In a long-expected move, ESPN is exercising the option in its agreement with the league. The network’s extension takes the contract, currently expiring in 2027, to 2036. The deal remains mostly unchanged.

ACC presidents met Wednesday for a briefing and are expected to accept, if they have not already done so, the network’s extension, though there is little to no other option. Within the ACC’s deal with ESPN, the network — not the league — is afforded the option to extend the package by its own discretion.

As part of the extension, the league’s biggest brands — Florida State, Miami and Clemson — are expected to play more football games regularly with Notre Dame. The Irish are expected to play, at the very least, two of the three each season in a rotation.

It is being reported that if certain financial considerations are added, FSU's and Clemson's lawsuits will be dropped

Under the proposed plan, a percentage of the ACC's television revenue would be included in a "brand" fund, and that money would then be distributed to schools that annually generate the most revenue for the conference in football and men's and women's basketball -- with Clemson, Florida State, Miami and North Carolina likely at the top of the pyramid, sources told ESPN.

ESPN extends ACC media rights through 2036

This is from The Big Mountain Podcast today. These guys have solid insiders inside the B1G. I've listened for months and they are as solid as it gets as far as getting good intel. Here's what they're saying:

• ESPN is driving ACC/SEC realignment disussions.
• The SEC wants UNC badly. They're willing to take NC State due to the politics.
• The Belichick factor could be a catalyst to speed things up. See the Deion factor for bigger ratings.
• Then, the next two the SEC wants is FSU and Clemson.
• It could be ESPN pushes UNC and NC State at first, with FSU & Clemson in the wings.
• We are an ESPN property so ESPN will drive where we go.
• The ACC has unnamed approved teams lined up to take the 2 or 4 slots the ACC will be losing.
• The B1G wants ND, FSU and Miami. They want to be in Florida badly, but are having to wait to take teams SEC does not take due to ESPN contracts.
• The B1G and the SEC are working closely with each other in negotiations, more like partners than rivals.
• Miami, GT and Virginia are the wild cards.
• The ACC will survive. Replacements are USF, Memphis & Tulane, then reaching, could be ECU, App State and JMU.
• They want both to have same number of teams and standardize schedules likely 8 with playing 2 crossovers. Labor Day weekend is a target weekend for a crossover.
• Both conferences want to start one week earlier. So basically Week 0 will become Week 1.
• B1G and SEC will be demanding a minimum of 4 slots each in the playoffs. Not next year as it's too soon but the year after.
• The playoffs may expand from 12 to 14 (or 16), with the SEC and B1G dictating if they do and to how many.
• The driver is ratings. Both networks who are both driving this want big games for inventory.

Personally speaking, this is great news. Both conferences want FSU, and ratings are a main driver, all good for us. The line between the haves and have nots will be greater than ever and its great to know progress is being made and we're in great shape to land a spot at one of the two big boy and big money tables.

FSU's second round of newcomer interviews continues with four transfers on Thursday: Deamontae Diggs, Elijah Herring, Stefon Thompson, James Williams

We talked with Tommy Castellanos, Squirrel White and Luke Petitbon

I wrote about five takeaways from what Tommy Castellanos said

Curt wrote on Squirrel White and what he hopes to do as a playmaker

We'll have updates from the four interviews in the thread below and will add videos here, too

Florida State is 20 games into the 2024-25 season. We’ve covered the games, published news items, notebooks and run live game threads. We’ll continue to do all of those for the remainder of the season, but we want this thread to focus on the macro discussion: The big-picture questions surrounding Leonard Hamilton and the program.

Coming off a significant win over Pittsburgh at home on Jan. 15, one that elevated FSU’s resume, the Seminoles struggled and delivered two road duds on the West Coast. FSU’s inconsistencies have been evident in the growth of new players, which has impacted the team’s success.

Hamilton has pointed to the inconsistency frequently, and it’s also reflected in part with the last four results: a victory over KenPom’s No. 34 team, Pitt, a home win over No. 111 Georgia Tech but then the team’s first sub-100 loss at Cal (which is now 117) and No. 72 Stanford. The resume is shaping up to be one where the Seminoles will be out of the NCAA Tournament for a fourth straight year, although an NIT bid is in reach.

My intention is for this to not be a column, but to share some pressing questions, opinion and have it be conversational for us to address where FSU’s program is and where it can go in the future.

Hamilton’s age/contract: Let’s start with the elephant in the room. Hamilton, 76, is in the final year of his contract. It’s rare to find a coach in football or men’s basketball in this contract situation. Will he be extended? How much of the next 11 games will impact that decision?

Age, to me, is less of a factor than the current on-court product. In March 2021, at 72, he guided FSU to the Sweet 16. Hamilton wasn’t viewed as old then, not when FSU made the Sweet 16 in 2018, ’19 and ’21. And the pandemic-canceled NCAA Tournament in 2020 halted what could have been the Seminoles’ shot at a Final Four for the ACC regular-season champions.

Hamilton's graduation rate is legendary. Only a few of FSU's four-year players have not earned a degree in his 23 years on campus.

Success on the court, for various reasons, are among the storylines and burning questions.

FSU’s record since 2021-22: The Seminoles went 43-53 in the last three full seasons, none of which resulted in an NIT or NCAA Tournament berth. Add in the 13-7 mark going into Wednesday’s home game against Virginia Tech, and FSU is 56-60 since Nov. 2021.

Where the numbers mislead is FSU’s injury-depleted 9-23 season of 2022-23. Hamilton vowed to hit the portal as part of the rebuild. Still, the Seminoles went 17-16 in 2023-24 and didn’t look cohesive. There was a transfer exodus, and six former players are suing Hamilton for what they feel is NIL promises that weren’t fulfilled. (Hamilton has declined to comment on the court case.)

FSU has no realistic path to the NCAA Tournament in March 2025 without the automatic bid as ACC Tournament champion. The Seminoles theoretically could make a run and upset a combination of No. 1 Duke (road), No. 25 Louisville (road), No. 27 Clemson (home) and No. 38 UNC (home). But all of those games are projected by KenPom to be losses. KenPom projects FSU will finish 19-12.

Why is FSU’s struggling in 2024-25: The Seminoles have often been a fun team to watch at home. But they are 1-4 on the road in league play. The Seminoles had a chance to take care of business at Cal and Stanford, potentially picking up two wins. When asked about the long road trip before flying (commercial, not charter) to San Francisco last week, Hamilton said: “I could complain about a lot of stuff. But at the end of the day, we got to go play those games. And most importantly we have to win them. We want to go and come back with two victories.”

Losing both games is not just detrimental to the outlook of the current team. It speaks to the leadership and accountability of the players. FSU clearly missed junior guard Chandler Jackson, who is out due to a groin injury. Freshman AJ Swinton is also out with an injury. Would they have made a difference? Perhaps. But a team that wins with players 6 through 10 off the bench didn’t get a spark.

“The depth issue is probably challenging us a little bit more, because our depth is inexperienced,” Hamilton said on Monday. “Chandler and AJ are such high-energy guys that, to be very honest with you, I didn't realize that I would miss that energy and that aggressiveness that they bring to our team as much as we did on this trip.”

Don’t let the second part of that quote slip away. For a coach who embraces the team concept, one who once had a motto of “heart and hustle,” Hamilton offered up a jab at his players’ energy in losses to Cal and Stanford.

A more pressing question: How many ACC-caliber players does FSU have on this roster right now? Is this Hamilton’s fault? The assistant coaches’ fault? Is this FSU’s prestige in the viewpoint of high school recruits and transfers? Is this the NIL capabilities afforded to Hamilton? All are legitimate questions worth examining.

Jamir Watkins and Malique Ewin have been forced to shoulder the load and they have also been consistent scorers. It’s impressive that Hamilton and the staff were able to keep Watkins and help his development for pro basketball. And Ewin has shown to be one of FSU’s most versatile big men in recent years.

Point guard Daquan Davis has logged heavy minutes as a freshman. At times, he’s looked like one, but his upside is evident and he was elevated to the starting lineup in January. Sophomore Taylor Bol Bowen is energetic and a good shot blocker, but he has been inconsistent as a scorer. What Jackson lacks as a jump shooter he has made up for as a tough driver to the basket.

How many ACC-caliber players do you count? You might have stopped at two but did you get past five? Hamilton wins with players 6 through 10 off the bench. And this 6 through 10 can't be asked to deliver with any consistency.

FSU brought in well-traveled college transfers Justin Thomas and Bostyn Holt, who simply haven’t contributed nearly enough points, rebounds or assists. Thomas’ eight rebounds and five assists against Georgia Tech are notable, but he hasn’t had a 10-point game against ACC opponents. Holt started in November and December but has done little since coming off the bench in January.

Jerry Deng has been a good pickup, a 3-point shooter who has scored 11 points in losses to Clemson and Cal. But he too has been inconsistent in his second college season following a transfer from Hampton, although that’s to be expected considering the jump in competition.

The bottom line is the roster features so many new pieces, transfers and freshmen. That’s the nature of college basketball for not just FSU but every coach around the country. But for an FSU coaching staff that focuses on long-term development, the comings and goings with the portal haven’t lined up with how Hamilton traditionally runs the program.

What’s the overall investment in FSU hoops: This discussion requires context. It’s not as simple as saying Hamilton should retire. His $2.25 million salary is incentive-laden but also far below market when considering Auburn’s Bruce Pearl ($5.7 million) and Tennessee’s Rick Barnes ($5.7 million) make more than double his salary, according to USA Today's database.

Even in his final season at Virginia, Tony Bennett earned $4 million. A large number of ACC schools are private and don’t have to report salaries via open-records requests. It’s tough to pinpoint how many ACC coaches make more than Hamilton. But it’s easy to state that FSU’s next head coach would demand a higher salary.

But it takes more than just a head coach’s salary. It’s assistant coaches and support staff. When Charlton Young was hired away from FSU by Missouri a few years ago, he more than doubled his salary. Young’s recruiting connections, day-to-day coaching and player development were valuable to those Sweet 16 teams.

Hamilton has long called FSU a hoops “new blood” as the program tries to compete with blue bloods like Duke and North Carolina. And, again, he often did just that with deep rosters that resulted in Sweet 16 teams as recently as 2021.

But the portal and NIL have dramatically altered the landscape. While there’s no database or transparency in NIL budgets and contracts, FSU clearly had enough money to retain Watkins and attract Ewin — but not enough to build a deep roster in the current climate that can reach the NCAA Tournament.

The discussion will likely change with revenue sharing, where schools will split $20.5 million among their athletes (if settlements are approved in April). FSU is expected to distribute 75 percent to football athletes, with the other sports left to divide the rest. Schools can divide how they wish, and it goes without saying that some basketball-centric schools will allocate a higher percentage to assure on-court success.

This would require an NIL collective, The Battle’s End, to put together marketing contracts with local, regional and national advertisers to supplement revenue sharing dollars earmarked toward basketball players. Schools that have a basketball-centric alumni base of businessmen and women will likely find firm footing in this new era.

Does the FSU community — from school administrators to businesspeople to casual fans — want basketball to compete with the big boys? It will take an overall investment that far surpasses the current budgets, one that is also stretched with two major football projects. It will take more fans in the stands, bringing in needed revenue through season ticket sales and booster contributions and have the desire to fund the program’s growth.

Is FSU attractive to a coach? Hamilton has turned around basketball programs at Oklahoma State, Miami and FSU. Nobody has taken on three rebuilds at three football schools and achieved his level of success.

In some regards, Hamilton’s turnaround of FSU basketball has started this conversation — FSU can’t go four years without a postseason bid because Hamilton has elevated the program. We’re at the point where competing for the NCAA Tournament is an expectation for FSU hoops.

If Hamilton is not renewed, someone in the coaching community will want this job. It remains to be seen if that’s a mid-major coach, power conference assistant or a person from the FSU family (Luke Loucks, for example, is currently an assistant with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings).

But the coach will need a higher salary, higher assistant coaching pool and must engage the fan base to help in the rebuild. It won’t be cheap.

And one more wrinkle: The transfer portal opens in mid-March.

What do you think? Let’s start the conversation below.

Whether you find it intriguing or funny, post it here. I'll start.

Login to view embedded media

A
Change Text Size

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  

---

Written by Adam Stanley@Adam_Stanley
The PGA TOUR returns to one of its most iconic venues, while this week also marks a highly anticipated return for a pair of top-ranked Texans.
Both Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth are set to tee it up this week at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after returning from injuries that required surgery. It is the 2025 PGA TOUR debut for both Scheffler and Spieth, while Rory McIlroy is also set to make his first TOUR start of the season.
The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am will once again feature 80 of the TOUR’s best, earning their way into the field thanks to their finishes through 2024 on the FedExCup standings, or an impressive start to 2025 via the Aon Swing 5.

Here’s everything else you need to know as the PGA TOUR’s second Signature Event of the season is about to begin.
FIELD NOTES: Scottie Scheffler is back. Scheffler, who suffered a puncture wound making ravioli on Christmas Day and needed surgery, is making his 2025 PGA TOUR debut after a magical 2024 campaign that saw him capture Player of the Year honors. Scheffler was scheduled to play both The Sentry and The American Express. In his AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am debut a year ago, Scheffler finished T6. … Rory McIlroy is also set to make his PGA TOUR debut in 2025 after opening his season on the DP World Tour and finishing T4 at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. McIlroy notched two victories on TOUR a year ago and sits No. 3 in the world. … Wyndham Clark returns as the defending champion, looking to become the first person to go back-to-back at Pebble Beach since 2009-10. Clark won last year’s event after a third-round 60, as the event was shortened to 54 holes. This is Clark’s third start of the season. He finished T15 at The Sentry. … Other past winners in the field include Justin Rose, Tom Hoge, Jordan Spieth (more on Spieth below) and Nick Taylor,who won the Sony Open in Hawaii in a playoff earlier in January. … Harris English returns to action following his first PGA TOUR win since 2021 after capturing the Farmers Insurance Open, while Hideki Matsuyama (The Sentry) and Sepp Straka (The American Express) are also in-season winners teeing it up.
HIGHEST RANKED PLAYERS IN THE FIELD
SPONSOR EXEMPTIONS: Spieth returns to action on the PGA TOUR for the first time since the FedEx St. Jude Championship last summer. Spieth had wrist surgery at the end of August last year. Earlier this month Spieth said that he went nearly 12 weeks before he could hit balls and another month before he played his first round, but plans to play three straight weeks in his return. Spieth has played the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 12 times and has recorded six top-10s, including a win in 2017. He finished runner-up in 2022. … Rickie Fowler is back at Pebble Beach, where his best result came in 2010. Fowler will be teeing it up for the second time this season, after finishing T21 at The American Express. … Gary Woodland returns to a place where the biggest win of his career took place. The winner of the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach is making his second start of the season after finishing T16 at the Sony Open. His best finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was a T5 in 2017. … Harry Hall looks to continue his tremendous start to 2025. He started his year with back-to-back top 10s in Hawaii before adding a T21 at The American Express. He finished T34 in his debut at Pebble Beach in 2023.
SIGNATURE EVENT STORYLINES: Those who qualified for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am via their finish in the Aon Swing 5 (which concluded after the Farmers Insurance Open), were Sam Stevens, J.J. Spaun, Andrew Novak, Justin Lower and Lee Hodges. Stevens topped the Aon Swing 5 list after his solo second at Torrey Pines. … Qualifying for The Genesis Invitational via the Aon Swing 5 comes from the top FedExCup points earners from the Sony Open in Hawaii, The American Express, plus the Farmers Insurance Open and the WM Phoenix Open.


1:10



Play Video
Aon Next 10, Aon Swing 5 returns in 2025 offering pathways to qualification for TOUR’s Signature Events

COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10 UPDATES: With his win at the Farmers Insurance Open, Harris English catapulted himself into the COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10 moving all the way from 109th to 4th in the standings. … Sam Stevens, who finished solo-second, also made an impressive leap, going from 107th to 11th. … Ludvig Åberg and Corey Conners were bumped to Nos. 12 and 13, respectively, in the standings with English moving inside.
COURSE: The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am reverted to a two-course rotation for 2024 with the smaller Signature Event field.

• Pebble Beach: Par 72, 6,972 yards. Since last year’s tournament, the sixth green has been rebuilt and more than 50 trees were planted.
• Spyglass Hill: Par 72, 7,041 yards. December storms took out approximately 30 trees including the featured cypress on No. 16. The irrigation system has been updated since last year.

72-HOLE RECORD: 265, Brandt Snedeker (2015)
18-HOLE RECORD:

• Pebble Beach record: 60, Wyndham Clark (third round, 2024)
• Spyglass Hill record: 62, Phil Mickelson (first round, 2005), Luke Donald (first round, 2006)

LAST TIME: In a weather-shortened event, Clark, on the back of a third-round, course-record 60, was triumphant at Pebble Beach. He topped Åberg by one after his 12-under effort in the third round turned out to be the finale. The tournament’s initial final round was postponed to Monday because of inclement weather, but after further assessment from local officials and the PGA TOUR, “out of an abundance of caution” they cut the event to 54 holes. It was Clark’s third TOUR title.
Matthieu Pavon, who had won the Farmers Insurance Open the week prior, finished third – two shots back – while Mark Hubbard and Thomas Detry rounded out the top five.

How to follow (all times ET)​

Television:

• Thursday-Friday: 3-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
• Saturday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-7 p.m. (CBS)
• Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6:30 p.m. (CBS)

PGA TOUR LIVE:
PGA TOUR LIVE is available exclusively on ESPN+

• Main feed: Primary tournament-coverage featuring the best action from across the course.
• Marquee group: New “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group.
• Featured groups: Traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups.
• Featured holes: Combination of par 3s and iconic or pivotal holes.

PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and free at PGATOUR.com/liveaudio

• Thursday-Friday: 1-7 p.m
• Saturday: 2-7 p.m.
• Sunday: 1-6:30 p.m.

Congratulations again to last week's winner R Murray

Mrs BFT maintains the overall season lead

FSU sports information:

The Florida State soccer team has named Erwin van Bennekom as its newest assistant coach, joining reigning ACC champion head coach Brian Pensky, associate head coach Bobby Shuttleworth and assistant coach Micah Bledsoe for the 2025 season.

“We are thrilled to welcome Erwin, his wife Kim, and their son Jackson to FSU,” Pensky said. “Erwin is known nationally as one of the great minds in the women’s game, as well as an outstanding teacher of the game. He will fit in seamlessly with Bobby and Micah based on his ability to help our players develop and help our players win championships. Our jobs are to serve our players and to do so at the very highest level. I continue to be confident that our current and future student-athletes will receive that level of excellence from this staff.”

Van Bennekom joins the Seminoles following a six-year head coaching stint at Indiana, accumulating a 44-39-20 record and leading the Hoosiers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade in 2023. He coached 10 All-Big Ten honorees, six honorees on the All-Big Ten Freshman Team, and the 2023 Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, Jamie Gerstenberg.

“I want to thank Brian Pensky for this opportunity. I’m excited to join the FSU soccer staff and work alongside Brian, Bobby, and Micah,” said van Bennekom. “Over the last decade, FSU soccer has established itself as the top program in the country and the destination for the best players to develop. I’m thrilled to be part of that legacy and help create the best training and playing environment in college soccer.”

Prior to his time at Indiana, van Bennekom was an assistant coach at Duke from 2015-16 before being promoted to associate head coach from 2017-18. Duke performed well with his guidance, making two College Cup appearances and the program’s last National Championship appearance in 2015. The Blue Devils held a 68-17-11 record with van Bennekom and earned 17 All-ACC selections, nine NWSL draft picks, six United Soccer Coaches All-Americans, four ACC Player of the Year honors, and four Hermann Trophy semifinalists.

A native of the Netherlands, van Bennekom served two stints as an assistant coach at Sky Blue FC, now NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2013 and 2015, and was as an assistant coach at Alabama in 2014. He began his coaching career with NJIT as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2011-13.

Van Bennekom began his coaching career after an impressive playing career that saw him compete in a variety of semi-professional leagues in the United States from 2006-09. He also played in the first division of the National Futsal League in Holland from 2002-04. Growing up, van Bennekom was a member of Holland’s youth academy system. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sports management at De Haagse Hogeschool.

Do anyone know when tickets go on sale for the Bama game.

FSU 66 VT 76 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (minus the good)


The Good

I see no reason to list anything what little good this team did tonight. It would be pointless.


The Bad

Big deal this team whittled down a 22 point deficit to just five points. Where was that effort in the first half? That by far was the worst basketball FSU has played this season. The 35-15 half time score was the lowest offensive output for FSU to date. Right from the start it was the Hokies who clearly wanted it more. After the 'Noles loss to Stanford, Leonard Hamilton said his was disappointed with his team's effort. I have no idea what he might have called that abomination behind closed doors at the break. He wanted his team to come out aggressive on offense. That was anything but aggressive. It was simply a horrible effort as FSU, who was favored to win the game, never led. The baby races they had at intermission were more interesting than what fans saw in that first half.

So let's get to the "fun" facts. Coming into the game, FSU led the series 38-25. Make that 38-26. Coming into the game, FSU was 12-1 at home vs VT. Make that 12-2. The previously lone win in Tally by the Hokies occurred in 1990. Coming etc, etc, etc, VT was 5-23 in true road games. Make that 6-23 and was their second true road win this season.

So with the loss, FSU (13-8, 4-6) now has a three game losing streak while VT ended a three game losing streak.

You can kiss the NCAA goodbye (if you hadn't already). Coming into blah, blah, blah Florida State had avoided any bad losses meaning Quad 3 or 4 losses. Tonight was a Quad 4 loss. FSU's NET was 73. VT was 187. That obviously will change, and not for the better, tomorrow. With ten games remaining, does anyone see this team winning at a minimum seven games to have any kind of chance to be invited to The Dance? I sure don't. Especially with the loaded schedule down the stretch.

Give VT a lot of credit with the defense they threw at the Seminoles. Clearly the goal was to stop Watkins and Ewin and make other players beat them. I have mentioned this before that more scoring support from other players is needed. And the Hokies did a masterful job with their defense in how they used double teams trapping Ewin especially along the baseline. The result was Watkins and Ewin's double digit streaks (17 games each) comes to an end. Watkins had 9 points and Ewin just 2. VT disrupted anything FSU tried to do offensively (whatever that was they were trying to do because I have no idea what it was they were actually trying to do).

Talking about effort or the lack thereof, three FSU players are around the basket for the rebound. And yet Lawal worked his way right in there and gets the board. To top it off, he was fouled.

BTW, new baskets were installed yesterday. Could they possibly be traded in for better ones? Baskets where our players actually make FGs. Just searching for anything to help the team be better.

We will give a quick shout out to the refs. How Davis was called for blocking and Lawal not called for charging on that one play is bumfuzzling to me. Is there some rule I am not aware of where the defender has to be a statue for 10 seconds before the offensive player is called for charging?


The Ugly

And speaking of missing FGs. FSU could not make anything. It did not matter what kind of shot it was, lay up, jump shot, floater, three pointer, FT, slam dunk (Christian Nitu will NOT be looking forward to reviewing the game film), the Seminoles missed it. The shooting was so bad, it gave new meaning to the phrase could not hit the broadside of a barn. FSU was 21% from the floor over the first twenty minutes and 0-8 from the arc. But remember ...... they shoot well in practice.

But at least Justin Thomas scored .......... scored his first points in four games.

One .......... as in one, just one, assist in the first period. Pretty good indicator that nobody was scoring.

This should not be a surprise, but when this team is not creating offense from its defense, it is in big trouble. And that is what happened. When FSU made a run that closed it to 49-43, it was defense that created those scoring opportunities. Opponents however seems to have adjusted and have short circuited the Seminole offense. Take care of the ball and FSU can't score. As was the case tonight where VT is dead last in the ACC in turning the ball over 13.8 times per game. FSU leads the ACC forcing 15 miscues per game. Tonight VT coughed it up only 10 times, five each half. It was actually the Hokies who were the ones with active hands creating 9 steals to FSU's 6.

The bench side seats. It was a bad enough visual when the game began and maybe 300 (at best) were in those seats only to have maybe 25 people still in their seats in the final minute.


Up Next

FSU heads for the frozen tundra of Boston on Saturday where the low is predicted to be 10 degrees. Tip off is at 2 PM and to be broadcast on the ACCN. The Eagles (not to be confused with your grandparents favorite band) are currently on a six game losing streak. When we last saw BC (9-11, 1-8), they were snatching defeat from the the jaws of victory last Saturday as they led by four with 26 seconds left, managed to let UNC tie the game, and then give it away in OT to the Tar Heels, 102-96. BC will have had the entire week off since that loss.

Worst first half of the season (statistically) for FSU. And likely the worst we have seen from FSU in a half in a long time

FSU (13-7, 4-5 ACC) plays host to Virginia Tech on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The game will be on the ACC Network.

Looking to finish up a hot-and-cold January, the Seminoles have won three straight ACC home games. FSU is looking to finish up January with a 5-3 mark with a win.

Jamir Watkins crossed the 1,400-point mark at Stanford. He has scored in double figures in 17 straight games, as has Malique Ewin.

In his last game against VT, Watkins scored a career-high 34 points in an 86-76 win at the ACC Tournament in Washington, D.C., last March.

In his first nine ACC games, Ewin is averaging 17.3 points.

FSU still leads the ACC in blocks (106 and 5.3 per game) as well as steals (172 and 8.6 per game). Taylor Bol Bowen is averaging 1.6 blocks.

I asked Hamilton on Monday during the ACC zoom about Chandler Jackson's status but there's no update. Jackson missed the Cal and Stanford games.

We'll have updates below in the thread.

Despite a couple of visits early on in his freshman year, the Seminoles fell off in his recruitment and was not one of the contenders named in amongst his top schools back in October. The hiring of Herb Hand encouraged Bear to take a second look at the program on Saturday's junior day.

This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.

Squirrel White has lived up to the nickname he's had since early childhood, establishing himself as a fast and agile wideout in space who can be lethal with the ball in his hands.

After a productive Tennessee career, White believes FSU's offense is the right fit for his final year of eligibility and is ready to prove it this fall.

FSU sports information:

Florida State junior Luke Clanton was named to the watch list for the 2025 Ben Hogan Award on Wednesday.

Given by the Hogan Trophy Award Foundation, the Friends of Golf (FOG) and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA), Clanton was one of 35 of the nation's most accomplished golfers on the list, and one of seven from the ACC.

Since 2002, the Ben Hogan Award has honored outstanding amateur collegiate golfers at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, awarding over $900,000 in scholarships to more than 30 universities. Beginning in 1990, however, the same award was labeled as the original Ben Hogan Trophy, being awarded to golfers based on different criteria, being issued at the Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles.

In 2024, Clanton was a semifinalist for the Ben Hogan Award.

Clanton, who is the top-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, competed in four tournaments this fall for the Seminoles. At the East Lake Cup, Clanton won two matches in match play, first defeating Jackson Koivun of Auburn, who is the No.2 WAGR amateur.

Clanton also competed in two PGA events to start off 2025, landing a top 15 finish at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego, finishing out the week shooting 72 and 73. Clanton earned his 18th PGA Tour University Accelerated point, two shy of a PGA Tour card at 20.

FSU just lost five star quarterback Brady Smigiel. Rivals had him rated as the number 13th rated overall prospect, #4 prospect in the state of California and the #3 overall prospect at his position. He would have been the highest rated quarterback FSU landed since Jameis Winston. With the addition of Gus Malzahn to the staff the focus will now turn to a quarterback that may be more of an athlete. So who could FSU take a look at? We will break down the options as the Seminoles need to land a signal caller in the 2026 class.


1) Keisean Henderson (Spring, TX) 6'4-190 - Listed at 6'4. He does not look like he is 6'4 on film. I look at Henderson and think if he could play at FSU so can Smigiel. Like how he can push the ball down the field. Does have a nice arm. Another QB that seems to have all day to throw. Does a good job of leading the receivers up the field. Is accurate with his placement of the ball. May have the strongest arm of all the quarterbacks listed.

2) Dereon Coleman (Orlando, FL) 6'1 170 (Committed to Miami): I would put a full court press on Coleman. In the state finals he had over 100 yards rushing. I bring it up all the time you need at least one ELITE trait. Coleman has ELITE athletic ability. He is a major threat every time the kid runs with the football. He has a very smooth throwing motion. The ball comes out of his hand effortlessly. He did struggle at times in the state title game with being accurate. He also was under tremendous pressure. I feel with the proper coaching the kid can be very good. The one thing that I liked about his play in the state title game is Coleman never seemed to panic. The game never seemed too big for him. Miami has a big time QB coming in the 2025 class Luke Nichol. I think Coleman would have a better shot at starting at FSU.

3) Landon Duckworth (Jackson, AL) 6'3-190 - I can see why Duckworth is on the list of quarterbacks recently offered. He is a big kid. He has a good arm. I would like to see him anticipate his throws a little better. He can beat you with both his legs and arms. He reminds me of Jacoby Brissett coming out of high school. He does a good job of keeping his head up when being pressured. Probably a good fit from an athletic standpoint. He can zip the ball. Like to see him make quicker decisions with the football.

4) Bowe Bentley (Celina, TX) 6'3 205 - When it comes to Texas quarterbacks they really are not easy to evaluate. Every single quarterback I watch in the state of Texas looks like they are playing on a Canadian football field. The fields look super wide and every receiver is wide open and the quarterbacks have all day to throw. Physically he reminds me of Christian Ponder. He runs just like Christian. He has a good arm but it is not elite. I would like to see what he looks like without a clean pocket.

I'll have some notes later. We also talked with a Annabelle Widra and Isa Torres.

FSU departs for Mexico next Wednesday, very early, to start the 2025 season.

Login to view embedded media

A look right here:

FSU sports information:

The No. 25/24 Florida State women's basketball team (16-4, 6-2 ACC) will travel to face Boston College (12-10, 3-6 ACC) at the Conte Forum at 6 p.m. on Thursday in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

The ranked Seminoles have won the past seven of nine meetings over Boston College, and lead the all-time series, 14-3.

Florida State is led by junior guard Ta'Niya Latson, who was named the ACC Player of the Week on Monday followed by capturing USBWA Ann Meyers Player of the Week on Tuesday. Latson leads the nation in scoring with 26.5 points per game, while the Noles hold on to the second-highest average in the country at 91.7 points per game.

The game will air on the ACC Network with Pam Ward and Stephanie White on the call. The Seminole Sport Network can be found on Seminoles.com and 96.5 The Spear.

The Last Time Out

The Seminoles defeated North Carolina on the road, 86-84 in thrilling fashion.

North Carolina tied the game with 3.2 seconds left. Following a timeout, Latson got the ball in her hands and drove to the basket as time expired, capturing the first ranked win for the Noles this season.

Latson led the Noles in scoring, posting 25 points and dished seven assists.

Sydney Bowles led the team from three, tying her career high with six made, including a huge shot from distance with 7.2 seconds remaining to pull ahead, 84-82. Bowles finished with 18 points.

Makayla Timpson finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, while O'Mariah Gordon and Malea Williams each added nine points. Williams also grabbed 11 rebounds, leading the Noles.

Quick 2026 class thoughts on FSU and four more ACC schools from Rivals' John Garcia: