Mike Norvell is not the most popular man in Tallahassee at the moment.
The Florida State Seminoles have fallen a huge way down from their days as a national college football powerhouse.
On Monday night, in their first big clash of the season, they lost a tough game to SMU. The rising program out of Dallas, which is now in the ACC, has been very good in recent years, so it’s not a totally miserable loss — but it is the kind of game that previous iterations of Florida State would’ve expected to win.
Now? Pretty much nothing is certain with FSU. Norvell’s future is in doubt. The program’s hopes of joining a bigger conference aren’t as believable as they once were.
It’s a weird time to be a Florida State football fan.
That’s true in part because on Tuesday, rumors are going around that Norvell has been fired. So what gives?
Is Mike Norvell Fired?
No, Norvell hasn’t been fired.
That rumor is trending because of this fake post on social media:
BREAKING: Florida State and Mike Norvell have parted ways. Norvell went 39-35 in six season with the Seminoles.
Via @PeteNokosNorvells buyout is worth $51 million, the payout will reportedly be distributed in monthly installments of roughly $800,000 through 2031. pic.twitter.com/FWKVcL8FqJ
— No3 Sports (@No3sports) September 8, 2026
As you’ll note, that’s not from the legitimate website On3 Sports, but from a parody account called No3 Sports.
It’s funny if you understand that it’s fake news, but plenty of fans likely initially think that it’s real, especially because of that verifying blue checkmark on the account.
If Florida State wanted to fire Norvell, it wouldn’t come cheap.
Mike Norvell Buyout Details
Norvell would cost about $45 million to buy out, according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman.
While that wouldn’t be a record, it’s certainly a lot of money. It would be a tough pill for Florida State to swallow.
Buyout amounts go down over time as less remaining money is owed to a coach, so FSU could try riding the wave a bit longer to see if it gets better.
Norvell looked like a brilliant choice for Florida State when he first came on board. They went 13-0 in the 2023 regular season before being snubbed from the College Football Playoff after their quarterback, Jordan Travis, was injured.
But in 2024, Florida State fell all the way off the table to 2-10.
In 2025, they went 5-7.
They’re now off to a 1-1 start this season. They beat a New Mexico State team they should beat, by a 34-17 score. Then they lost 27-24 to SMU.
It doesn’t get easier after a week off. The Seminoles go to play at Alabama on Sept. 19.
Norvell will likely still be there, because the trending news isn’t real. But it also captures the reality that his seat is quite hot, and he’ll have to turn things around in a hurry to stick around for the long haul.
Is Mike Norvell Fired? Florida State Coaching Rumor Rises After SMU Loss