What’s taking place at Florida State is an ideal illustration of how fluid the thought of job safety is in faculty soccer’s new period. 

The Seminoles had been an early-season darling after a convincing Week 1 win over Alabama and raced off to a 3-0 begin — precisely what coach Mike Norvell wanted coming off a 2-10 2024 marketing campaign. 

Then got here an extra time loss to Virginia. Then Miami. Then Pittsburgh. At that time, the warmth had turned as much as about medium on Norvell — no instant firing, however maybe at risk after this season if all hell broke free, and if nothing else the lead face of all 2026 scorching seat content material. 

However now issues are at a scalding temperature. Within the early hours of Sunday morning, on the East Coast not less than, Florida State misplaced 20-13 to lowly Stanford, a recreation the Seminoles had been favored to win by 17.5 factors. 

The fourth straight loss (the fourth time Norvell’s had a four-game dropping streak in Tallahassee) was, within the phrases of 1 trade supply, when Norvell’s seat went from heat to “legit fireplace scorching.”

It is a lengthy flight from Palo Alto to Tallahassee. Many boosters, per sources, spent these journeys again commiserating and planning. Conversations in Tallahassee about Norvell’s standing have continued all through the day; Norvell even acknowledged throughout a Sunday workers assembly that conversations about his future had been taking place, sources inform CBS Sports activities. His buyout of round $55 million, per Noles247, not looks as if a significant roadblock to creating a change many across the program view as obligatory. 

🏈 💰Most Costly Buyouts in Faculty Soccer Historical past

Some consider Norvell’s message is getting misplaced on his workforce. After the loss to Stanford, a supply advised CBS Sports activities that gamers had been cracking jokes within the locker room about having to “reply” but once more. “Reply” is a typical phrase for Norvell to his workforce as losses mount. CBS Sports activities’ Brandon Marcello, who spent Saturday within the ACC replay heart, mentioned on the Faculty Soccer Insiders that he might see Florida State’s sideline within the All-22 digicam view and was struck by the shortage of participant engagement. 

Florida State is 5-14 going again to the beginning of the 2024 season. 

The Seminoles once more went all-in with the portal this offseason, signing 23 transfers to show this system round. However identical to it noticed in 2024, a part of the danger of a transfer-heavy technique is that one-year leases aren’t steeped in this system tradition, which issues when issues go sideways.

As for the on-field enterprise, this isn’t an inexpensive roster. Between rev share and front-loaded identify, picture and likeness funds, sources say FSU’s roster value properly into the $20 million vary. 

The mixture of pricey additions and compounding losses places Norvell within the crosshairs, particularly when you think about there aren’t any straightforward repair strikes remaining after Norvell modified each of his coordinators final offseason.

If the Seminoles fireplace Norvell, it could value this system excess of simply that $55 million. They might spend tens of millions shopping for out assistant coach contracts. There are additionally multiyear offers for Seminole gamers on the roster the following head coach may not wish to maintain. Add in a brand new coach, his workers and a full portal class of salaries and it might value near 9 figures to fireplace Norvell. 

That is a staggering sum for a program, lower than a yr in the past, that overtly rebelled towards the ACC to generate extra income.

Fifty-five million can be the second-largest buyout in faculty soccer historical past. Nevertheless it’s a quantity some round Tallahassee take into account obligatory with no sustained indicators of enchancment. 

The Buyout Bubble: Why faculty soccer retains paying tens of millions to make coaches disappear

Brandon Marcello

May Norvell survive? Completely.

Firings in faculty soccer are inherently political, and Norvell might claw his means out of this. However even when he escapes Sunday together with his job intact, Norvell is not essentially secure on condition that the Seminoles are on a bye week, an opportune time to make a change irrespective of the day. 

Norvell appears to be like like he’ll make it by means of Sunday. Monday, Tuesday and the remainder of the yr after that? We’ll see.

Noles247 brings followers trusted protection from a devoted workforce of insiders who’re everywhere in the newest with Norvell and Florida State. 

With 10+ years of expertise and a workers that features Chris Nee, Brendan Sonnone and Zach Blostein, the location delivers each day updates, recruiting scoop, workforce and switch intel. Be the primary to know information earlier than it occurs and have interaction with the consultants among the many most devoted group of FSU followers. Join a VIP membership now and unlock all the insider content material at Noles247.