Anniversary Concert Caps a Full Schedule of Nov. 20 Homecoming Festivities 

Florida State University proudly announces rapper and hip-hop artist Flo Rida as the headliner of a special concert to celebrate the university’s 175th anniversary.  

The high-energy performance, sponsored by ReliaQuest, will take place on Friday, Nov. 20 at Dick Howser Stadium following the Homecoming Parade and Seminole Live! 175 Homecoming Carnival. 

“We can’t wait to celebrate FSU’s 175th anniversary with the entire university family during Homecoming weekend,” said FSU President Richard McCullough. “We extend our sincere thanks to ReliaQuest and FSU Trustee Brian Murphy for their generous support in making this concert possible.” 

Born Tramar Dillard in Miami Gardens, Florida, Flo Rida released his debut album, Mail on Sunday, in 2008. His breakout single “Low,” featuring T-Pain, held the No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital download sales at the time of its release. The single was also included in the soundtrack to the movie Step Up 2: The Streets and won the 2008 Teen Choice Awards and 2009 People’s Choice Awards. In addition to his success as an international recording artist, Flo Rida is an accomplished businessman and philanthropist who founded the Big Dreams for Kids Foundation. 

Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show begins at 9 p.m. The anniversary concert is open to Florida State University students. Tickets are free but required to enter Dick Howser Stadium. Additional ticket information will be announced soon. 

This year’s Homecoming theme, “Tradition Takes the Spotlight,” will celebrate FSU’s legacy and Seminole spirit through a week-long lineup of events and programs. Students, parents, alumni, friends and community members are invited to watch the parade at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20.  

The Seminole Live! 175 Homecoming Carnival, sponsored by the Homecoming Council, will take over the Main Campus Fields from 4 to 8 p.m. with free amusement rides, carnival games and entertainment, including performances by the Marching Chiefs, FSU Cheerleaders, the Golden Girls and other student organizations. Carnival tickets are free with details coming soon. 

Florida State’s Homecoming football game against NC State will take place Saturday, Nov. 21. The game will also serve as FSU’s Seminole Heritage game. Kickoff time is TBD.  

For more information, visit homecoming.fsu.edu for FSU Homecoming and 175.fsu.edu for FSU’s 175th anniversary celebration. 

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On football helmets, banners and across the Florida State University community, the Veterans Alliance arrowhead logo has become a visible sign of FSU’s commitment to veterans. But military service has been woven into the fabric of FSU for more than a century and a half.

From the introduction of military training at West Florida Seminary in the 1800s to returning World War II veterans who helped shape the institution, veterans and military-connected students have played an important role in FSU’s 175-year history.

“Among the things that make Florida State special is that the military service threads running throughout our history are recognized, respected and honored by the entire university community,” said William “Billy” Francis, director of FSU’s Student Veterans Center.

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As Florida State University celebrates its 175th anniversary, FSU Libraries’ Special Collections & Archives is inviting alumni and community members to contribute their personal stories, memories and photos to the university’s historical record through the “175 Years in 175 Stories” digital exhibit project.  

University Archivist Taylor Henning and her team have spent nearly two years developing the exhibit, collecting stories of significant events, people and moments in the university’s history.  

“It should be a long-lasting digital exhibit that’s up for years, one that people can refer back to, to learn about university history,” Henning said. “My main goal is for people to be able to see themselves in it.” 

To achieve that goal, Henning and her team invite the public to contribute their own stories and memories to the exhibit.  

“It’s pretty much impossible to tell the whole complete story, and we didn’t want anyone to feel left out of the story or the project,” Henning said. “So, I think the community submissions piece of it is a good way for everyone to be involved.” 

Community members can submit stories about their experiences at FSU, the history of a campus organization or college, or memories passed down by loved ones. The goal is to capture a range of experiences that reflect the university’s rich history. 

The exhibit also celebrates the progress FSU has made in the past 175 years. 

“In a lot of ways, I think the archive is a celebration of how far we’ve come as an institution,” Henning said. “We started in one schoolhouse, and then eventually two dorms. Now that’s become a gigantic campus, an R1 institution that contributes life-changing research to the world, so it’s really been a journey.” 

FSU Libraries is also celebrating the university’s 175 birthday by hosting interactive events at Strozier Library, including a “Bring Your History” time capsule event on Nov. 20. Visitors can also attend a scrapbooking event on Dec. 2 and explore Special Collections to discover student life throughout FSU’s history. 

To share your submission for the “175 Years in 175 Stories” digital exhibit, visit the Libraries Special Collections and Archives webpage. To view upcoming FSU 175 events, visit 175.fsu.edu. 

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From pioneering cancer research and building the world’s most powerful magnets to expanding the frontiers of health, engineering and the arts, Florida State University has spent generations turning research and creative discovery into work that changes lives.

As FSU celebrates its 175th anniversary, that legacy stretches from the university’s earliest research programs to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and today’s rapidly growing FSU Health academic health system.

“Research is central to Florida State University’s mission and essential to the impact we make on Florida, the nation and the world,” said President Richard McCullough. “For generations, FSU researchers have pushed the boundaries of knowledge, tackled complex challenges and transformed bold ideas into discoveries that improve lives. We look to build on that legacy as we continue investing in the research that will drive the next generation of breakthroughs.”

Early research foundations

In 1947, the Florida State College for Women became Florida State University, signifying an expansion of the institution’s mission from undergraduate education to a research enterprise.

The university’s research footprint was also growing. FSU established its first marine laboratory, the Oceanographic Institute, in 1949, followed by additional facilities on the St. Johns River near Jacksonville and on Tampa Bay. The facilities supported research into local fisheries, the oceanography of the Gulf Stream, red tide and other marine science topics.

As the FSU research program developed, the university became a leading institution in the physical sciences, especially physics and chemistry. In 1957, FSU established the High Energy Physics group, the first high-energy physics program in the Southeast. The FSU Accelerator Laboratory — now the John D. Fox Nuclear Accelerator Laboratory — began operations in 1960, helping FSU physicists study low-energy nuclear physics, nuclear astrophysics and the quantum mechanics of atomic nuclei and their reactions, which supports applications like medical treatments, energy production and storage, national security and more.

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Florida State University’s International Programs offers study abroad opportunities in locations across the world, including study centers in London, England; Florence, Italy; Valencia, Spain, a branch campus in Panama City, Republic of Panama as well as faculty-led programs in over 10 other locations. 

FSU is ranked No. 1 among public universities and No. 4 overall for long-term study abroad enrollments in the Institute for International Education’s Open Doors 2025 Report. FSU also ranked No. 10 among public universities and No. 12 overall for number of students studying abroad, with 2,702 students participating in programs in the 2023-2024 academic year. 

Through their First Year Abroad (FYA) and First Semester Abroad (FSA) programs, incoming first-year students at FSU have the opportunity to spend either their first semester or first year of college abroad at FSU’s study centers in Florence, London, Valencia or its branch campus in Panama City, Republic of Panama. The FYA and FSA programs celebrated nearly 3,000 program alumni during their 20th anniversary in the fall of 2025.  

“FSU has a long history of looking beyond its borders and creating opportunities for students to experience the world firsthand,” said Louisa Blenman, executive director of International Programs. “We look forward to continuing to provide traditional study abroad programs while also creating new opportunities for students and faculty to showcase the strengths of the university around the globe.” 

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For 175 years, generations of students have come to Florida State University and its predecessor institutions for an education and the opportunities that come with it.

Those generations include the first students to pursue public higher education in Florida, young women attending Florida State College for Women when access to higher education was limited, veterans returning from World War II and first-generation students charting a new path for themselves and their families.

Today, FSU is one of the nation’s top public universities, drawing record numbers of highly accomplished students while continuing a long tradition of expanding opportunity.

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From modest beginnings to national championships and some of college sports’ most recognizable traditions, Florida State Athletics has played a defining role in shaping the identity and spirit of Florida State University.

As FSU celebrates its 175th anniversary, Seminole Athletics stands as one of the university’s most visible symbols of pride, connection and achievement, built by student-athletes, coaches, traditions and fans.

The story dates to 1902, when Florida State College fielded football and baseball teams as a co-educational institution. More than a century later, FSU Athletics has grown into a nationally recognized program with a broad championship legacy and a deep connection to the university community.

Since 1947, Florida State has carried the Seminoles name. The university’s relationship with the Seminole Tribe of Florida has grown into a longstanding partnership rooted in respect, consultation and a shared commitment to representing Seminole heritage with dignity.

That connection is most visible on football Saturdays, when Osceola rides Renegade to midfield and plants a flaming spear moments before kickoff. Introduced in 1978 with the approval of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the tradition has become one of the most iconic pregame moments in college football.

Other traditions — including the war chant, the Marching Chiefs and the Sod Cemetery, which honors major football road victories — have helped make FSU games shared experiences for students, alumni and fans across generations.

The university’s athletic success has matched the strength of those traditions. FSU has won 20 national championships across nine sports, including seven in the past 15 seasons, and has claimed 205 conference titles that include 114 Atlantic Coast Conference championships.

FSU’s national championships include:

• Women’s soccer: 2014, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2025
• Football: 1993, 1999, 2013
• Softball: 1981, 1982, 2018
• Men’s outdoor track and field: 2006, 2008
• Men’s volleyball: 1955, 1957
• Men’s gymnastics: 1951, 1952
• Women’s indoor track and field: 1985
• Women’s outdoor track and field: 1984
• Women’s golf: 1981

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As Florida State University celebrates its 175th anniversary, the milestone coincides with the national observance of America 250, offering an opportunity to reflect on how the university’s history has unfolded alongside that of the United States.

Since its founding, FSU’s evolution from a regional seminary into a preeminent public research institution has been closely connected to many of the defining events and transformations that shaped the nation.

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Long before Florida State University became known for its research enterprise and nationally ranked academic programs, the arts were helping shape the life of the university.

Music, theater and visual arts were among the earliest academic offerings at the institution that would become FSU, predating many of the STEM and professional programs taught at the university today.

Over the decades, those programs have grown into nationally recognized schools in music, film, theater, dance and design while bringing world-class artists, exhibitions and performances to campus.

Today, as Florida State celebrates its 175th anniversary, the arts remain central to the university’s identity by enriching campus life, connecting the university with the community and preparing generations of artists, performers and creators.

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