Seminole Wrap: Talking with Seminole Booster CEO Michael Alford

At a recent Board of Trustees meeting, it was revealed that Florida State went from nearly 13,000 boosters to 9,000 — a startling statistic in a normal year, let alone one that has seen multiple obstacles and challenges in improving revenue.

It’s something compounded by the fact that there’s been an overall downturn in financial support for the football program — season ticket sales have fallen year over year, with only around 30,000 being sold in 2019 — a nearly 5,000 difference from 2014.

Enter new Seminole Boosters, Inc. CEO Michael Alford, who was officially introduced as longtime leader Andy Miller’s replacement this fall after being hired over the summer.

Alford has the resume you’d want to see in the person tasked with kicking FSU fundraising into high gear: While serving in the equivalent position for Oklahoma’s booster organization, he helped break donation records every year from 2013-17, which played a part in stadium renovations as well as a brand new basketball facility. He also was a part of facility upgrades to Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium, as well as being a key part in the construction of the then-unprecedented Dallas Cowboy’s AT&T Stadium.

We sat down with him to discuss a bit of his background, his goals moving forward for the organization, plans for the program and, of course, what band his parents wouldn’t let him see when he was younger.

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