Latest news with #MichaelAlford
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why FSU AD Michael Alford is cautiously optimistic on how NCAA House Settlement will work
Florida State athletic director Michael Alford is in favor of the recently approved NCAA House settlement, but he expressed concerns about the enforcement of the new NCAA spending guidelines in the university's Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting on Thursday, June 12. The settlement, which was approved on June 6, allows, but importantly doesn't require, schools to directly pay their athletes for the use of their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), subject to an annual cap based on athletics department media revenue, estimated to be about $20.5 million in its first year of implementation. Advertisement Alford has long voiced his support for the settlement and its landscape-changing impacts on collegiate athletics, and in the BOT meeting, he called it a "good thing for college athletics." "We are really excited about it, it's a changing environment in collegiate athletics. We have elected to be a part of it," Alford said. "We're going to compensate, and are working on our budget to compensate our student athletes at the highest, elitetist level we can do to continue to compete for championships." While supportive of the new era, Alford voiced concerns about the enforcement of the new guidelines. THE AFTERMATH: As Florida State-ACC lawsuit ends, here's how the settlement provides clear exit path Advertisement "The system will work, we just have to allow it to work. I'm in full favor of the system and the audit that comes behind it," Alford said. "What I'm skeptical of, and have let my feelings be known to our ACC legal counsel and our commissioner, is the enforcement." Alford said he's heard from coaches at FSU that other universities are conducting and attempting to implement deals that would violate the current agreement. "I'm hearing other things that people are doing out there, and our coaches are informing me of this, and my response is, 'That's not legal in the new system," Alford said. "They can't be promising kids this." In conversation with the ACC, Alford said he's in favor of how the conference is going to respond to violations of the new polices. Michael Alford: FSU athletes have already seen impact of House settlement One major change in particular is the creation of the NIL GO, a clearinghouse powered by Deloitte under the newly created College Sports Commission. Advertisement Third-party deals ― agreements between athletes and boosters or other entities ― worth more than $600 are required to be reported to the clearinghouse to be approved or denied, something Alford said FSU athletes have already seen happen. Deals will be evaluated on if they serve valid business opportunities instead of potential recruiting incentives. "We've already had people inserting agreements, and agreements have already come back denied," Alford said. "It's a new process, I'm familiar with it, I'm in favor of it, and I think it's going to work... what I'm talking to the commissioner about, even as of yesterday, is the enforcement." "More information on that should be coming out real soon." Advertisement Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@ or on Twitter @__liamrooney This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU AD Michael Alford concerned about House settlement enforcement
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida State athletics can fund revenue sharing with new Board of Governors amendment
In the wake of the NCAA House Settlement, Florida State will be able to fund $20.5 million of annual revenue sharing with student-athletes after the Florida Board of Governors approved an emergency amendment on June 18. The board approved the temporary use of auxiliary funds up to $22.5 million, in the form of a loan or funds transfer, to cover the cost of revenue-sharing agreements with state university student-athletes until 2028. The move directly relates to the recently approved House Settlement. Advertisement Auxiliary funds are collected through housing costs, parking, food services and other "service-based" costs on campus. These funds were previously not allowed to be used for athletics, with the state requiring school athletic programs to be self-sufficient. However, with the approval of the landmark House Settlement - it allows schools to pay a maximum share of $20.5 million in revenue directly to student athletes beginning on July 1 - the Florida BOG has granted the temporary use of auxiliary funds to help schools deal with the additional millions of dollars in budget costs brought upon by the settlement until June of 2028. The multi-year agreement requires schools in Florida, like FSU, to "ensure that funds utilized under this provision do not have a material impact on the university's current credit rating or negatively impact any non-athletic auxiliary enterprise." Advertisement Here's how the move impacts FSU. FSU will be able to self-fund revenue-sharing agreements through university expenses In short, FSU's $20.5 million of revenue-sharing will be funded by university costs like housing, food, bookstore purchases, and other service-based expenses. FSU Athletic Director Michael Alford had estimated in a September Board of Trustees' meeting that the Seminoles would need an additional $25 million in annual funding to cover settlement-related costs. With the temporary move to use auxiliary funds, the athletic department is now granted a three-year relief to foot the new $20.5 million bill. Advertisement Of the approved money to be paid to student-athletes, football is the sport expected to receive the largest slice of funding, with most universities expected to set aside anywhere from 60-75% of the $20.5 million for football. Sports like football, men's basketball, and baseball are likely to receive the largest cut of the $20.5 million nationwide, and potentially at FSU, with the full budget to be spread across the 19 varsity sports at FSU. With the temporary agreement, the Seminoles' athletic department will have to develop a plan by January 2026 to "address the elimination of the $22.5 million allowance from non-athletic auxiliary funds in its athletic department by the end of fiscal year 2028." Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@ or on Twitter @__liamrooney This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU to use auxiliary funds to fund new revenue sharing agreements
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is FSU football rivalry vs. Florida in trouble as sport handles realignment, playoff expansion?
The Florida State-Florida football rivalry stands toe-to-toe with any marquee nonconference game nationally. The series started in 1958 and the game site has alternated on an annual home-and-away basis between Gainesville and Tallahassee since 1964. The Sunshine Showdown has usually been held in late November, giving passionate fans plenty of time during the season to prepare and rally behind the state's two oldest public universities. Advertisement The current contract between the two football teams ends after the 2026 season, according to FSU officials. While there is no indication the cherished series won't continue, one has to wonder if the game might be cast aside due to sweeping changes to college football. Personally, FSU and UF should tango every year for as long as college football is played. I believe FSU and UF leadership believe it, too. From my vantage point, FSU Vice President and Athletic Director Michael Alford is adamant his programs play and compete at an elite level. But nobody knows what the future holds, right? More: Who has Florida's best college football helmet? Is the USC-Notre Dame football game in jeopardy? Recent reports that the Notre Dame-Southern Cal could be on the brink of ending due to uncertainty about the future College Football Playoff format rattled college football's fan base. Advertisement The teams have met 95 times since 1924, but reports have suggested USC is reluctant to enter a long-term deal due to the sport's uncertainty and the demands of greater travel in the Big Ten. It was only a few years ago when USC and Stanford were forced to cancel their football series and oldest rivalry when the Trojans departed for the Big Ten and Stanford for the ACC. The College Football Playoff will undergo more changes in 2025, with the top four seeds in the 12-team field being the top four ranked teams. CFP executives are working to finalize the format for the 2026 postseason and beyond. Discussions center on expanding from the current 12-team playoff to 14-16 teams, with various formats on the table. The SEC and Big Ten pushing College Football Playoff narrative The Big Ten and SEC, which have combined to field 16 of the last 20 national champions, are the top leagues in revenue and have emerged as super conferences, are pushing the CFP narrative and how the postseason should play out. Advertisement But the powers in place also must also make the regular season a priority, too. These decisions affect fans who are buying tickets, bunking at hotels and eating at local restaurants. So many variables are in play. The FSU-UF series could be impacted if the SEC at some point determines it wants to move from eight conference games to nine. Another twist was bantered Wednesday, when LSU coach Brian Kelly told reporters at the SEC spring meetings that he and his fellow coaches are in favor of scheduling nonconference games against the Big Ten annually. This also could jeopardize in-state rivalry games like FSU-UF, Georgia Tech-Georgia and South Carolina-Clemson. Especially if the SEC-Big Ten games are a play-in-style format at regular-season's end that could potentially decide bids into the CFP. Advertisement SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has said he needs to make a scheduling decision in 2026. ACC teams, meanwhile, play eight conference games annually and all 17 teams are scheduled to meet at least twice each seven years. FSU has protected games with Miami and Clemson and will continue to play the pair annually. The FSU-UF game should be protected, too, don't you think? Here's hoping the FSU-UF football series remains a priority and never goes away regardless how the college football landscape changes under SEC-Big Ten influence. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU-Florida football rivalry: Could college football changes impact matchup?
