Florida State’s $50 million problem just became impossible to ignore

Florida State cannot afford another wasted season

One loss to a ranked opponent shouldn't determine the future of a head coach. The previous two seasons certainly can.

Florida State's collapse following its excellent 2023 regular season has been stunning. This isn't a program trying to decide whether Norvell can take the next step. The Seminoles are trying to determine whether he can drag them back to where they were only three years ago.

The schedule won't offer much sympathy. Florida State gets a bye before traveling to Alabama on Sept. 19. Miami, Clemson, Louisville and Florida are also waiting later in the season. There isn't much room for another spiral.

The financial situation only makes every loss more painful. Florida State could decide that nearly $51 million is too much to swallow and keep Norvell through the season. But doing so purely because firing him is expensive creates another cost that is harder to calculate.

What happens to recruiting? What happens to fan interest? How much damage can another losing season do while everyone waits for the buyout to become slightly less brutal?

Florida State doesn't have to make that decision Tuesday morning. It does need to recognize what Monday night represented. SMU didn't create Florida State's Mike Norvell problem. It simply made it harder to pretend the problem might disappear on its own.

The Seminoles now face two potentially expensive choices: pay an enormous amount of money to start over or keep betting that the coach responsible for their recent collapse can somehow reverse it. After another ACC loss, neither option looks particularly appealing.