Mike Norvell buyout: What it would cost FSU football to move on

Mike Norvell buyout: What it would cost FSU football to move on Show Caption Hide Caption FSU football offense comes up small after power delay, loss to SMU FSU beat reporter Liam Rooney breaks down Florida State football's 27-24 loss to SMU. Mike Norvell's tenure as Florida State football's head coach has been nothing short of a roller coaster. The Seminoles have gone 39-35 in seven seasons under Norvell and are currently in a multi-season stretch in which the program is 8-18. That run includes a 2-10 season in 2024 and a 5-7 season in 2025. A far cry from the heights of 2023 when FSU went 13-0 in the regular season and won the ACC title before being snubbed from the College Football Playoff. It's altered the trajectory of Norvell's career, who was once considered to replace Nick Saban at Alabama following his retirement and was widley considered one of the sports best young coaches. The now 44-year-old sits on arguably the hottest seat in the country and is fresh off a 27-24 loss to No. 19 SMU, where he and his team were routinely greeted with boo's from fans at Doak Campbell Stadium. Sitting at 1-1, FSU faces a stretch of games that will see the program visit the Crimson Tide before games against Virginia, Louisville and Miami in October. The road doesn't get easier for Norvell, so if the Seminoles elect to part ways with the embattled head coach, here's what it'll cost. Mike Norvell's buyout figure If the Seminoles move on from Norvell, it will be a historic in all the wrong ways for the program. Norvell would be owed approximately $46.7 million due to the buyout terms in his contract, which the Tallahassee Democrat has obtained, and that would be the third-largest payout in college football history. It trails only Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M and Brian Kelly at LSU. Mike Norvell's annual salary Norvell signed a contract extension in 2024 that locked him down until the 2031 season. He makes $215,000 in base salary every year of the deal, with his supplemental income rising by $150,000 annually. 2026 : $10.3 million : $10.3 million 2027 : $10.45 million : $10.45 million 2028 : $10.6 million : $10.6 million 2029 : $10.75 million : $10.75 million 2030 : $10.9 million : $10.9 million 2031: $11.05 million Florida State football schedule 2026 (Current Record 1-1, 0-1 ACC) vs. New Mexico State | 34-17 W vs. SMU* | 27-24 L Bye at Alabama | Sept. 19 vs. Central Arkansas | Sept. 26 vs. Virginia* | Oct. 3 at Louisville* | Oct. 9 at Miami* | Oct. 17 Bye vs. Clemson* | Oct. 31 at Boston College* | Nov. 7 at Pittsburgh* | Nov. 13 vs. NC State* | Nov. 21 vs. Florida | Nov. 27 Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.