Have you ever wondered how much money it would cost to buy a college football powerhouse like the Florida State Seminoles? It’s a neat thought experiment at the very least, as neither you nor I will ever be able to do this in actuality.
Nevertheless, The Athletic recently released a piece theorizing the valuation of all 138 FBS teams in the nation, and Florida State ranked as the 20th most valuable program in the country with an $819 million price tag.
Last year, FSU was valued at $867 million, a $48 million decline year-over-year. This is almost certainly having to do with the back-to-back losing seasons and with the ACC conference television deal that FSU and the rest of the ACC have been concerned about for many years now.
At No. 1 is the Texas Longhorns with a $2.46 billion valuation. The top ACC team is Miami, at $950 million (up from $604 million last year!) The Florida Gators were valued at $1.16 billion.
Their full explanation for FSU’s decline is as follows:
“This trio, [Wisconsin, Florida State and Iowa], shows the emphasis we put on conference affiliation. As Congress debates legislation that could freeze or limit realignment, we place an even greater premium on being in the Big Ten or SEC. That was good for Iowa and Wisconsin. The flip side is that there’s more uncertainty over whether the Seminoles will have a viable way to get into the Power 2. That (and their continued on-field struggles) led us to downgrade FSU.”
FSU begins its 2026 season hosting the New Mexico State Aggies, and will look to post a winning record for the first time since 2023.
Contact/Follow us @FSUWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of FSU news, notes, and opinions. Jacob Smith is a contributor for FSU Wire, part of the USA TODAY Network. You can also follow Jacob on X at @jsmith_sports.
This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: See how much FSU’s football program is valued at in 2026
Reporting by Jacob Smith, FSU Wire / FSU Wire
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By Jacob Smith, FSU Wire | USA TODAY Network
