🏹 December 22nd - The Chief Brief 🏹

Welcome to The Chief Brief!

We’ve got you covered on the final day before the Holidays kick into gear.

Make sure to read all the way to the end of this one because, don’t look now, but there’s a Board meeting today to evaluate how and when FSU will leave the ACC.

Here’s everything we got for you today:

🏀 Seminoles Set for Showdown Against Winthrop: FSU aims to extend its win streak in a historical matchup with Winthrop at home.

🏈 Keon Coleman Gears Up for Sundays: FSU's star receiver Keon Coleman is NFL-bound after a standout season in Tallahassee.

🚫 Joshua Farmer Pauses Transfer Portal Entry: Defensive tackle Joshua Farmer hits pause on his transfer plans, giving FSU fans a glimmer of hope.

🔙 Seminole Stars Pledge Return for the 2024 Season: Key players Toafili, Brown, and Hill announce their return, fueling Seminole pride for another season.

📈 FSU's Big Move: Today's the Day for Drama: FSU considers a historic conference shift, with all eyes on today's pivotal Board of Trustees meeting.

🏀 Seminoles Set for Showdown Against Winthrop

Florida State (5-5) hosts Winthrop (8-5) this Friday at the Donald L. Tucker Center, with live coverage on ACC Network Extra.

The Seminoles are looking to build momentum after snapping a four-game losing streak, while Winthrop is poised to make their mark before heading into Big South play.

Historically, FSU holds a 2-0 record against the Eagles, adding intrigue to this matchup.

The teams last clashed in January 2019, with FSU securing a win. With key players like Jamir Watkins and Darin Green Jr. leading the lineup and an impactful bench, FSU aims to capitalize on their home advantage.

Mark Prosser, Winthrop's head coach with a notable lineage in basketball, leads the Eagles against FSU, a team they've faced under his leadership before. As both sides prepare, this game promises to be a decisive moment in their seasons.

Next Up: After the Winthrop game, FSU takes a brief hiatus before returning to the court against Lipscomb on December 30th, rounding off their non-conference schedule at home.

🏈 Keon Coleman Gears Up for Sundays

FSU's Keon Coleman is taking his game to the NFL Draft, as reported by 247Sports. He's also sitting out the Orange Bowl against Georgia to get ready for the pros, capping off an electric season with the Seminoles.

After transferring from Michigan State, Coleman turned heads in his only season at FSU.

The six-foot-four receiver started all 12 games, snagging 50 receptions for a cool 658 yards and 11 touchdowns. Not just a receiver, he rocked it as a punt returner too, averaging 12 yards over 25 returns.

His standout play earned him a spot as a first-team All-ACC, shining both as a receiver and a specialist.

CBSSports has him pegged at No. 15 in their latest 2024 NFL Draft top 150 rankings, making him the third-ranked wide receiver.

Coleman's jump to the NFL is both no surprise and big news for the program - illustrating that players can transfer, become a Nole, buy in, and have huge life-changing impact all in a year’s time.

🚫 Joshua Farmer Pauses Transfer Portal Entry

FSU's defensive tackle Joshua Farmer is hitting the brakes on his Transfer Portal entry. After reports surfaced about his intent to transfer, it seems he's had a change of heart. 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz first spilled the beans, and Noles247 backed it up, but now Farmer is requesting a pause on the process.

Initially, it looked like Farmer was all set to explore new pastures, having even submitted the necessary paperwork and given the coaches a heads-up. Despite the chatter and confirmation from FSU sources, Farmer and his family were quick to deny the claims. This whole mix-up highlights the sometimes chaotic nature of transfer decisions.

Entering the Portal isn't instantaneous; it's a process involving a submission to the compliance office and a couple of business days to get all sorted. Farmer, however, has hit the pause button before his name even made it into the NCAA's database, which means, for now, he's not officially on the transfer market.

This move might be a silver lining for FSU, keeping their starting defensive tackle in the ranks, at least for a bit longer. Farmer, a local talent from Gadsden County, has had a stint with the transfer process before, dipping his toes in last spring only to return and smash out a breakout 2023 season. With 32 tackles, 7.0 for loss, and 5.0 sacks, earning him second-team All-ACC honors, it's no wonder FSU might breathe a sigh of relief with this latest update.

Still, it's a wait-and-see game on what Farmer decides next. For now, the rising redshirt junior seems to be staying put for the 2024 campaign, giving the Seminoles and their fans some hope for continuity on the defensive line.

🔙 Seminole Stars Pledge Return for the 2024 Season

Florida State's roster is looking promising for the 2024 season with key players announcing their return, courtesy of The Battle's End Collective.

Lawrance Toafili: A Continuation of Excellence in the Backfield

FSU's dynamic running back, Lawrance Toafili, is set to bring his agility and experience back to the Seminoles.

With four seasons under his belt, Toafili has been a consistent force, racking up 1,439 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, alongside 690 receiving yards.

In the undefeated 2023 season, he was a crucial part of the offense, making significant contributions in every game, including a standout performance as the ACC Championship Game MVP.

As the team bids farewell to key players like Trey Benson, Toafili's return bolsters the running back unit, which also features Caziah Holmes and Samuel Singleton Jr., plus incoming talents Kameron Davis and Micahi Danzy.

Shyheim Brown: Anchoring the Defense

On the defensive end, safety Shyheim Brown has committed to another year with the Seminoles.

Brown, a key player in FSU's spotless season, has shown remarkable growth since his first year, culminating in a season with 46 total tackles, sacks, and critical pass breakups.

His stellar performance earned him an All-ACC Third Team honor. Brown's decision to return is a significant boost to FSU's defensive lineup, providing leadership and skill that will be vital for the team's success.

Destyn Hill: Rising Star in the Receiver Corps

Adding to the excitement, freshman wide receiver Destyn Hill is also cementing his place in the Seminoles' future.

As a four-star recruit, Hill has already made an impression in his first year with valuable catches and a promising average of 14.5 yards per catch.

His development is one to watch as he continues to integrate into the offensive strategy alongside veteran players.

The Battle's End Collective's announcements reflect a growing commitment within the team to build on the previous season's success.

With these key players returning, FSU fans have plenty to look forward to as the Seminoles gear up for another run at glory in the 2024 season.

If you’d like to support The Battle’s End so we can throw more dough at guy’s like this, you can choose a membership plan on this page or scroll to the bottom and do a one-time donation.

📈 FSU's Big Move: Today's the Day for Drama

Strap in, Seminole Nation: FSU is about to stir up a hurricane in college sports, and today's the day things get real.

The FSU Board of Trustees is holding a virtual pow-wow, and the buzz is it's about FSU potentially bidding adieu to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and diving headfirst into the wild waters of conference realignment.

Show Me the Money!

Here's the deal: FSU's been feeling like they're stuck in the slow lane while the SEC and Big Ten are zooming by in sports cars made of solid cash.

We're talking a growing gap where FSU could be trailing by as much as $30 million annually in revenue compared to these super conferences.

The ACC's current deal with ESPN dishes out about $30 million per school per year, but with upcoming expansions, the SEC and Big Ten schools are looking to rake in nearly double.

That's not just a gap; it's a chasm..

Legal Loop-de-Loops

Now, exiting the ACC isn't as simple as saying "peace out."

There's this beast called the Grant of Rights agreement locking down FSU's media rights with the ACC until 2036.

Breaking up with the ACC could cost FSU a pretty penny — think north of $500 million, including a $120 million exit fee.

But FSU might be getting creative, possibly cozying up with private equity to foot the bill. Imagine telling your landlord you're breaking your lease but getting Elon Musk to cover the costs.

The Board Meeting: D-Day

Today's meeting isn't just another calendar invite; it's potentially one for the history books.

They might not come out with a full-blown "We're out!" declaration, but expect some serious fireworks.

Will they announce a lawsuit against the ACC or maybe Disney/ESPN?

Will they pull back the curtain on how much they think ESPN's favoritism has cost them?

Or perhaps they'll drop the bomb that they're officially peacing out of the ACC. It's all on the table.

The Ripple Effect

If FSU pulls this off, it won't just be a school leaving a conference; it'll be the shot heard 'round the college sports world.

Other ACC teams might start getting wanderlust too. It's like when one person in the friend group gets bangs, and suddenly everyone's rethinking their hair.

But here's the kicker: there's no clear landing spot. The SEC and Big Ten might not be rolling out the welcome mat just yet.

FSU's trying to join the cool kids' table, but it's not sure if there's a seat open.

And with all this talk of money and media rights, don't forget the NCAA is over in the corner trying to cobble together a subdivision of high-resource schools.

Wrapping Up with a Bow

In the end, FSU's flirtation with conference hopping is part drama, part comedy, and entirely unpredictable.

As the Seminoles stand at the precipice of potentially one of the biggest shake-ups in college sports history, all eyes are on today's meeting.

Will they light the fuse, or is this just another bluff in the high-stakes poker game of college athletics?

Grab your popcorn, folks — FSU's either about to make a splash or a dash, and either way, it's gonna be one heck of a story!

That's all for today's edition of The Chief Brief!

Keep your spears sharp and your spirits high as we navigate the exciting world of FSU sports.

Until next time, go Noles! 🍢