FSU Football Expected To Receive Significant Sanctions From NCAA For NIL Violations

The Seminoles are expected to be without their offensive coordinator for the first three games of 2024.

Nearly three years after the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), the NCAA has been hesitant to severely penalize schools. That's anticipated to change in the near future.

The governing body of college sports is expected to levy significant sanctions on Florida State for a variety of NIL violations. The penalties come after offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Alex Atkins allegedly facilitated and provided transportation for a prospect and his parents to meet with the program's primary NIL collective at the time, Rising Spear, in 2022.

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The prospect in question is believed to be former Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims. The Seminoles recruited Mims out of high school and hosted him in Tallahassee once he entered the NCAA Transfer Portal in the spring of 2022. He ultimately chose to return to the Bulldogs and recently declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. The report from the NCAA says that FSU offered Mims $15,000 per month during his first year at the school.

For the violations, Atkins will be suspended for the first three games of the 2024 regular season and will receive a two-year show-cause. The show-cause means if he's hired elsewhere that school will have to explain the choice to the NCAA. Atkins will remain on staff with the Seminoles.

Florida State must also disassociate with Rising Spear for three years. The collective can still work with FSU Athletes but the university cannot be involved at all.

The penalties from the NCAA are as follows:

• Two years of probation.
• A two-year show cause order for the assistant coach, including a suspension from the next three regular-season games, a two-week restriction on recruiting communication, and required attendance at a NCAA Regional Rules Seminar attendance.
• A restriction from off-campus recruiting during fall 2023 for the assistant coach.
• A three-year disassociation from the booster.
• A one-year disassociation from the collective.
• A $5,000 fine plus 1% of the football budget.
• A 5% reduction in football scholarships over the two-year probationary period, amounting to a total reduction of five scholarships.
• A reduction in official (paid) visits in the football program in the 2023-24 academic year by seven. The school also will not roll over six unused official visits from the 2022-23 academic year.
• A reduction in football recruiting communications for a total of six weeks during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years.
• A reduction in the number of in-person recruiting days during the 2023-24 academic year by six evaluation days during fall 2023 and 18 during spring 2024.

Florida State finished the 2023 season 13-1* and delivered the program's first ACC Championship in nine years. Head coach Mike Norvell and his staff have won 23 of their last 27 games while building a successful program in Tallahassee on and off the field.

Over the last year, The Battle's End has taken on the bulk of NIL responsibilities when it comes to FSU's football program.

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