Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Pledges $1 Million For Potential FSU Legal Battle With CFP Selection Committee

The fallout from Florida State University continues as now Florida governor Ron DeSantis is prepared to throw $1 million behind any potential litigation against the College Football Playoff Selection Committee.

DeSantis announced the plan Tuesday and is officially part of the state's 2024-25 fiscal year budget. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the governor said the funds would be used for “any litigation expenses that may come as a result of this really, really poor decision by the College Football Playoff to exclude an undefeated team.”

Sure enough, this plan is in the budget.

DeSantis argued that the Noles' 13-0 season should “really be significant, and they’re telling us that it doesn’t — that other factors matter more.”

That's fair, but I, like others including OutKick's Glenn Guilbeau, didn't think FSU would make the College Football Playoff, and it felt like that was the prevailing narrative on Saturday. However, when the decision was announced all hell broke loose.

Maybe I didn't think they would get in because I lived through a similar situation. I was a student at UCF when the Knights were snubbed in 2017 (although I don't remember an item in the next state budget for their potential legal battle with the College Football Playoff Selection Committee). Sure, they weren't in a Power 5 conference at the time, but spare me your tired arguments besmirching the good name of the American Athletic Conference.

The truth of the matter is getting left out of the College Football Playoff like that sucks. What it did was teach the folks around Tallahassee what those of us with ties to UCF have already known for years: that the College Football Playoff is a joke.

Who Knows If An FSU Legal Battle Would Be Worth It, But You Have To Respect The Grudge

There's a sign at FBC Mortgage Stadium — also known as the Bounce House — that proclaims UCF as the 2017 National Champions. There was even a parade at nearby Disney World. They don't just let any team do that.

That's because the College Football Playoff is a farce. We all know the Colley Matrix is the only legitimate way to choose a champion.

These are facts.

What is sure to cause controversy, is the fact that DeSantis is pledging "tax-payer" money toward something like this. Of course, there are other ways that $1 million could be used. However, it's a drop in the bucket for Florida's annual budget which exceeds $100 billion. It's not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, and I dig the idea of throwing $1 million behind telling the College Football Playoff Selection Committee to pound sand.

Although, does anyone think a legal challenge would even be worth pursuing? There will be a College Football Playoff champ crowned well before anything gets into the courts.

Even if the Seminoles win... then what? The CFP will have expanded to 12 teams so this sort of thing is a non-issue moving forward. Plus, the Committee seems to get so much latitude with who they select and why. It seems like a real waste of time and money to try to argue with their nonsense.

However, in a way, I respect the grudge. I love a good grudge. UCF did nothing but hold a grudge after getting snubbed. I can tell you from experience that alumni still do. FSU just joined the club. They're certainly airing their grievances, and it's still more than two weeks away from Festivus.

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