Introducing the ACC: Florida State Seminoles

Florida State is the defending conference champion in football and will be Cal's first ACC opponent

Florida State Seminoles symbols Chief Osceola and Renegade / Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

After more than a century as a member of the Pac-12 Conference, Cal has moved into the Atlantic Coast Conference. To introduce Cal fans to the Bears’ new conference rivals, we will profile each of the other ACC schools.  Today we introduce you to Florida State:

FLORIDA STATE

NICKNAME: Seminoles

MASCOT: Chief Osceola and horse Renegade (Florida State does not have an official mascot but Chief Osceola has represented FSU on the field during football games)

LOCATION: Tallahassee, Florida (pop. 201,731)

MILES FROM BERKELEY: 2,220 miles

MAJOR AIRPORT: Tallahassee International Airport, Tallahassee, Florida

YEAR FOUNDED: 1851, as West Florida Seminary, became Florida State University in 1947

ENROLLMENT 32,936 undergraduate

TUITION: $6,517 in-state tuition and fees; $21,683 out-of-state tuition and fees

CAMPUS LANDMARK: Westcott Fountain and Plaza. Originally built in 1915, the fountain is located on campus, and people are traditionally thrown into the fountain on their 21st birthday.  

MOST POPULAR SPORTS BARS/RESTAURANTS: Horizons Bar & Grill; Glory Days Grill, Zingales Billiards & Sports Bar; 4th Quarter

FAMOUS NON-ATHLETE ALUMNI: Former San Francisco mayor Art Agnos (masters) ‘68; actor Burt Reynolds (attended and received honorary degree in ’81); TV sports commentator Lee Corso ’57; fitness personality Richard Simmons ’73; singer-songwriter Jim Morrison (attended Florida State, graduated from UCLA).

ATHLETIC WEBSITE: Seminoles.com

FOOTBALL

COACH: Mike Norvell (5th year)

STADIUM: Doak S. Campbell Stadium (79,560 capacity)

CAL ON THE SCHEDULE: September 21, 2024, at Florida State (Cal’s first ACC game)

2023 RECORD: 13-1, 9-0/1st in ACC

BEST PLAYER ON THE 2024 TEAM: Redshirt junior defensive end Patrick Payton (14.5 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 10 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles in 2023)

MOST RECENT BOWL APPEARANCE: 2023 (Lost to Georgia 63-3 in Orange Bowl)

BOWL HISTORY: 49 appearances (29-18-2), including national championship games in 1993, 1999, 2013

MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 2023

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 3 (1993, 1999, 2013)

BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Defensive back Deion Sanders (College Football of Fame; NFL Hall of Fame; 6-time first-team All-Pro)

ALSO: Charlie Ward, Derrick Brooks, Fred Biletnikoff

BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Bobby Bowden (315-98-4, 2 national championships, in 34 seasons, 1976-2009)

ALL-TIME RECORDS VS. CAL (most recent meeting): Never faced each other

Boston Celtics center and former Florida State star Dave Cowens / Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports

MEN’S BASKETBALL

COACH: Leonard Hamilton (443-281 in 22 seasons)

ARENA: Tucker Center (12,500 capacity)

2023-24 RECORD: 17-16, 10-10/tied 8th in ACC

BEST PLAYER IN 2024-25: Redshirt junior forward Jamir Watkins (2024 all-ACC honorable mention, withdrew from NBA draft and withdrew from transfer portal)

MOST RECENT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2021 (lost to Michigan in Sweet 16)

MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 2020 ACC champion

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY: 18 NCAA tournament appearances, 0 national championships, 1 Final Four, 1 national championship game (1972, lost to UCLA 81-76)

BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Dave Cowens (1973 NBA MVP, 8-time NBA all-star, 2-time NBA champion, NBA Hall of Fame)

BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Hugh Durham (230-95, 12 seasons, .708 winning percentage, 3 NCAA tournament appearances, 1 NCAA tournament runnerup, lost to UCLA 1972)

ALL-TIME RECORD VS. CAL (most recent meeting): 1-0 (Florida State won 80-77 on Nov. 29, 2008)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 

Florida State Seminoles guard Ta'Niya Latson / David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

COACH: Brooke Wyckoff (46-21 in 2 seasons)

ARENA: Tucker Center (12,500 capacity)

2023-24 RECORD: 23-11, 12-6/tied 5th in ACC

BEST PLAYER IN 2024-25: Junior guard Ta’Niya Latson (first-team all-ACC in 2023-24, 21.4 points per game)

MOST RECENT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2024 (lost to Alabama in first round)

MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 2009-10 (tied for first ACC)

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY: 22 appearances (24-22), 3 Elite Eights (2010, 2015, 2017)

BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Sue Galkantas (1981-84, school leader in career points, 2,323; second in career rebounds, 1,006; jersey retired)

BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Sue Semrau (492-271 record in 24 seasons, 2 conference championships, 16 NCAA tournament appearances)

ALL-TIME RECORD VS. CAL (most recent meeting): 0-1 (Cal won 69-50 on Dec, 22, 1992)

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

MISCELLANEOUS

VARSITY SPORTS (18): Football, baseball, softball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf, men’s and women’s track and field, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, women’s volleyball, women’s soccer, women’s beach volleyball

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (18): Football (1993, 1999, 2013); women’s soccer (2014, 2018, 2021, 2023); softball (2018); men’s gymnastics (1951, 1952); men’s outdoor track and field (2006, 2008); women’s outdoor track and field (1984); women’s indoor track and field (1985); men’s volleyball (1955, 1957, 1958); women’s golf (1982).

BEST ALL-TIME NON-FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL ATHLETE: Baseball catcher Buster Posey (2012 National League MVP, 7-time all-star)

MOST FAMOUS OLYMPIAN: Diver Phil Boggs (gold medal in springboard diving at 1976 Olympics)

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