Last week the Seminoles lost at home to SMU, 27-24. A power outage at Doak Campbell Stadium delayed kickoff by two hours. The teams had to play with limited lights, no scoreboard, and even no helmet communication. That embarrassing moment was followed by the firing of the athletic director this week. 

Florida State brought Michael Alford in 2020 to run Seminole Boosters. He became athletic director on January 3, 2022, and served for around five years. The school removed him on Monday. 

“Michael Alford has served the University and our student-athletes with dedication, and we thank him for his contributions to our athletics programs,” President Richard McCullough said. “As we begin this transition, our focus remains on the success of our teams and continuing to provide every competitive advantage we can to our student-athletes, coaches, and staff,” he added. 

Football has gone 8-18 since the 2023 ACC title, and the department is also dealing with the nation’s highest athletics debt. Senior Associate Athletic Director Bruce Warwick takes over as interim. 

“This step begins the next phase of restructuring that the University must commit to in order to compete in this era of college sports. The President and the Board are in lockstep on the mission and what the results must be,” Board of Trustees chair Peter Collins said. 

No public scandal was listed as the reason behind this firing. Reporting pointed to football results, NIL and roster spending, athletics debt, and a board that no longer trusted Alford with the next football phase. 

After the 2-10 collapse in 2024 and the 5-7 finish in 2025, Alford still brought Mike Norvell back for 2026. ESPN reported that people inside the university believed Alford and Norvell “underestimated how much spending on football was going to increase following the 2023 season.” That is why the SMU loss became the public symbol.

“The move comes as the Seminoles grapple with looming decisions about their football program,” ESPN ACC reporter Andrea Adelson wrote. That matters because the school still has to decide what to do with coach Mike Norvell.

What comes next for Mike Norvell and Florida State

Norvell is 39-35 overall and 1-1 in 2026. Since the start of 2024, Florida State is 8-18. That drop followed a 13-1 season in 2023, an undefeated regular season, and an ACC title. The 63-3 Orange Bowl loss to Georgia and the College Football Playoff snub started the slide. 

The year-by-year record is why the board lost patience. Norvell went 3-6 in 2020, 5-7 in 2021, 10-3 in 2022, and 13-1 in 2023. Then it fell to 2-10 in 2024, 5-7 in 2025, and 1-1 in 2026. His ACC record at Florida State is 22-27. 

Norvell’s contract runs through December 31, 2031. Reports put the buyout around $46.7 million to $51 million if he is fired before the end of the 2026 season. It drops to about $45.6 million if the school waits until after 2026. 

Florida State would owe 85% of the remaining salary if he is fired without cause. On3 sources have said firing Norvell, paying his staff, and hiring a new staff could reach $100 million. After 2024, Norvell restructured his deal so $4.5 million went toward university revenue-sharing and NIL help. That price is one reason Alford kept him. 

Florida State reported about $437 million in athletics-related debt for fiscal 2025, up from about $17 million in fiscal 2020. Total athletics projects have been cited as more than $500 million. In July 2024, the school issued about $306 million in new bonds for those projects. Annual debt service jumped from about $4.8 million to about $25.7 million. Alford was reported as initially resistant to spending above the 2025 revenue-share cap. 

Alford’s department was not empty of wins. Florida State took NCAA titles in women’s soccer and won conference titles across sports. Athletics revenue grew 31.5% since 2022. Football still sets the temperature in Tallahassee, and football is 8-18 since the 2023 peak. 

Senior associate athletic director Bruce Warwick is interim while the school runs a national search. Warwick has been inside football operations since December 28, 2019, first as Norvell’s chief of staff. 

“It is important that we remain dedicated to providing continuity and support to our student-athletes, coaches and staff, who remain our top priority,” in the school release, Warwick said. 

If Norvell is replaced, that hire is expected to sit with a new athletic director, McCullough, and Collins, not with Warwick as the permanent voice.