FSU football turns down bowl game bid after turbulent season

The Florida State Seminoles won't be going bowling, and the news shouldn't be a shock.

Sep 6, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell before the game against the East Texas A&M Lions at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Florida State's 2025 regular season wrapped up more than a week ago following a 40-21 loss to the Florida Gators. The Seminoles finished 5-7, posting a worse than .500 record for the fourth time in head coach Mike Norvell's six seasons in Tallahassee.

At the time, it seemed like the campaign was over since FSU failed to pick up its sixth win. However, a shortage of teams in the postseason has made things interesting.

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Following the unveiling of the College Football Playoff bracket on Sunday, other bowl games around the country have begun to become public knowledge. Despite there being one spot available, it appears Florida State won't play football again this year.

Florida State Declines Bowl Game Invitation

Nov 29, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Tommy Castellanos (1) runs the ball during the third quarter against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images | Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

The postseason was all but set until the last few days. Iowa State and Kansas State elected not to participate in bowl games due to coaching changes. Notre Dame decided to exit the field after being snubbed from the College Football Playoff.

When there aren't enough eligible teams for the postseason, the NCAA considers programs that are transitioning to the FBS, which typically cannot compete in a bowl game in their first season after moving up. That allowed Missouri State and Delaware to advance to the postseason.

There was still one open slot in the JLAB Birmingham Bowl against Georgia Southern. That had the NCAA gauging eligible 5-7 teams, which are sorted based on APR (Academic Progress Rates).

Florida State was among the top options. With that being said, to no surprise, the Seminoles have declined to participate in a bowl game, per On3's Brett McMurphy.

At least 7 teams that were 5-7 have now declined a bowl bid: Florida State, Auburn, UCF, Baylor, Rutgers, Temple & Kansas, sources told @On3sports. The quest continues to find an opponent for Georgia Southern in the Birmingham Bowl

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 8, 2025

Appalachian State stepped in after programs such as FSU, Auburn, UCF, Baylor, Rutgers, and Temple turned down the opportunity.

This shouldn't really be shocking to Florida State fans, as the Seminoles are focused on moving forward at this point. FSU has already fired defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain Sr. Plus, three players declared their intentions to move on for various reasons (DL Darrell Jackson Jr. - NFL, DE LaJesse Harrold - portal, LB Jayden Parrish - portal), with more to come in the near future.

While sitting on the sidelines, Florida State will be looking to upgrade its roster and coaching staff to prevent another failure in 2026.

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