Florida State AD Michael Alford assesses Norvell, the new football facility and The Battle's End

Within one week after being named Florida State’s athletic director last December, Michael Alford made a decision that may have seemed perplexing at the time.

The former Seminole Boosters CEO gave FSU football coach Mike Norvell a one-year contract extension through the 2026 season.

Alford had every reason to take a wait-and-see approach with Norvell. 

He did not hire him. David Coburn did. The Seminoles also were fresh off a 5-7 campaign, their fourth straight losing season. And after starting 8-13 in his first two seasons, Norvell was not exactly a threat to leave for a better job.

The results were not there, but Alford wanted to show his belief that they were coming.

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“People look at wins and losses. I look at a lot more than that,” Alford told the Democrat in a wide-ranging interview earlier this week. “When you are seeing what he is building, I just wanted to make the first step to say, ‘Hey, you are 100% supported.’”

Almost a year later, Alford has to feel validated about his initial gesture.

No. 13 FSU (9-3) has an opportunity to capture its first 10-win season since 2016 when facing Oklahoma (6-6) in the Cheez-It Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Dec. 29 (5:30 p.m. on ESPN).

Next season, the Seminoles are in a prime position to take an even bigger step forward.

Most of FSU’s key players, including quarterback Jordan Travis, have announced their intentions to return. The Seminoles have already landed a few impressive transfer commitments as well: defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. (Miami) and tight ends Jaheim Bell (South Carolina) and Kyle Morlock (Shorter University).

“(Norvell) gets the right fit for what the big plan is. Not the short plan,” Alford said. “It was not a quick fix when he got here. We are going to build it, and we are going to build it the right way and for long-term success and sustainability.

“And that is what is exciting, to see the growth.”

It’s now fair to wonder whether Norvell could be in line to receive another amendment to his contract this offseason. Especially when considering how his annual salary compares to other head coaches in the country.

Among the 120 FBS head coaching salaries that USA TODAY tracked this season, Norvell’s $4.5 million total pay ranked No. 5 in the ACC and No. 33 nationally. The total pay of three coaches – Alabama’s Nick Saban, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and Georgia’s Kirby Smart – more than doubled that number.

“We are always evaluating the marketplace,” said Alford on Norvell’s contract. “We want to make sure that we are competitive within the market. We believe in him, and we are consistently showing him support and that we believe in the direction in the program.

“So it is something that we are always evaluating.”

In his first football offseason, Alford accomplished more than just extending Norvell’s contract.

The amount of money spent toward football support staffers nearly doubled. The playing surfaces across all athletic fields were replaced. Doak Campbell Stadium received updates. And the work done toward building the new football operations facility, which will break ground Saturday, moved along as scheduled.

What Alford has in store this offseason – especially with the football program in a much better place – will be worth monitoring.

“At the end of the season, we will sit down and make an evaluation,” said Alford on Norvell. “I want his feedback, and I will give mine. What he feels he needs, I want to provide. That is a discussion that always takes place at the end of the season, because right now, it is a different mode. 

“But we want to make sure we are providing the proper resources to have an elite program. What that means, what that next enhancement is, we will talk about. Making sure we have the right personnel around the program, if he needs that to be adjusted, we will talk about it. 

“I know it is something that he is always evaluating. He knows that he is going to have full support of what he needs to enhance the program to be better.”

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More details on the new Dunlap Football Center

FSU plans to hold a groundbreaking ceremony Saturday for its new standalone football operations facility, the Dunlap Football Center.

President Richard McCullough, Alford, Norvell, Seminole Boosters CEO Stephen Ponder and a Dunlap family representative plan to speak at the event.

The building, which is estimated to be 150,000 square feet and worth approximately $100 million, will be attached to the indoor Dunlap Athletic Training Facility and overlook the outdoor practice fields.

“It is going to make such a difference not only in football, but for all of our programs,” Alford said. “Because now, the weight room times, the training room times and what we are able to do to have that availability for the other 19 sports is also going to be very beneficial.

“It gets us modern.”

Position meeting rooms, a locker room, offices for the coaching staff, strength training and weight room centers, virtual reality/performance enhancement areas and nutrition/fueling stations are among the expected amenities in the new facility.

The project started to receive fundraising in 2018 and is anticipated to be complete by the late summer of 2024.

“Everything is geared for the student-athlete,” Alford said. “We don’t have a putt-putt course. We don’t have a slide. We don’t have a lazy river. Everything that we are doing is for their betterment.”

Alford supportive of FSU’s new NIL collective, The Battle’s End

State law prohibits Alford from being directly involved with The Battle’s End.

But he likes what he has heard so far about the new NIL collective, which launched earlier this month and is geared toward supporting FSU athletics, particularly the football program.

“They are apparently doing a good job,” Alford said. “We can’t communicate with them or anything along those lines. But I’m supportive of everything that they are doing. The ability to utilize our platform and our brand for all student-athletes to go and use their name, image and likeness to enhance their brand, I am 100% supportive.

“Anything I can do legally to support it, I am. They are doing it the right way, both collectives (The Battle's End and Rising Spear)."

Ingram Smith, CEO of The Battle’s End, told the Democrat last week that the collective is currently focused on roster retention for the Seminole football program. The Battle’s End has acknowledged NIL deals with 17 football players, including Travis, as of Thursday night.

FSU looks to educate its student-athletes about NIL through its Apex program, Alford said.

“I know we do a good job educating them as much as we can on taxes, contracts, getting the right people around you, telling stories of having the wrong influence around you, don’t be taken advantage of for a lack of a better term,” Alford said.

“That is our role, to educate them as best as we can.”

Reach Carter Karels at ckarels@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @CarterKarels. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).

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