MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed $1 million for "any litigation expenses that may become as a result of this really, really poor decision by the College Football Playoff" to exclude undefeated Florida State.
The Republican governor and former college athlete made the announcement Tuesday as he unveiled his budget recommendations for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., have called on members of the College Football selection committee to reveal their votes after shutting out the Seminoles, who became the first undefeated Power 5 conference champion to be left out of the playoff.
Patronis, who graduated from FSU, followed with a letter to Boo Corrigan, chairman of the selection committee, writing that he believes "transparency is the best disinfectant and decisions this big cannot be made behind closed doors."
The @CFBPlayoff committee must shed more light on their unprecedented decision to leave @FSUFootball out of the playoff. @GovRonDeSantis is fighting for $1M to defend our institutions and I’ll have no problem cutting those checks. #FlaPol https://t.co/QX0DXykhs5
— Jimmy Patronis (@JimmyPatronis) December 5, 2023
He also vowed to put DeSantis' litigation purse to use.
"I would have no problem cutting those checks," Patronis said.
DeSantis said the university and Board of Governors have been exploring their legal options, though he doesn't think anything would come from it before the four-team playoff.
"It's unfortunate that we have to even do that, but we are going to put aside $1 million and let the chips fall where they may on that," DeSantis said.
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DeSantis, who played baseball at Yale, said living in Tallahassee, his three children "are all 'Noles."
"They were not happy on Sunday when Florida State was left out," he said.
Florida State (13-0) won its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in a decade Saturday to remain one of three Power 5 conference schools without a loss, but the Seminoles slipped from No. 4 in the penultimate playoff poll to No. 5 in the final rankings. FSU was jumped by a pair of one-loss teams – Alabama, which climbed four spots to supplant the Seminoles at No. 4, and Texas, which also leapfrogged the Seminoles to climb from No. 7 to No. 3.
"To me, it's like, if you win and you're undefeated, that should mean something," DeSantis said. "I mean, that should really be significant, and they're telling us that it doesn't, that other factors matter more."
