DeSantis vows to set aside $1M for lawsuits after FSU football snub
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed Tuesday to reserve $1 million in state funds for possible litigation over the exclusion of Florida State University from this year’s College Football Playoff.
While rolling out his budget proposal for 2024-25, DeSantis revealed his plan to set the money aside and blasted the playoff committee’s snub of the Seminoles despite their 13-0 record and Atlantic Coast Conference championship — insisting that FSU “earned a spot” only to be denied by a “very, very controversial ruling.”
The governor made a point of explaining that the $1 million will cover “any litigation expenses that may come as a result of this really, really poor decision by the College Football Playoff to exclude an undefeated team.”
It was unclear whether Florida State would pursue litigation or what remedy it could seek.
“What we learned today is that you can go undefeated and win your conference championship game, but the College Football Playoff committee will ignore these results. Congratulations to @FSUFootball on an outstanding season and winning the ACC championship!” DeSantis wrote on X Sunday after Florida State’s rejection was official.
In the four-team playoff, held on New Year’s Day, top-ranked and undefeated Big Ten champion Michigan will battle 12-1 SEC champion Alabama in one semifinal at the Rose Bowl. In the second semifinal, held at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, unbeaten and second-ranked Pac-12 champion Washington will face No. 3 Big 12 winner Texas, who has a record of 12-1 and a head-to-head win over Alabama to their credit.
Florida State, who lost star quarterback Jordan Travis to a broken leg in the penultimate game of the regular season against North Alabama, will have to make do with a place in the Orange Bowl Dec. 30 against SEC runner-up Georgia.
Other prominent Floridians also decried the snub, with Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) penning a letter to the committee demanding “total transparency … regarding how this decision was reached and what factors may have been at play in reaching this outcome.”
Former President Donald Trump used Florida State’s disappointment to take a tongue-in-cheek shot at his rival for the 2024 GOP nomination.
“Florida State was treated very badly by the ‘Committee.’ They become the first Power Five team to be left out of the College Football Playoffs. Really bad lobbying effort… Lets blame DeSanctimonious!!!” the 77-year-old posted on Truth Social, using one of his pet nicknames for the Florida governor.
DeSantis shrugged off the broadside in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham.
“He also took Disney’s side against us when we stood up for the kids,” he said. “He also said [Andrew] Cuomo in New York did COVID better than we did. And he attacked me for being pro-life.”
The governor concluded by again demanding Trump take part in a debate, telling the former president: “Say it to my face.”
