Over the weekend, talk of Florida State bolting the Atlantic Coast Conference for the Big 12 reached a fever pitch, with mixed messages coming from an athletic director, a head coach, a trustee and a school president.
Florida State athletic director Randy Spetman stated the Seminoles were committed to the ACC, only to have a board of trustees member state publicly that FSU should explore the option of joining the Big 12. Head man Jimbo Fisher added fuel to the fire by saying the school should switch conferences if that is what is best for the University. Schhol president Eric Barron then released a statement that was more confusing than anything else.
Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports dove into the FSU situation in detail, and it is very clear people around the ACC think Florida State leaving for the Big 12 is a real, and frightening, prospect:
Yes, this threat feels real, people in the ACC believe. Chairmen of the Board generally don't unload like Haggard did unless they were encouraged by someone behind the scenes, who for political reasons can't speak so boldly.
And even if this was a rogue action, as the moves by Texas A&M and Missouri from the Big 12 to the SEC show, once trustees get involved things happen quickly and the status quo isn't the result.
In other words, stay tuned, there is most certainly more to come.
For more on Florida State football, visit the Seminoles blog blog Tomahawk Nation. For all your NCAA football news and notes, be sure to check out SB Nation's college football hub.