TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Just over a week after the Florida State Seminoles were denied a spot in the Football Playoff, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office is escalating the battle with the selection committee.
Moody’s office sends a 10-page subpoena to the 13-member College Football Playoff Selection Committee. The move comes after complaints from Florida State fans and media across the country about the Seminoles (13-0) being left out of the playoffs despite being named undefeated champions in the Power 5 conference.
“My office is launching an investigation to find out whether the committee is involved in any anti-competitive behaviour,” Modi said in a statement. “As it stands, the committee’s decision reeks of bias, so we are demanding answers — not just for FSU but for all schools, teams and fans of college football. At Florida, merit matters. If this is the attention they were looking for, the committee certainly has “Our attention now.”
Eric Verduzco/AP
The move to exclude the Seminoles angered fans and many media pundits. It also attracted the attention of politicians, including Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, Republican of Florida.
This civil request for information is broad and includes communications, documents, and votes related to the selection committee’s final decision.
Moody’s Office is seeking various communications including, but not limited to:
- All communications related to the deliberations to or from the Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, NCAA, ESPN, the Big Five, Power Five conferences, or anyone else related to the deliberations
- All documents relating to public statements related to the deliberations, including media talking points and interview notes
- Documents regarding conference restrictions versus alternative playoff schedules
- Documents showing members’ compensation for the year 2023
- Sufficient documents to prove all committee members’ objections to the deliberations
- Committee standards regarding ethics and conflicts of interest
The committee, according to the College Football Playoff website, selects four teams based on strength of schedule, head-to-head results against common opponents, championships won, and “other factors.”
In the case of Florida State, the committee decided to place a one-loss champion from the Big 12 Conference (Texas) and a one-loss champion from the SEC (Alabama) ahead of the Seminoles.
Colin Hackley/AP
The 2023 College Football Playoff Committee consists of athletic directors, coaches, former players, and a sportswriter (now professor). Specifically, this season’s panelists are:
- Chris Ault, former head coach and athletic director at Nevada
- Mitch Barnhart, Kentucky athletic director
- Bo Corrigan, NC State Athletic Director (Committee Chairman)
- Chet Gladchuk, Navy athletic director
- Jim Grubb, former head coach at multiple schools
- Mark Harlan, Utah State athletic director
- Manuel, Michigan’s athletic director, responded
- David Seiler, athletic director, Miami (Ohio)
- Will Shields, former NFL player and Outland Trophy winner, College Football Hall of Fame
- Gene Taylor, athletic director at Kansas State
- Joe Taylor, Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics, Virginia Union University
- Rod West, former Notre Dame player, is a member of the National Football League Foundation’s Board of Directors
- Kelly Whiteside, professor, Montclair State University, 14 years college football writer for USA Today
For his part, DeSantis has submitted a demand of up to $1 million to the state of Florida and the state university system to wage a legal battle to delist the Seminoles.
No lawsuit has been filed by any government entity regarding FSU’s exclusion.
The College Football Playoff kicks off on New Year’s Day when Alabama faces Michigan in the Rose Bowl and Texas faces Washington in the Sugar Bowl. The winner of those games will play in the national championship on January 8.
The Florida Attorney General has recently issued a subpoena for the records of the playoff committee after the Florida State Seminoles were snubbed from the playoffs. This decision has sparked controversy and raised questions about the transparency and fairness of the committee’s selection process. Many are questioning the criteria used to determine the playoff teams and are demanding more accountability from the committee. The subpoena brings forth a heated debate about the integrity of the college football playoffs and the influence of external factors on the committee’s decisions.