FSU administration, ACC commissioner release scathing statements after Seminoles miss out on CFP

One way or another, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee was going to make one school extremely upset following the final reveal of the CFP field — and it was Florida State.

Undefeated ACC champion Florida State was left out of the playoff field as one-loss teams Texas and Alabama both surpassed the Seminoles in the final rankings after winning their respective conference title games. FSU also won their league title over Louisville, but looked far from dominant without star quarterback Jordan Travis — and his injury was ultimately a primary season State was left out.

Whether for the lack of competition in the ACC or because of the Travis injury, Florida State leadership certainly feels strongly that there are no reasons that justify leaving an undefeated power conference champion out of the playoff.

So, in light of the decision Sunday morning, Florida State athletic director Michael Alford rallied to release an impassioned statement explaining what a miscarriage of justice the committee made by stranding the ‘Noles outside the College Football Playoff. You can view Alford’s full comments right here:

Full statement from Michael Alford

“The consequences of giving in to a narrative of the moment are destructive, far reaching, and permanent. Not just for Florida State, but college football as a whole.”

“The argument of whether a team is the ‘most deserving OR best’ is a false equivalence. It renders the season up to yesterday irrelevant and significantly damages the legitimacy of the College Football Playoff. The 2023 Florida State Seminoles are the epitome of a total TEAM. To eliminate them from a chance to compete for a national championship is an unwarranted injustice that shows complete disregard and disrespect for their performance and accomplishments. It is unforgiveable.”

“The fact that this team has continued to close out victories in dominant fashion facing our current quarterback situation should have ENHANCED our case to get a playoff berth EARNED on the field. Instead, the committee decided to elevate themselves and ‘make history’ today by departing from what makes this sport great by excluding an undefeated Power 5 conference champion for the first time since the advent of the BCS/CFP era that began 25 years ago. This ridiculous decision is a departure from the competitive expectations that have stood the test of time in college football.”

“Wins matter. Losses matter. Those that compete in the arena know this. Those on the committee who also competed in the sport and should have known this have forgotten it. Today, they changed the way success is assessed in college football, from a tangible metric – winning on the field – to an intangible, subjective one. Evidently, predicting the future matters more.”

“For many of us, today’s decision by the committee has forever damaged the credibility of the institution that is the College Football Playoff. And, saddest of all, it was self-inflicted. They chose predictive competitiveness over proven performance; subjectivity over fact. They have become a committee of prognosticators. They have abandoned their responsibility by discarding their purpose – to evaluate performance on the field.”

“Our players, coaches, and fans – as well as all those who love this sport – deserve better. The committee failed college football today.”