with FSU falling into a crater, will try to handle all the high-leverage decisions with university president Richard McCullough.
This has been concerning locally and amusing nationally, as everyone has already seen the pride come before the fall.
Let's remember, Florida State is trying to position itself for an upgrade out of the ACC after clumsily suing the league, flopping on the field and behaving in a way that could turn off potential league suitors. Former FSU Trustee Drew Weatherford famously said in 2023: "It's not a matter of if we leave [the ACC], but how and when we leave."
