The FSU Seminoles fell to the SMU Mustangs 27-24 on Monday in Doak Campbell Stadium, and their fans are fed up with the team and Mike Norvell. It was a winnable game for Florida State, but they once again found ways to lose.
Since their 13-1 season in 2023, when they won the ACC and nearly made the College Football Playoff, FSU has gone 8-18 overall and 3-17 in conference play under Norvell. That has caused numerous fans to call for his job, but that is not an easy move.
While their performance over the past two-plus seasons has been well below FSU's standards, it will be expensive to move on from Norvell. According to Craig Myers of USA TODAY Sports, his buyout is $46.7 million if he is fired before Dec. 1, 2026.
If FSU does decide to fire Norvell,
his buyout would be the third-biggest in college football history, behind only the $76.8 million the Texas A&M Aggies paid Jimbo Fisher and the $54 million the LSU Tigers paid Brian Kelly. The Seminoles paid Willie Taggart $18 million when they fired him during the 2029 season.
FSU signed Mike Norvell to an eight-year contract worth around $84 million ahead of the 2024 season and guaranteed him that his buyout would be 85% of his remaining salary if he was fired. The deal seemed like a smart move at the time. Not only were they coming off their 13-1 performance in 2023, but the Alabama Crimson Tide were considering hiring him to replace Nick Saban.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: What is Mike Norvell's buyout with FSU?
