FSU AD Michael Alford shares updates on facility upgrades, NIL bill

Newly-hired Florida State Seminoles athletic director spoke today during FSU’s Board of Trustees meeting, sharing updates on some facility upgrades, fundraising numbers and efforts to change the state of Florida’s NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) laws.

You can view his entire presentation below, but here are a few key updates:

• According to Alford, FSU has largest alum base in ACC, but only 2% give to athletics (5th in the conference).

• As far as the football-only facility, he says fundraising going well with $53 million pledged. He and other school leaders are reviewing different financial models so they can start process, “put a shovel in the ground.” They’re still trying to secure an additional $50 million in funds.
• Locker room renovation project will be completed March 18th

• Upgrades to Florida State’s basketball recruiting path, which has not been updated since 2011, are in design phase

• As for new Jumbotrons for softball and soccer, $1.4 million has been raised and the university is aiming for a summer 2022 installation

• New Doak updates include an updated Dunlap Champions Club, new Renegade Club in south end zone where Marching Chiefs used to sit

• And finally, an NIL update: Alford and other leaders have met with state reps, while FSU’s legal office has worked on the bill that’s going through legislature
• In discussions with state leader, Alford says that they’ve laying out what other states have done, and have met with a US senator thinking of putting a bill in Congress
• He says he is “100 percent behind NIL,” but does think there’s a need for safeguards

• He has a call scheduled next Wednesday to get an update on the bill
• Alford: “We can’t compete with what our competitors in other states can do at this moment,” specifically citing the competitive disadvantage FSU is at due to an inability on the school’s part to assist in the process with student athletes

Here’s the full meeting — you’ll have to scrub though and go to about -2:15:00