Mike Norvell says realignment talk is 'for the outside'

Florida State could be the first domino to fall within the ACC as talks of conference realignment ramp up for the Seminoles.

Head coach Mike Norvell is trying to shut out any outside noise as his team prepares for the season’s rapid approach. Moreover, he praised the conference for what they’ve done for his program, and all of the success Florida State has had within the conference.

“Obviously, we’re excited about the opportunity that we have this season and with this team. That is our focus,” Norvell said on Monday. “We have an incredible brand. We have an incredible program, university to represent the in all the things that we do. We’ve got a great relationship with the ACC and what our program has been able to accomplish in the ACC.

“That is our sole focus when it comes to our football program and what we’re doing is to just go be our best, but ultimately there’s always going to be outside conversation, and that’s for the outside. For us we’re locked in and focused on what we have ahead and just grateful for where we are and what we get to represent.”

For at least the immediate future, the Seminoles are in the ACC and no talk of realignment will affect the upcoming season. They’re fully committed to competing for a conference championship and move on to the College Football Playoff for the second time in FSU history, and first under Norvell.

If the Seminoles do end up making a jump from the ACC — they’ll be leaving a conference they’ve spent over 30 years in. Joining in 1992, before that the ‘Noles were Independent since the 1950s. Florida State has never known anything different.

That’s simply the norm in college football today. Athletes and programs alike head toward the money, and it’s hard to refuse dollars essentially being thrown at you to join a different program and/or conference. We’re in a Wild West era that sees entire universities basically entering their own form of the transfer portal for money’s sake.

It started with Oklahoma and Texas joining the SEC, then UCLA and USC to the Big Ten before a quartet of standout group of five teams decided to join the Big 12. Colorado made waves after announcing their leave from the Pac-12, and it seems as though Arizona is not behind. That was only the beginning, and now it seems as though the Seminoles are considering taking a leap of faith themselves.