Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants state taxpayers to pony up $1 million so disgruntled Florida State University can sue over its exclusion from the CollegeFootball Playoff.
“My first-grader, my fifth-grader and my preschooler … they are all [Semi]noles and they are big-time fans and they do the tomahawk chop and they were not happy,” DeSantis, a Republican, said earlier this week, as reported Thursday by the sports website The Athletic.
“We are going to set aside $1 million and let the chips fall where they may.”
DeSantis made the comments during a press conference in which he unveiled his $114 billion budget for next fiscal year.
Read: Florida Atlantic University Could Have To Restart Search
Reports of the event noted that DeSantis proposed slashing the state workforce by 1,000 employees, even as he put up a seven-figure ante for a potential FSU lawsuit in a budget that won’t be approved for at least three months, long after the CFP is over.
But DeSantis is not the only state leader putting the clout of his office, and the taxpayers’ money, behind the Seminoles.
State Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis this week issued a letter to the CFP Selection Committee demanding records of the group’s deliberations over picking the finalists: Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama.
Patronis, also a Republican, wrote that the committee “made a historic and unprecedented decision” that “will no doubt have lasting impacts on college football and the sports world for generations to come.”
He also asserted that “the future of college football is at stake,”
The CFO also claimed, “This decision also forever altered a program’s ability to recruit, the economic output of the university and surrounding community, and most importantly, the future of these players and coaches.”
“I’m offering you and every CFP Committee member an opportunity to come forward with full details on how each vote was cast for the entire 2023 college football season and document the reasoning behind each vote. This is the only way to shine light on the process behind this historic decision and work to ensure any trust in this committee in the future,” Patronis added.
Read: Citing Potential $2M Loss, Florida Sen. Scott Wants Records Related To FSU Playoff Snub
As for DeSantis’ proposal, Patronis said, “I would have no problem cutting those checks” for the litigation expenses.
DeSantis and Patronis both followed Sen. Rick Scott, another Republican, in trying to force the committee to reveal its process.
As the Tampa Free Press reported this week, Scott on Monday sent a letter to Boo Corrigan, the selection committee chairman, urging the panel to turn over any written communications between itself and ESPN as well as the Southeastern Conference, whose champion, Alabama, was chosen over the Seminoles on Sunday.
“Beyond the fury and heartbreak caused by the Committee’s decision, there are also financial implications that must be discussed,” Scott wrote, noting that the Seminoles and the Atlantic Coast Conference will lose $2 million in revenue because FSU was passed over.
While the CFP committee indicated FSU losing starting quarterback Jordan Travis to an injury was a factor in their decision, the fact was that FSU’s competition was nowhere near as stout as the four finalists.
Alabama, for instance, played the fifth-hardest schedule in the country, according to ESPN. Washington’s was the ninth most difficult, while Texas’ was 13th and Michigan’s 35th.
FSU’s opposition was the 55th hardest in major college football this season.
Android Users, Click To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our free newsletter.
We can’t do this without your help. Visit our GiveSendGo page and donate any dollar amount; every penny helps.