After 18 of its 20 teams advanced to the postseason, Florida State finished 12th in the 2023-24 LEARFIELD Director’s Cup standings, the program’s highest placing since the 2018-19 academic year, it was announced Wednesday.

“This was a great year for Florida State athletics,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford said. “We have a commitment to comprehensive excellence and supporting our student-athletes at the highest level, and that is reflected in the results. Our women’s soccer team claimed another national championship to highlight seven top-10 national finishes throughout our department and 18 programs that competed in the postseason. I’m so proud of all the hard work from our student-athletes, coaches and staff, and I’m thankful for the support and alignment from President McCullough and the Board of Trustees led by Chairman Peter Collins. We are continuing to build a bright future for Florida State.”

The Seminoles scored 998.88 points, their most since scoring 1,046.25 in 2018-19, led by a national championship in women’s soccer and a runner-up finish in men’s golf. FSU’s baseball team earned third-place points for its run to the Men’s College World Series semifinal, beach volleyball placed fifth after playing into the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament, and football contributed a sixth-place national finish following a campaign that featured an undefeated regular season and appearance in the Orange Bowl.

Softball and men’s tennis each scored ninth-place points by advancing to the Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament, while women’s golf earned an 11th-place finish and women’s tennis scored in 17th place after winning its first-round NCAA Tournament match. The men’s track and field team placed 15th at the NCAA Indoor Championships and 19th at the outdoor national championship meet.

Men’s swimming earned a 21st-place finish at the NCAA Championships, and men’s cross country placed 27th at the national meet. Women’s basketball and volleyball both scored in 33rd place after being selected for their respective NCAA Tournaments. Women’s swimming and women’s indoor track and field placed 38th at the NCAA Championship meets, and women’s outdoor track and field added points with a 54th-place finish nationally.

Florida State claimed five conference championships, with women’s soccer and football both steamrolling to ACC titles behind an undefeated record. Volleyball won its first ACC title since 2012, beach volleyball won its seventh CCSA championship in the last eight years, and men’s tennis earned its first ACC crown by becoming the first team in ACC Tournament history to win four matches in four days and the first to defeat the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in the same tournament.

Overall, 19 sports per school are counted in the final LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup standings, four of which must be women’s volleyball, women’s basketball, men’s basketball and baseball. The next 15 highest-scoring sports, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.

The LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in the NCAA Championships.

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When the Florida State football team travels to Ireland next August to take on Georgia Tech in Dublin, the trip isn’t just about a football game — it’s about deepening connections between the university, the State of Florida and Ireland.  

The Florida State Seminoles will face Georgia Tech on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2024, at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. 

Last week, a delegation from Ireland led by the Consul General of Ireland in Miami and the Lord Mayor of Dublin visited Florida State University to check out campus and discuss preparations for FSU’s appearance in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. 

The delegation included staff and leadership from the Aer Lingus College Football Steering Committee, Aer Lingus Airlines, multiple Irish corporate CEOs and executive leaders, Dublin local government administrators and Irish National Tourism leadership officials. The game is part of a larger mission to connect Ireland and the U.S. 

“This visit reflects enduring friendship and the deep ties that bind our countries,” said FSU President Richard McCullough. “It’s also a testament to the power of sport and the way it brings people together, transcends borders and fosters understanding. This journey is a gateway to a world of possibilities, with the potential for collaboration on research projects, cultural exchanges and business opportunities.” 

Last year, Consulate General Sarah Kavanagh established the inaugural Consulate General of Ireland in Miami, which represents Ireland in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. She noted the significance of this game to bolstering the relationship between Florida and Ireland.  

“This game is more than a game,” Kavanagh said. “It’s going to be hugely important for Ireland and Florida’s relationship together. We’re working to strengthen our economic relationship, our political relationships, our cultural relationships and our people-to-people relationships and the game next year is going to be a fantastic microcosm of all that work.” 

To kick off their five-day visit, the delegation visited the FSU Seminoles football practice to speak to Head Coach Mike Norvell. The visit was followed by a luncheon hosted by President Richard McCullough and First Lady Jai Vartikar.  

During the second half of their day, the delegation was treated to a tour of FSU’s campus on their way to visit the Florida Capitol. They were joined by The Right Honourable Nigel Evans, member of Parliament for the Ribble Valley and deputy speaker of the House of Commons, who was visiting FSU as a guest lecturer and served on a moderated panel discussion about internship opportunities for students in British Parliament.  

The Aer Lingus College Football Steering Committee had a meeting on campus followed by a luncheon with FSU leadership and deans at the Heritage Museum in Dodd Hall. The luncheon served as an opportunity to build connections and share ideas, as well as to highlight FSU’s values and commitments. 

“This event is much more than a football game — it connects two nations and cultures with rich histories of resilience, innovation and collaboration,” said Provost Jim Clark.  

The delegation then met with James M. Seneff Scholars from the College of Business, which was an opportunity to further develop connections between Ireland and FSU on a student level. The panel was selected from an elite honors program that helps students gain experience and knowledge through educational activities, volunteer experiences and networking activities.  

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity from the College of Business to be able to meet with some of the Irish Delegation,” said Elizabeth Manning, a senior majoring in finance who participated in the panel. “I think that meeting the people who are putting on such a great event makes it more of a realistic experience. Talking to business leaders and answering questions about what we think the future climate of business will be is a great opportunity to share our thoughts about where the industry is going and how we will be future leaders in it.” 

On Saturday, the Irish Delegation had the opportunity to watch the Seminoles win in Doak S. Campbell Stadium.  

“From what we’ve seen from the FSU community in the recent day, we’re hoping the 2024 game just takes it up another notch. It’s such a privilege and an honor to be gameday zero of college football,” said Daithi De Roiste, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ireland.

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The Florida State women’s lacrosse program will begin competition during the 2025-26 academic year.

Florida State University will add women’s lacrosse as a varsity scholarship program, Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford announced on ­­­Tuesday, October 3. FSU women’s lacrosse is projected to begin competition in the 2025-26 academic year.

“We are excited to add women’s lacrosse as a varsity scholarship program at Florida State,” said Alford. “Lacrosse is the fastest growing college sport nationally and it is evident that our culture and community will enthusiastically embrace it. Lacrosse provides another opportunity to compete at a championship level.”

With this decision, FSU becomes one of 118 Division 1 NCAA women’s lacrosse programs spanning 16 conferences. The Seminoles also embark on competition in one of the nation’s premiere women’s lacrosse conferences in the ACC, which has produced 17 NCAA women’s lacrosse national champions and has placed a team in the national title game in 13 of the last 14 seasons.

“As a club team at FSU, women’s lacrosse has a proven culture of excellence and achievement,” said Alford. “In hearing from both current and former players, their passion and input throughout this process was constructive and helpful in our decision making. I am thankful for their participation in the process and looking forward to an exciting future.”

“We are thrilled that Florida State will begin sponsoring women’s lacrosse and we look forward to welcoming the program in 2025-26,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “There is no shortage of ACC women’s lacrosse successes, and this is another example of our league’s continued commitment to maximizing the educational and athletic opportunities for our student-athletes.”

FSU anticipates participating in non-conference competition (“Fall Ball”) during the Fall 2025 semester, prior to debuting varsity competition in spring 2026. The University will begin a search for a women’s varsity lacrosse head coach in the coming weeks.

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