Florida State fans wanted to make certain their message reached university leadership. So they arranged for aerial delivery.
The proofreading apparently didn’t have enough SkyMiles.
Ahead of Saturday’s game against Clemson, a plane flew over Doak Campbell Stadium carrying a banner that read: “FSU: Fire Novell + Peter Collins!”
The coach’s name is Mike Norvell. There is an “r” in there, but either it didn’t know what time kickoff was, or it’s apparently already entered the transfer portal.
According to the Tallahassee Democrat, fans organized the protest through a GoFundMe that raised $3,500. The banner also targeted Peter Collins, chair of Florida State’s Board of Trustees. It was an ambitious afternoon for a strip of fabric.
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The frustration has a considerably better foundation than the spelling. Florida State entered the Clemson game at 3–4 overall and 1–3 in ACC play, following consecutive losing seasons. Fans have also emailed and called university leadership demanding changes, the Democrat reported. The plane added altitude to an existing complaint.
But the distance between requesting a firing and paying for one is substantial.
USA TODAY reporting put Norvell’s buyout at approximately $47.7 million in early October. His contract runs through 2031, and a future coaching job could reduce what Florida State ultimately owes. Even with that qualification, the exit would carry a bill measured in tens of millions.
Which gives this particular protest its distinctly college football logic. Fans spent thousands of dollars asking a university to spend millions of dollars so someone would stop coaching football for it.
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Then comes paying somebody else to start.
The banner delivered the impatience. The contract explains why impatience alone doesn’t settle the matter. A $3,500 fundraiser can put the demand in the sky, but it cannot decide it’s any cheaper.
So for now, Norvell is still in place, but the campaign has successfully removed one letter.
