AVOIDING THE $54 MILLION BUYOUT
Florida State's administration clearly wants to save the money after spending resources on renovations to Doak Campbell Stadium and the football-only facility. While the fans didn't ask for the upgrades and were frustrated, the program wanted to be a step ahead of the opposing programs.
If the Seminoles were to fire Coach Norvell, they would have had to pay $54 million to cover his buyout and then hope the next option (another Group of Five option?) could be worth the investment of spending a total of around $100 million after firing assistants and hiring new ones too.
There comes a point where it becomes too much of a risk. This is also a side that suggests that the administration cannot continue to take multiple losses on the chin, and it could be time to shut the whole operation down.
Nonetheless, programs across the country are all about gaining money and saving it. This is the same coach that won ten games in 2022, and thirteen games in 2023 so he is capable of being successful if the right circumstance presents itself (I am not suggesting that the track record of 2024 and 2025 should justify being here in 2026).