DeSantis is asking for $1 million for FSU to sue the CFP Commission
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized the College Football Playoff committee on Tuesday, saying he is asking for $1 million from the state budget so the state of Florida can sue the committee over its decision to exclude the team from the Playoff.
DeSantis spoke about the decision at a news conference in connection with his spending proposal, which calls for a $114.4 billion budget for Florida. DeSantis said his children are Seminoles fans and were not happy with FSU’s exclusion from the Playoff.
“My first-grader, my fifth-grader and my kindergartner… they’re all ‘noles’ and they’re big fans and they do the tomahawk chop and they weren’t happy,” DeSantis said, according to the Associated Press. “We’re going to set aside $1 million and let the chips fall where they may.”
It will take months for a budget to be passed, with DeSantis’ recommendation merely a suggestion for the Florida Legislature. The group begins its annual session in January to determine a spending plan. Once that plan is approved, DeSantis can veto individual items.
Florida State, which went 13-0 and won the ACC Championship Game, fell to fifth in Sunday’s final rankings, behind Michigan (13-0), Washington (13-0), Texas (12-1) and Alabama (12-1). ). The Longhorns and Crimson Tide each moved ahead of FSU after winning the Big 12 and SEC championships, respectively.
FSU lost star quarterback Jordan Travis to a gruesome leg injury suffered in a game against North Alabama on Nov. 18, but then won two crucial games with backup quarterbacks Tate Rodemaker and Brock Glenn. The committee cited Travis’ injury as a reason to drop FSU.
“In the eyes of the committee, Florida State is a different team without Jordan Travis,” committee chairman Boo Corrigan said Sunday. “One of the things we take into account is player availability, and our job is to rank the best teams, and in the final decision we looked at that, it was Alabama at four and Florida State at five.”
Others besides DeSantis have expressed outrage at the criticism, with Florida State football coach Mike Norvell saying he was “disgusted and outraged” by the committee’s decision Sunday to leave the Seminoles out of the four-team field. FSU is the first undefeated Power 5 conference champion to miss the Playoff.
“What’s the point of playing games? Do you tell players it’s okay to quit if someone goes down? Don’t play Senior Day for fear of injury? What is the motivation to schedule challenging non-conference games?” Norvell said.
FSU athletic director Michael Alford said the committee “failed college football” with the decision.
Florida State will face Georgia in the Orange Bowl on December 30.
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