Oh, College Football How I Love Thee... First Impressions: FSU’s New 2020 Schedule Is Tough

OH, COLLEGE FOOTBALL HOW I LOVE THEE...

By JERRY KUTZ, RETIRED SR. VICE PRESIDENT SEMINOLE BOOSTERS & CURRENT OWNER, PUBLISHER OF THEOSCEOLA.COM

The anticipation has never been greater for football, for Fall Sports, for hearing the Marching Chiefs, for a joyful distraction and a slice of tradition. Never before has the anticipation been so visceral among fans who are comfortable coming to a socially distanced stadium or to those fans who choose to watch the 2020 season on television.

In a normal year, the arrival of a new head football coach would inject a feeling of hope in a program yearning to fulfill the expectation of its storied legacy. When the new coach has the charisma and energy of Mike Norvell – leadership qualities which inspire young men and Seminole fans alike -- folks are eager for the sun rise on the eastern horizon of their program.

We imagine a brighter sun this season, longing to bask in its warmth.

There was the teasing winter, filled with rumors about Seminole players ready to welcome the new coaching staff with embracing arms; eager for discipline and coaching. There were news reports about players buying in to a higher standard, which proved true in a demanding offseason training program. By March, the level of excitement for the spring game was at fever pitch. Seminoles couldn’t wait to see with their own eyes what their hearts wanted to believe.

Hard stop. Three days into a promising spring, all competition and practices abruptly ended; victims of the Corona-19 virus. Seminole fans would have to wait an excruciating six months to satisfy their curiosity and justify their hope.

There would be no spring Garnet and Gold game, no opportunity to dust off tailgating equipment and gather with friends at the oasis, which is normally a respite in the desert of time between the bowl game and the home opener. With no spring sneek peek, anticipation for the dawn of the Norvell era would grow.

Rather than enjoying Seminole runs for National Championships in basketball, track, softball or baseball, Seminole fans instead were isolated at home watching disturbing news and wondering when the sun would rise on Seminole sports.

ENTICING AND CHALLENGING SCHEDULE

The first light broke in late July when the ACC announced the revised 2020 schedule. Seminole fans were elated. Who FSU would play mattered less than the dawn of the Norvell era had been scheduled.

Home games will include Clemson, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville State and Virginia, with road games at Notre Dame, Miami, Louisville, Duke and NC State.

You’ll notice no Florida. The Sunshine State rivalry is one of four in-state rivalries that won’t be played this year, the victim of the SEC Presidents’ decision to play a conferenceonly schedule. But let’s be honest, Seminole football sans the Gators is still better than no football at all.

Enticing and challenging are two adjectives many coaches would use to describe the Seminole football team, which has flashed moments of talent and inconsistency. Creating the right mindset within players that enable them to turn flashes into habitual behaviors is what allowed Mike Norvell to lead Memphis State to a Top 10 ranking and Cotton Bowl Championship. Since arriving on campus, Norvell and his staff have emphasized the importance

of details in every aspect of a player’s day as well as the mental discipline to force yourself to get a little bit better in everything you do every day.

There’s a new attitude among the players; a more confident approach. They believe in their coaches. They believe in their approach to the game. And they have a new-found belief in what they can accomplish as a team and in their individual lives.

It has been exciting to witness throughout the year and cause for excitement this fall as they will be tested by a very challenging gauntlet of opponents.

FOCUS BETWEEN THE LINES, FOR THIS YEAR

The gameday experience will change so colleges can play the games. Consequently, the focus will be on the game itself with other trappings and public gatherings suspended for one season. For most Seminole football fans, the suspensions are a small price to pay in order to play football this fall.

The stadium will be socially distanced, with season ticket blocks separated by six feet, which will limit attendance in Doak Campbell Stadium to 25 percent of its capacity. While

the reduced capacity will diminish crowd noise, fans will enjoy other benefits with reduced traffic, more access to parking and reduced lines at concessions and restrooms.

The public gatherings suspended this season will include the Friday Night Block Party and sod talks. Tailgating will be permitted; Seminole Booster members should follow state and local guidelines and mandates.

HOTEL AVAILABILITY WILL LOWER PRICES

Fans coming to games will find many new hotel options since last football season and at reduced rates.

Seminole football is vital to the Tallahassee Business Community especially hotels and restaurants who depend on season ticket holders. Social distancing will reduce the number of people travelling to Tallahassee this fall and therefore the demand for these services but six home games with reduced capacity will generate more revenue than no games at all.

While the reduced demand isn’t good for hoteliers, it will provide Seminole fans travelling to home games with more options and at a lower price as hotels compete for room nights.