Florida State head football coach Mike Norvell said the Noles wouldn’t play in a bowl game if they received an invitation after the loss to Florida in the regular-season finale. The Noles were among the teams with five wins who could have received a bowl invite because they had one of the highest APR scores.
Several teams have declined bowl invites, including Notre Dame, after dropping from among the final 12 in the College Football Playoffs.
Florida State, Auburn, UCF, Baylor & Rutgers are the 5-7 teams that declined a bowl bid, sources told @On3sports. Of course, these teams thought season was over 2 weeks ago & players have scattered. They didn't - you know - quit because they didn't make the playoff
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 7, 2025
Bowl officials reached out to FSU to see if they would change their minds, but the Noles stood firm on their decision not to play in the Birmingham Bowl game against Georgia Southern. It makes sense. FSU already has two players entering the transfer portal, and some can start preparing for the NFL Draft.
There could have been some benefits to playing in the bowl. FSU would have gotten 15 extra practices, which could have been good for player development. They could have received some money, and quarterback Kevin Sperry could have played in that game without losing his redshirt. It would have given us more to write about.
However, FSU defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain hasn’t been retained, and FSU will likely see more coaching changes over the next couple of weeks. There was no sense in risking further embarrassment this season.
FSU also has to handle new structural changes in the back office and prepare for the transfer portal that will open in a few weeks. FSU fans anxiously wait to see what the changes will be and who they can attract from the transfer portal.