Florida State was one of 3 ACC programs that voted against Cal, Stanford and SMU joining the conference.

Clemson and North Carolina were the other schools reportedly opposed to the expansion. However, with the 12-3 vote, all 3 schools are joining the conference during the 2024-25 academic year.

Florida State leadership issued statements in the aftermath of the seismic decision.

“We appreciate the efforts of Commissioner Phillips and our conference partners. There are many complicated factors that led us to vote no,” Florida State president Richard McCollough said. “That said, we welcome these truly outstanding institutions and look forward to working with them as our new partners in the Atlantic Coast Conference.”

Florida State AD Michael Alford echoed McCollough’s sentiments that their vote wasn’t based on the merit of Cal, Stanford and SMU.

“All three schools are outstanding academic and athletic institutions, and our vote against expansion does not reflect on their quality,” Alford said. “We look forward to earning new revenue through the ACC’s success incentives initiative, based on our continued excellence. We’re grateful to the league for continuing to listen to our concerns. This is a process that is ongoing, and we will continue working with Commissioner Phillips and our conference partners on the success initiatives and revenue-sharing plans.”