Is FSU Football’s Lack of Transparency Alienating Its Fan Base?

Florida State is further restricting the amount of information available outside its football program as Mike Norvell enters a pivotal seventh season in Tallahassee, Florida.

After closing practices to the media beginning in the spring of 2025, the Seminoles will not release a public depth chart during the 2026 season.

That trend is expected to continue beyond Saturday’s season opener against New Mexico State, removing another traditional source of information for reporters and fans, while Norvell attempts to rebound from consecutive losing campaigns.

Practice Performance Will Continue to Determine Roles

Sep 6, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Duce Robinson (0) catches a pass over East Texas A&M Lions cornerback Kaleb Miles (1) during the first half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Norvell framed the decision around weekly competition and the difficulty of representing FSU’s personnel groupings on a traditional two-deep. However, it also allows the program to keep its lineup decisions behind closed doors until game day.

“The thought is, let it be season-long,” Norvell said. “For us, practice matters. There are competitive situations. How a guy plays, that’s a huge evaluation that’s going to go into what the next week looks like.”

The number of position groupings that the Seminoles expect to deploy also played a role. Norvell noted that a traditional depth chart would not accurately reflect which players are considered.

“We’ve got four main personnel groupings that we can live in offensively. So, we could put 15 positions up there and say, ‘Well, this guy’s a starter,’” Norvell continued. “Defensively, same thing.”

A Decision That Risks Further Alienating FSU’s Fan Base

Florida State Seminole fans cheer on the football team as they play the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The decision represents another step toward limiting outside visibility into Florida State’s program.

Before spring practice in 2025, Norvell announced that reporters would no longer be permitted to observe daily practices, saying he wanted to create “an atmosphere free of outside perspectives."

Florida State has also continued the pattern by eliminating spring games, in part because of stadium renovations in 2025, but refused to restore the tradition in 2026, citing the importance for fans but also the importance of an extra practice where the Seminoles wouldn't have to "hold back" parts of the playbook for future opponents.

But eliminating public depth charts reduces the information available about player roles before game day.

The change comes as Norvell enters a pivotal seventh season following consecutive losing years. Florida State retained him after 2025, but university president Richard McCullough emphasized the importance of success within the athletics department and, more specifically, the football program.

A preseason depth chart does not guarantee playing time; it gives supporters a starting point for understanding the roster.

The decision adds another barrier at a time when Florida State needs to restore faith and trust; providing less information risks widening the divide between the program and a fan base rife with boosters still waiting to see tangible progress.

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