Florida State has made a significant administrative change.
The university announced on Monday, Sept. 14 that it has fired athletic director Michael Alford, ending his nearly five-year tenure leading the Seminoles' athletic department. The move comes after Florida State football's bye week and as the program continues to struggle under Mike Norvell.
Alford, who previously served as president of the Seminole Boosters, Inc., was hired in December 2021 to succeed former athletic director David Coburn.
"Michael Alford has served the University and our student-athletes with dedication, and we thank him for his contributions to our athletics programs," Florida State
president McCullough said in a statement. "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.
"Florida State is committed to maintaining the highest standards for our student-athletes and staff. We want all of them to be able to play for championships. This leadership change reflects that commitment."
As noted by The Tallahassee Democrat — part of the USA TODAY Network — Alford received a contract extension in 2024 valued at $6.7 million and earned a base salary of $1.45 million annually under a deal that ran through 2028.
The football program had just two winning seasons in Alford's tenure as athletic director in 2022 and 2023 — the latter of which saw the Seminoles left out of the College Football Playoffs after Jordan Travis' late-season injury. Florida State is 8-18 overall in the last three seasons, including a 1-1 mark this season.
As noted by The Democrat, Alford's tenure also included Florida State's visible legal battle with the ACC,which began in 2023. The legal battle between FSU and Clemson against the ACC was settled in June 2025. The settlement defined the financial cost for any school wanting to leave the conference, and allowed schools to keep its television and media rights.
Bruce Warwick, Florida State's senior associate athletics director for football, will serve as the Seminoles' interim athletic director as a national search is conducted, per the university's release.
This story will be updated
Be sure to check out USA TODAY Sports' new College Football Unfiltered podcast, hosted by USA TODAY Sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer. You can stream on YouTube or download via Apple podcasts and Spotify.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida State fires Michael Alford after four years as Seminoles' AD
