Florida State has had a terrible go of it of late. However, instead of getting rid of head coach Mike Norvell, who doesn't seem to have the answers to turn things around, the Seminoles are doing things like backing out next year's game against Notre Dame.
No, there isn't any official confirmation that FSU was the driving force behind the 2026 matchup between the 'Noles and the Fighting Irish getting knocked off the books. However, considering the last time the two teams met, Marcus Freeman's squad demolished Norvell's crew 52-3, it's not hard to arrive at that conclusion.
Now that Florida State has officially announced it's retaining Norvell, backing out of the game was part of the preparation for trying to make the coach's prove-it year that much easier. Not having to take on Notre Dame next season will certainly make things simpler.
"This decision reflects a unified commitment to competing in the rapidly evolving landscape of college football, while maintaining continuity within the program," said FSU president Dr. Richard McCullough. pic.twitter.com/9JgZ6wG3H2
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 23, 2025
Mike Norvell got a gift with Florida State canceling the Notre Dame game
The Seminoles will likely put a low-level G5 school on the slate instead. They've already got FCS Central Arkansas set up for next season.
Florida State is doing anything and everything to avoid paying out Mike Norvell's buyout. That includes pulling out of a matchup against Notre Dame. It's the kind of stuff that will make the ACC school the butt of many, many jokes.
It looks like they're celebrating a 21-11 loss to North Carolina State this weekend by making their path back to respectability that much easier next year. While they're busy making life easier for a bad head coach who should be fired, Notre Dame has to figure out how it'll replace Florida State on the schedule with a team that will make their schedule look good enough for an at-large College Football Playoffs bid.