Florida State Key Star player Opts Out Of Season From Team

No. 5 The Florida State team that takes the field in 2023 will be very different from the 13-0 ACC Championship team that played in 2023. Most schools will have to adjust to a new era in the era of the transfer portal and the NIL business model. Nonetheless, many spots will become available for freshmen and incoming transfers due to FSU’s top-heavy depth chart, which is stacked with players with NFL potential.

Star wide receiver Keon Coleman will forgo the 2023 Orange Bowl as he prepares for the NFL Draft, according to 247Sports. His potential first-round selection was practically cemented after a monster 2023 season at Florida State. He finished the year appearing in 12 games with 11 touchdowns, 658 yards on 50 receptions, and was nominated All ACC as a receiver and all-purpose player.

As a dynamic punt returner, Coleman repeatedly proved that his athletic ability was a game-changer, causing opposing teams to hold their breath when the ball was headed his way.

Coleman will join fellow wide receiver Johnny Wilson on the list of players headed to the draft. The Seminoles will also be without running back Trey Benson, tight end Jaheim Bell, defensive tackle Fabien Lovett, and defensive end Jared Verse.

After a successful stint at Michigan State, the Louisiana native joined the ‘Noles as the No. 4 transfer wide receiver according to the 2022 NCAA Transfer Portal. He made 22 appearances, 12 of which were starts, with 65 receptions and 8 touchdowns.

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Florida State calls emergency board meeting, could take first step toward leaving ACC, per reports..

Florida State has called a special board of trustees meeting for Friday morning. While no formal reason has been posted for the emergency meeting, multiple reports indicate that FSU’s athletic future in the ACC will be discussed.

The board might consent to a lawsuit brought against the ACC. This would be the first concrete attempt to sever the ACC’s members’ allegedly “ironclad” grant of rights, which binds them until 2036. Although Florida State has been the conference’s most outspoken critic, several ACC members have spent the last year scrutinizing the grant of rights.

Florida State is a mere weeks removed from becoming the first undefeated power conference team to be left out of the College Football Playoff. The Seminoles were bumped from No. 3 to No. 5 — behind one-loss Alabama and Texas — after a lackluster offensive performance with a third-string freshman quarterback against Louisville in the ACC Championship Game. The decision has incensed officials around the state of Florida; however, the playoff will expand to 12 teams in 2024, practically assuring a spot for an undefeated team from any conference.

Still, the university has publicly acknowledged its desire to explore options outside of the conference in previous public settings. At a board meeting in August, Florida State president Richard McCullough presented to the trustees the challenges of staying in the ACC while the league falls as much as $30 million per year in payouts behind the SEC and Big Ten.

Said FSU trustee Drew Weatherford: “It’s not a matter of it we leave [the ACC], but how and when we leave.”

The ACC has made a concerted effort to secure increased remuneration for its elite members. In May, the league implemented “success incentives,” which increased the share of the distribution given to schools that had success in the postseason. If Florida State had qualified for the CFP, the new plan would have been extremely advantageous because it would have retained a sizable portion of the conference payout—a difference that could have reached the eight figures. However, the extra cash might not be sufficient in light of the CFP rejection.

Challenges of leaving

The ACC has the longest television contract and grant of rights of any FBS conference, having signed a 20-year agreement with ESPN in 2016. At least seven ACC schools have looked at the procedures for breaking the grant of rights but have all ultimately opted to stay put after investigating the details.

Buying out the TV contract would cost north of $120 million, per multiple reports. It would be a separate negotiation to break free of the grant of rights that would push well into additional hundreds of millions. Even then, industry experts told CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd in May that it’s unlikely that any ACC schools would be able to join one of the two big conferences without taking a partial share, making for a shaky benefit.

Florida State considered using private equity to raise money in August as well. To discuss options, the school communicated with private equity firm Sixth Street and JPMorgan Chase. In essence, Florida State could raise funds in advance to cover the cost of a possible rights buyout grant and reimburse the private equity group with proceeds from sponsorships and future television rights sales. A similar plan to raise capital was contemplated by the Pac-12 in 2019, but it was ultimately abandoned.

Where would FSU go?

The ideal landing spot would be the SEC. The league has established itself as the top dog in college football and the Seminoles fit neatly into the league footprint. However, there’s plenty working against them. In-state rival Florida would almost certainly do anything in its power to block FSU from entering the league. For many SEC members, adding Florida State would be more of a threat than a benefit both in recruiting and on the field.

That leaves the Big Ten as a potential Hail Mary destination. The league does not have any schools closer to FSU than former ACC partner Maryland, but FSU could provide some benefit. While the Big Ten is stocked with historic brands, only two members of the future conference — Ohio State and USC — have won a national championship in the BCS/CFP era. The ‘Noles, meanwhile, have two themselves (1999, 2013). Additionally, adding a southern power could open another door for the Big Ten to recruit in Florida, which ranks as one of the three top recruiting destinations in college football.

If the Big Ten is not interested, however, Florida State could find itself in a brutal position. Florida State athletic director Michael Alford told The Athletic in November that independence was “not a true option” because of the complications of media contracts and scheduling. The Big 12’s media deal is comparable to the ACC’s, making it an unlikely destination.

The difficulty of landing in the power conferences is only increasing. Until the media rights agreement expired, Oregon and Washington received roughly 50% of the shares that they left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. Notably, SMU is forgoing a seven-year television payout in exchange for joining the ACC. To convince another league, Florida State might need to make a comparable temporary makeover.