When Did Florida State Join the ACC?

Florida State has been a fixture of college football betting odds for decades. The Seminoles produced 41 consecutive winning seasons from 1977 through 2017.

The also finished in the AP top four for 14 consecutive seasons, from 1987-2000.

Many of the program’s best days have come as a pivotal member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), including national championships in 1999 and 2013. 

However, the spinning plates of modern conference realignment may force Florida State to consider a new conference home.

When Did Florida State Join the ACC?

Florida State athletics played its first season as a member of the ACC in 1991. Its football season played its inaugural season one year later, in 1992. 

The Seminoles have won 144 conference championships since then, including:

• 16 Football
• 15 Men’s Outdoor Track
• 16 Baseball (Regular Season & Tournament)
• 37 Softball (Regular Season & Tournament)

Prior to joining the ACC, Florida State football was one of many prominent 20th-century programs that played as an independent team. Its independent era began in 1951. 

Is Florida State Leaving the ACC?

Nothing is official yet, but it does look like Florida State is going to try to leave the ACC. FSU is suing the ACC to challenge its grant of rights agreement, taking aim at the conference’s severe withdrawal penalties.

You don’t do that unless you’re planning your exit. 

Florida State Board of Trustees chairperson Peter Collins ominously told the media: “We’ve reached a crossroads in our relationship with the ACC.”