Rain at Clemson, S.C. all weekend forced the Seminoles and Tigers to get creative with their three-game series. After having Sunday’s action completely washed out, the teams played a doubleheader Monday with a No. 2 seeding in the upcoming ACC Tournament on the line for FSU.

Needing just one win in order to earn that No. 2 tournament seed, the Seminoles had been hopeful all weekend that they would clinch the ACC’s Atlantic Division title.

But losses in Game 1 Saturday and Monday’s early Game 2 made picking up that lone victory quite a challenge.

Thanks to an offensive eruption in the series finale Monday evening, that challenge was met. FSU rallied past Clemson, 9-5, to earn the division crown and the tournament’s No. 2 seed. The Seminoles now need a lone North Carolina loss next weekend to clinch the top berth in the tournament that begins May 23.

FSU returns home to Dick Howser Stadium on Thursday for a series against North Carolina State to end the regular season.

“We needed that game badly,” FSU coach Mike Martin said following the win, according to a release. “That was one of the biggest wins of the year for us. I don’t care what anybody says, this is the toughest place that I have had to play a baseball game in all of my years of coaching.

“Take your hat off to Clemson. They beat us. They deserved to win the series. But we got it done (Monday night) in a big game for us.”

By dropping two to Clemson over the weekend, the Seminoles lost their first ACC series of the season.

***

FSU retained its No. 1 ranking in the Baseball America poll that was released earlier in the day. The Seminoles are still being viewed by all the major college baseball publications as a likely top-8 national seed (perhaps No. 1 overall) entering the NCAA Tournament that begins the week after the ACC Tournament.

As Florida State's revenue has fluctuated and increased in small increments over the past six seasons, the Seminoles' athletics expenses have soared, according to a finding by the USA Today. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

The USA Today on Monday came out with a rather well-timed look at how far expenses and revenues have come for athletic programs in the last six years.

As you can see in the link here, the overall trend in college athletics is that as revenues have gone up in small increments, expenses have skyrocketed. It has been tough for most schools not named Texas or Ohio State, to operate in the black with respect to their athletic budgets. If you read the story associated with the facts and figures, you’ll see how rare the Texas example is. The Longhorns athletic programs took in $150 million in the 2010-11 school year. That is the last year any data has been made available for the USA Today’s study.

For Florida State, the disturbing side of the trend has been the reality. As FSU’s revenues have inched up and down, its expenses have soared. As a result, it has become increasingly more difficult to operate an athletics program that actually makes money each year instead of loses it.

Ahead of this next school year, FSU is staring at a $2.4 million shortfall on its upcoming proposed budget.

Per the FSU example, expenses have risen some $28 million in the last six years for the athletics department. At the same time, revenues haven’t changed all that significantly. Overall, they have increased more than $11 million in that stretch. But even as they have gone up, at one point — in 2008 — revenues decreased from what they were the year before.

Coaching expenses have been a significant part of the increase, as head and assistant coaches for the sports are making, combined, just short of $10 million more than they were in 2006. That year, they were paid about $16.5 million collectively. In 2011 (again, the last year the data was available), they were awarded about $25.7 million.

Building/facilities expenses had the most significant year over year jump, going from about $11 million in 2010 to $20.9 million in 2011. That figure is expected to increase even more in the coming years as renovations to the Donald L. Tucker Center have been promised, and renovations to Doak Campbell Stadium could loom, too. If the school switches conferences to the Big 12, there is a chance that renovations to the stadium could occur to offset the anticipated increase in attendance generated by traveling fan bases of the Big 12’s biggest programs (Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, West Virginia).

The Seminole Boosters already are in the middle of a donor-based fundraising campaign for an indoor practice facility for the football program. Ground is expected to break for the complex by late November.

Other expenses (i.e. money for recruiting, marketing, equipment, medical staffs, team travel, etc.) have risen from $24.3 million to $31.4 million between 2006 and 2011. Scholarship expenses have gone up just $2 million, up to $9 million total.

On the revenue side, contributions and “other” revenue streams have decreased across the half-decade, causing problems for FSU’s ability to raise money.

Contributions to the university began increasing from 2006 to 2009, but they have begun declining since. After settling at $25.6 million in 2009, that revenue pool came in at $19.3 million in 2011. It’s expected to be slightly lower on the proposed 2012-13 budget.

The other revenue streams the school can generate come from guarantees on game contracts, conference bowl game revenue sharing, television income not tied to the television rights deals and endowments and investments from other sources. That revenue was at $11.8 million in 2006. In 2008, it dropped to $3.9 million. The next year, FSU actually lost $2.6 million in other revenue. By 2011, this category had increased again, but only to $6.3 million.

Ticket sales have fluctuated in similar fashion as the contributions. In 2009, ticket sales also hit their peak of $18.3 million. In 2006, they were at $13.3 million. After decreasing in 2010, in 2011, ticket sales settled at about $18 million.

Florida State president Dr. Eric Barron has released a standard email to fans responding to their inquiries about FSU's rumored ACC-to-Big-12 switch. (Phil Coale/Associated Press)

AMELIA ISLAND — We’ll keep this brief — still working on adding Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher’s comments from earlier this afternoon to the blogroll — but figured this was worth passing along.

As you probably know by now from reading the Chopping Block and other sites during his past week (if you don’t know, you’ve apparently been shut off from the intriguing world that is modern-day college football), the Seminoles have been the subject of rumor and speculation, mystery and intrigue.

Monday afternoon, all of it went up — tenfold.

On Warchant.com, a website devoted to covering FSU athletics and recruiting, emails surfaced from school president Eric Barron sent to fans who had first written him messages about the school’s status with respect to the on-again, off-again affair the Seminoles apparently have with the Big 12 Conference.

If you need to get caught up on the entire drama, make sure you check out this Chopping Block blog from Sunday.

After putting his foot down in a somewhat strongly-worded statement sent to reporters late Saturday night, Barron has, with even more force, let it be known that he wants his school to stay in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Leaving the ACC would be a gross academic miscalculation, he believes.

In what appears to be a standard email he has begun sending to fans who ask him about the potential for FSU to move to the Big 12, Barron slammed the Midwest-based conference and reaffirmed his commitment to the conference his school currently is in.

As the fates would have it (coincidence? I think not), the ACC currently is holding its annual meetings on Amelia Island. Day 1 of the three-game series of meetings just concluded a couple of hours ago.

***

Now, earlier in the day, Fisher — who had told Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi on Saturday that the Seminoles ought to explore options with the Big 12 if that’s “what’s best for Florida State” – had the following to say. It aligns a little more with what Barron was saying about sticking with the ACC.

“All I said Saturday was … I had never read the contract, I had no idea what the contract was. But I said the powers that be will make the decisions for Florida State. That’s the board of trustees and the president,” Fisher said.

“That’s all I said that day. They’ll do what’s good for Florida State. We’re in the ACC. That’s where we’re at. And I’m not a decision-maker.”

***

More from Fisher coming up later.

***

Sent to reporters by FSU’s sports information office, here is Barron’s email in its entirety:

The Florida State Seminoles have been the talk of the college football world for the past 48 hours. With the ACC's meetings looming this week, they won't be leaving the news cycle anytime soon. In this reset, we take a look at where things now stand for FSU, the Big 12 and the ACC. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

Let’s all take a deep breath and … hug our mothers.

(Happy Mother’s Day, everyone!)

In all seriousness, the past 48 hours have been one wild roller coaster ride for Florida State (the wildest in three years?) and its current conference partner, the ACC, and the supposed conference suitor on-the-side, the Big 12. For fans of the university’s athletic programs, as well as fans of teams within the current “footprint” of both conferences, the last two days have been similarly harrowing, similarly dramatic.

They have been filled with games of he-said, he-said; contract fact-checking; more clearly defined monetary payout timelines; highly-charged Internet debate and rebuttals; and the world’s share of new, out-of-the-woodwork, amateur conference expansion experts.

Let’s all pause and  take a deep breath.

Woosah.

Now, back at it we go.

The ACC is holding its annual meetings this week — they begin Sunday and run through Wednesday — with conference athletic directors and other school leaders meeting alongside ACC commissioner John Swofford. The motley crew has various items pertaining to the upcoming athletic year to hash out during the meetings, but you can be certain that among the hottest topics of conversation will be the events of this weekend.

AKA: “Is FSU leaving the conference, or not?”

***

That’s the million-dollar question of the spring, and perhaps eventually, the summer.

Now, to help answer it, let’s catch you up.

On Friday, FSU athletics director Randy Spetman told the Orlando Sentinel in a one-on-one interview that his university was “committed to the ACC.” Rumors and speculation about any conversations he and officials from the university had had with the Big 12 were false, he said. He hadn’t been in Texas all week, as had been speculated, and no one from his office was in the Lone Star State, either.

It was the same line other officials had uttered in the fall when chatter raged on in Tallahassee and out of it suggesting FSU was interested in leaving the ACC for the SEC. “We are committed to the ACC.”

University president Eric Barron has publicly said — and often — that he believes FSU is comfortable within its current confines in the ACC. He has listed academics and a now more than 20-year relationship with the conference as reasons he isn’t calling for his school’s departure. (More on Barron’s public thoughts on the matter are coming later in this post)

But, we all know that while he may have one of the last words in such a situation as this, there is another entity that has a rather powerful voice, too.

The board of trustees.

FSU athletics director Randy Spetman said Friday that his school was "committed to the ACC." His president issued a similar statement Saturday night, but his trustee board chair doesn't echo such sentiments. (Associated Press)

Adding to the intrigue, on Saturday afternoon, in an exclusive interview with Warchant.com, a website devoted to covering FSU athletics and recruiting, trustee board chair Andy Haggard expressed his concern over the ACC’s recently-extended $3.6 billion television deal with ESPN. His chief frustrations appeared to lie with the perception that the conference lost third-tier rights in football, per the new deal.

In his first quote in the story, he said:

“It’s mind-boggling and shocking. … How can the ACC give up third tier rights for football but keep them for basketball?”

***

That fact was later shot down by the ACC. As one conference official told me Saturday evening, the terms of the ACC’s third-tier broadcasting rights have been “unchanged since 2010.” At the time of the last conference television deal, those rights included keeping them for both men’s basketball and football.

Haggard shouldn’t shoulder much blame on that one, though. It has been speculated ad nausea in the blogosphere in recent days that that was the case. The reason that becomes important is because the common perception has been that the Big 12’s recently updated television deal — reported by CBS Sports last Monday as a “verbal agreement” — will shell out $20 million per school, per year, and continue to include third-tier options that could vault the finances of a program like FSU a few million even higher.

The ACC official was rather adamant in saying there has been no change to the conference’s third-tier rights policy, and that it doesn’t favor one revenue sport over the other.

Another perception about the conference has been that it and its North Carolina-based leaders have long favored men’s basketball. Particularly once FSU stopped running the league in football (12 ACC championships, all prior to 2006) and demanding respect as a national power in it, those fears among Seminoles fans began to increase. At the same time that overall league attendance and success in BCS bowl games began to wane, the Duke’s and UNC’s of the world were still advancing to — and winning — men’s basketball Final Fours.

Haggard even addressed those concerns in his chat with Warchant:

“(The TV deal) continues the perception that the ACC favors the North Carolina schools,” he said.

Using your decoder rings, you’ll know that “North Carolina schools” translates into “basketball schools.” Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest and North Carolina State have been more relevant, collectively, on the hardwood in the past decade than they have in the Bowl Championship Series. But again, for that matter, in some ways, so has FSU, which won its first ACC men’s basketball tournament title this season.

Win on the gridiron, and you can help the ACC win, some national pundits have posited about FSU.

***

In addition to Haggard’s telling statements about his personal leanings with respect to the ACC, he also revealed perhaps the most damning news of all with respect to FSU’s status with the conference.

The board, he said, “unanimously … would be in favor of seeing what the Big 12 might have to offer. We have to do what is in Florida State’s best interest.”

And boom goes the dynamite.

What got kind of lost in his comments to Warchant and also in Spetman’s comments to the Sentinel, however, was this basic and, as of now, true, fact.

FSU has not yet been in contact with officials from the Big 12.

***

But that doesn’t mean Big 12 officials would object to unofficially inviting FSU officials over to meet their mothers this weekend.

Yahoo!’s Dan Wetzel on Saturday afternoon tweeted that when asked if the Big 12 would be interested in FSU, one league source said “I can’t imagine how we wouldn’t be interested in Florida State.” That anonymous quote came a day after Texas athletics director DeLoss Dodds had said such interest had “no basis.” Officials at Texas and Texas Tech had given similar comments earlier in the week to a writer for the Austin American-Statesman.

More from Wetzel in a sec.

***

In addition to Haggard’s comments about FSU looking into any Big 12 leads, Seminoles football coach Jimbo Fisher joined in the action when he opined the following to the Sentinel’s Mike Bianchi during the Seminole Boosters’ spring tour stop at Cheyenne Saloon in Orlando on Saturday.

“There have been no official talks, but I think you always have to look out there to see what’s best for Florida State,” Fisher said. “If that [jumping to the Big 12] is what’s best for Florida State, then that’s what we need to do.”

OK, so his quote may not make the same headlines as Haggard’s, but it is still telling. Clearly some within the university’s power structure believe a conference switch should be an option that is placed on the table and debated and not dismissed.

FSU coach Jimbo Fisher believes the university has to do what's in its best interest. ... Even if that means exploring options of leaving the ACC for the Big 12. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

What’s unique about Fisher’s comment is that it is a little different from what his position was in this in this video from after a practice last fall when the FSU-to-SEC chatter had hit full bore. There was only one conference he was concerned about. The day before this video, he reiterated comments made by Barron; that FSU was committed to the ACC.

“We’re in the ACC and happy to be in the ACC,” he said in the video. “We’re getting ready to play an ACC schedule …”

***

Last fall: unity.

For about seven hours Saturday: division.

After Haggard’s comments got tweeted and retweeted around the globe, it became clear that something wasn’t right inside the athletic board rooms at FSU.

The athletics director was saying one thing, the board of trustees chair was saying another.

Who was right?

Or, the better question, as tweeted many times over Saturday by national reporters and fans alike, “Who was running things at FSU?”

***

At 11:01 p.m., Eastern Time, we got a bit of an answer.

FSU President Eric Barron finally decided it was time to weigh in on the matter. Without fully chastising his trustee board chair and calling him everything but a renegade, rouge voice in Tallahassee, Barron deferred to the ACC in a 78-word statement.

He started by saying the school regretted any “misinformation” about the ACC’s contract deal with ESPN. He added the university respected the chairman of the board’s opinions, and acknowledged that a school should make sure to take steps toward building a positive future for itself.

But, perhaps more importantly, for now, he parted with Haggard on one key issue:

“Florida State,” Barron said, “is not seeking an alternative to the ACC nor are we considering alternatives. Our current commitments remain strong.”

Boom goes the dynamite?

***

In addition to the drama of what some outside of Tallahassee are calling the Spetman-Haggard-Barron Bros. circus, there was this perfectly-timed and flawlessly-executed story from Wetzel on the mess the Seminoles now have sitting in their laps. Doing some fact-checking with the ACC, Wetzel discovered that there is a chance the member schools will not see an immediate increase to their yearly revenue from the conference distribution pot, per the new television deal.

Will the Seminoles be celebrating Big 12 wins anytime soon? Or will they still be celebrating ACC victories? (Raleigh News & Observer)

It had been somewhat assumed that the money, which would take ACC schools from approximately $14 million this coming season to $17 million per season, would kick in instantaneously. Wetzel quotes a source as having said that the full yearly increase to $17 million a year may not begin until 2021. The deal was extended through 2027.

Another eight seasons of less than $17 million being handed out by the ACC? Staying could be conference realignment financial suicide, many FSU exiters say.

At this time, since the new Big 12 deal has not been signed off on, it remains unclear just how quickly the full $20 million per year distribution payout will be given to the member teams.

But, consider this. When trying to maintain the arms race with in-state rival Florida and its extraordinarily lucrative deal with the SEC, the cash-strapped Seminoles, comparatively speaking, could be in a severe economic hole in the coming years. As Bianchi points out in his column, assuming the ACC’s $17 million kicks in instantly, FSU still would earn $128 million less than the Gators over the length of the ACC’s extended 15-year contract.

***

Hopefully these 1,800 some odd words helped tie together some loose ends for you and give you an idea of where we are entering what could be the most bizarre set of days of this college football cycle. Last year, Missouri and Texas A&M held us in drama and suspense. Now, it appears it’s FSU’s turn.

We’ll all be watching, waiting …

… and breathing.

(Again, hug your moms today. Happy Mother’s Day.)

Might the Texas Longhorns and other Big 12 teams be regularly visiting Doak Campbell Stadium in the future? For now, Florida State athletics director Randy Spetman says no. Several other teams will be taking trips to Tallahassee between now and 2015, though. A team from Texas is one of them. (Getty Images)

I won’t bore you to tears with a lengthy post, but I did want to point out here on the Chopping Block a couple of Florida State news items from earlier in the day.

Hopefully you and your Clemson (or Texas, or Texas A&M, or Oklahoma, or Baylor, or Duke, or Miami, or Kansas State, or Virginia, or Oklahoma State … you get picture) friends checked out the following Orlando Sentinel story from late this morning. We had a brief chat with FSU athletics director Randy Spetman about the rumors involving the Seminoles’ alleged interest in leaving the ACC for the Big 12. As you probably could guess, he denied such interest existed.

Spetman also talked about a few other matters that are pressing to his program (check back to the blog later this weekend for a little bit more from the conversation).

Now, many of you have already written and tweeted that Spetman’s statements that he is “not out negotiating” with the Big 12, and is “committed to the ACC,” should be taken with some skepticism.

I agree.

Although he didn’t do anything or suggest anything that made it seem as if he were lying about those sentiments, we all know that we’ve been here before. Conference realignment chatter kicks up, it stirs up the blogs and message boards, mainstream reporters try to separate fact from fiction, athletics directors denounce accusations their school is jumping its current ship (see Missouri and Texas A&M) … and boom.

The school leaves anyway.

What Spetman’s comments do is add to the overall narrative about the expansion discussion and where FSU fits in it. Do the Seminoles have reasons to leave for the Big 12? Absolutely. Do they have similarly compelling reasons to continue calling the ACC home? You betcha.

Truthfully, only time will tell how this all shakes out. The most telling indicator of whether any types of conference moves happen for FSU or any other major institution will come in June, when the athletic directors and presidents are slated to determine the path of college football’s new, anticipated postseason format.

Depending upon what they decide, the path to a group of four major “superconferences” could take shape. At that point, both the ACC and the Big 12 will be looking to continue adding teams. With only 10 teams now, the Big 12 may be forced into making aggressive pitches for new member schools if it wants to be part of the superconference format. Most college football pundits and fans alike would argue that the SEC, Big Ten and Pac-12 have already begun positioning themselves for such a potentially dramatic shift in the game.

The Big 12, ACC and Big East, many might also argue, are fending for that fourth conference spot.

***

Feel free to share your thoughts on Spetman’s addressing of the Big 12 rumors in the comments section below.

***

In addition to the athletics director’s statements on FSU and the Big 12 and ACC, he also chatted briefly about the school’s upcoming non-conference football schedule.

For now, the school’s website only lists non-conference games (minus the annual rivalry with Florida) through 2013. FSU will play Nevada that year. It will not play West Virginia, after the entire 2012-13 series was canceled and settled for $500,000 earlier this offseason.

Thanks to the school’s response to a Freedom of Information request, the Orlando Sentinel recently obtained game contracts for each non-conference game between now and 2015. Excluding Florida, each of FSU’s non-conference responsibilities in that stretch (for now, that’s two additional games per season) have been taken care of, expect for one game.

The Seminoles’ 2014 schedule only includes two non-conference teams. They are still looking for the third.

Make sure to check out this story for more on the schedule updates.

If you want to see the upcoming games in list form, here you go:

2012

Sept. 1 vs. Murray State

Sept. 8 vs. Savannah State

Nov. 24 vs. Florida

2013

Aug. 31 vs. Wofford

Sept. 21 vs. Nevada

Nov. 30 at Florida

2014

Sept. 13 vs. The Citadel

Nov. 29 vs. Florida

2015

Sept. 5 vs. Texas State

Nov. 21 vs. Tennessee-Chattanooga

Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher ranked 38th on the Sporting News' list of 124 college football coaches. The list was unveiled earlier this week. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

The Sporting News earlier this week unveiled its rankings of college coaches. Going 1-124, the publication weighed various factors when coming up with the list. Like most lists, this one obviously can be debated ad nausea.

A combination of experience and success seemed to be the most important factors for the list’s creators, writers Steve Goldberg and Matt Hayes. The average overall tenure of the coaches named to the top 10 was 12.5 seasons. Each of them also have at least one BCS bowl win.

So, going by that formula alone, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher was automatically eliminated from cracking the tier of top-10 coaches (there sure is a lot of “tier” talk these days).

Instead, Fisher checked in a whopping 28 spots lower … at 38th.

Fisher was outranked by the likes of Washington State’s Mike Leach (No. 17, who didn’t coach last season), Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly (18, who he beat in the Champs Sports Bowl in December), Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson (19, who was the second ACC coach listed behind Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer — 9) and Vanderbilt’s James Franklin (25, who has just one season of coaching experience).

Among ACC coaches, Fisher was surpassed by not only Beamer and Johnson, but also Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe and Miami’s Al Golden. According to the list, for FSU’s inability to match national expectations last season, Fisher is trending “down.”

Here’s the blurb on Fisher from the ranking list:

Age: 46
2011 record: 9-4, 5-3 ACC
At Florida State (2 years): 19-8
FBS career: Same

FSU was a trendy pick to compete for a national title last season, and by and large it failed to meet expectations. Fisher is a talented offensive coach, but the Seminoles’ porous offensive line and invisible running game have to reflect on him. Then again, the Noles are trendy again, aren’t they? Anything less than an Atlantic Division title in 2012 will be an (yet another) absolute failure for the program.

***

While they’re probably right — anything less than an Atlantic Division title will be a failure in 2012 — the listmakers seem rather pessimistic about whether Fisher will be able to get that done or not. One rather important factor that it doesn’t seem they took into consideration was this: recruiting.

With highly ranked recruiting classes each of the last three cycles, Fisher has proven that he knows how to go out and pick out the talent. Now that nearly all of that talent has begun to fully settle into the roster and should be playing key roles this season, this year will begin to determine just how good he is at evaluating talent. If FSU’s recruiting efforts can pay off, combined with a somewhat soft schedule, then perhaps the Seminoles can experience the type of season that is expected from them. If that happens, where does Fisher belong on next year’s list?

The recruiting has been sound for three years. Now it’s time for Fisher to prove that he can use that talent properly on the field. That’s why, in many ways, 2012 could arguably be his most important season yet at FSU.

***

A couple of final thoughts on the list.

~As you’ll read in the link below, the Big 12 had the best average ranking, with the 10 coaches in that league pulling in a 27.2 average ranking. The ACC had an average ranking of 45.6. Even with the ACC’s top 10 coaches used only, the conference pulled in an average 37.0 ranking that was still beaten by the Big 12’s 27.2.

~The SEC and Big 12 are the only conferences whose lowest coach isn’t ranked in the 100s.

~Here’s the full list with full breakdowns and blurbs. Enjoy it, and as always, feel free to debate down below.

Defensive miscues contributed to a pair of Florida State losses earlier this week, but the Seminoles are looking to close out the week by winning games at Clemson and locking in the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament two weeks from now. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel file)

Florida State’s baseball team has a chance this weekend to set the foundation for a hopeful run toward an ACC Tournament championship.

With a three-game road series against Clemson (29-20, 14-10 ACC) beginning Friday, the first-ranked Seminoles (40-9, 21-3) this week can go on and lock up the tournament’s No. 1 seeding and the Atlantic Division title. A combination of an FSU win in the series opener over the Tigers and one loss each by North Carolina State and North Carolina could lock the Seminoles into the top seed with another full week left until the end of the regular season.

The ACC Tournament, held this year in Greensboro, N.C., begins May 23.

The Seminoles may be optimistic about their chances of wrapping up the top seeding this weekend, but they know the task won’t be easy.

“Clemson’s a great team. I don’t really care what their record is,” Seminoles senior third baseman Sherman Johnson said. “When they get hot, they can beat anybody in the country. It’s going to be a tough environment. We know that. It’s going to be a tough three games. We know that.”

The last time the Seminoles played a late-season series at Clemson, they also had a high seeding on the line. Getting swept by the Tigers on that last day of regular season play in 2010, FSU earned a tie for the Atlantic Division title, and a No. 5 tournament seeding. The next year, after losing two of three to Clemson in Tallahassee, they mustered a No. 2 tournament seeding before losing to Virginia in the conference tournament championship game.

“The last time we went up there, we only needed one game to win,” Johnson said. “We lost all three. They swept us. So that’s still fresh in our minds and we’re going to be ready to go this weekend.”

FSU still has a home ACC series against N.C. State next weekend, before leaving for the conference tournament.

Freshman Brandon Leibrandt (6-1, 2.71 ERA) will start the opener for FSU. It will be the first time the left-hander has appeared in front of an expectedly hostile Clemson crowd.

“Guys have given me some advice,” Leibrandt said of dealing with the notoriously loud crowd. “They’re going to have some fans that are going to get on you a bit. Try to not let it affect you. The key is just to go out there and do what I can and throw strikes and let the defense do what they can.”

Florida State and other ACC schools stand to make an additional $3 million per year from an extended television deal the ACC and ESPN announced Wednesday afternoon. The conference is expected to pay each of its schools $17 million per year once the new 15-year extension goes in effect. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

UPDATE, 4:21 p.m.: FSU athletics director Randy Spetman just issued a statement regarding the extended television deal for the ACC and ESPN. Here’s what he said:

“We are pleased that the ACC and ESPN have readjusted and extended the television package. The addition of Syracuse and Pittsburgh along with the extended ESPN contract further strengthens the position of the ACC and each of our institutions in the college athletic landscape at a critical time. The additional revenue for each school will be significant as is the exposure for all our sports across the board.”

***

Florida State’s apparent budget woes have been well-documented this past week, but now, news Wednesday that may make the money handlers at the school breathe a little easier.

Just a little, though.

As you’ve perhaps read on OrlandoSentinel.com already, the ACC on Wednesday afternoon announced that it was extending its multi-platform television deal with sports broadcasting powerhouse ESPN. The deal was extended for another 15 years, set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 academic sports calendar year.

There were no financial terms of the agreement listed in a news release from the ACC, but Sports Business Journal reporter John Ourand said that according to sources, the deal will increase about 30 percent up to $3.6 billion total. The whopping, grand payout for each of the ACC’s 14 schools (the deal includes the anticipated additions of Syracuse and Pittsburgh) will be about $17 million, Ourand said.

Currently, the ACC awards approximately $14 million to each of its member schools, per the preexisting television deal.

Yes, for the non-Math majors (like myself) that’s a $3 million increase in what ACC schools like FSU are making from this current TV deal.

That addition certainly would help make up for the $2.4 million shortfall that appears to be staring the Seminoles down this upcoming budgetary year. … Right? Right?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Consider this.

Earlier this week, CBS Sports reported that a source familiar with the Big 12’s looming updated television deal with ESPN and FOX said that teams in that conference should expect to receive a $20 million yearly payout with respect to its distribution rights.

With rumors and so far, very early, very unconfirmed chatter that the Big 12 may be soon looking to expand (perhaps adding FSU and Clemson or Big East Conference school, Louisville) from 10 teams to 12 or more, that pricetag could go up at some point in the next few years as part of another extended deal. Currently, that proposed $20 million annual payout goes to the 10 Big 12 teams as part of a $2.6 billion total deal.

Again, if you’re doing a little simple math, that $20 million per year is $3 million more than the now-$17 million in the ACC.

Percentage-wise, the Big 12 deal puts those schools — all of them; not just Texas — in the same elite TV conversation as schools in the SEC, Big 10 and Pac-12. Like those other conferences, the Big 12 will be shelling out more than $200 million annually to its schools.

Although Wednesday’s deal moves the ACC even closer to that group, the fact of the matter is, it still falls short. That’s what many of you (FSU fans) are saying.

Many of you also are thinking about the following:

If you’re FSU, you are very happy to see a bump in the ACC television deal, but there are reasons you can’t be too happy with the way the finances add up.

Consider this.

Schools like Duke, Boston College and Maryland all will receive $17 million a year now. That’s a good chunk of money for anyone’s athletic program, but particularly for one that either sends one of its major revenue sports to the postseason a year, or none.

Of those programs, only Duke had one of its two major revenue sports end up in the NCAA’s postseason this past year: the men’s basketball team.

Boston College and Maryland neither made it to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, nor did their football teams qualify for postseason bowls this school year. As things stand right now, it’s rather difficult seeing all three of the ACC schools being able to send both their football and men’s basketball programs to the NCAA postseason this coming year. It’s possible, but tough to see this early in the preseason.

As for schools like FSU, the same $17 million will be awarded to them, too. In rather rarefied company, FSU is the only ACC school that has had each of its major revenue sports reach the NCAA’s postseason in each of the last three seasons. While the football program hasn’t reached a BCS bowl in a half-dozen years, still, the added expense of having to shuttle players, staff and administrators to bowls and postseason tournaments has been costly.

Last year, FSU budgeted $750,000 for its football bowl experience. This coming budget cycle, the school is proposing setting aside $1 million. The better the recruiting and the more football coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff begins to meet expectations, the more those expenses likely will rise.

In the Big 12, only Texas Tech missed both the men’s basketball NCAA Tournament and a postseason bowl appearance in 2011-12. A year before the Red Raiders’ five-win tally in 2011, they played in the Texas Bowl.

Certainly, for some Seminoles fans, the news of Wednesday’s television extension is troublesome. Why do schools that don’t put the same emphasis on college football — arguably the most popular (and ever-surging in popularity) sport in America — receive the exact same payout as a school that actually takes the game seriously? … And, mind you, a school that has made some measure of commitment to being among the conference’s best at its perceived most preferred sport: basketball?

FSU, as you’re well aware, won the ACC Tournament in March.

With respect to its other “Olympic” sports, FSU was the only school in the country last year that sent each of its sports — there are only 19 at FSU; some schools have more — to NCAA tournaments or bowls. The school appears headed toward a similarly strong athletic year this year.

With each postseason trip — particularly in those sports, like baseball, that host postseason events — come added expenses.

All of that is what has some in Tallahassee scratching their heads and wondering if there is any traction to these persistent FSU-to-Big-12 rumors.

Should they be a bit bewildered? Perhaps. But there are compelling reasons not to be, and to be content with staying in the ACC? Why yes:

• The ACC has a football championship game that raises attention of its conference and gives participants another big game to prepare for before the postseason begins. The Big 12, under its new 10-team configuration, does not.
• The ACC is regarded one of the two best basketball programs in the country (the counter here, however, is once again, the popularity of college football)
• The ACC boasts a better track record of academic success with the types of research universities that exist within it. The academic draw is one a university present can have a difficult time detaching from. FSU president Eric Barron has in the past praised the academic prestige and distinction of the conference his school currently is part of.
• The ACC likes FSU and certain major players at FSU like the ACC. Barron, in particular, made waves last fall when he said he and his school were content with the conference. FSU didn’t want to go anywhere, he said, because of how the school enjoyed being part of the conference. Whether you think it was a sincere statement or not, the fact of the matter is, it’s on public record that perhaps the man most key to any potential conference move is in favor of where his school currently is.

***

Still, all of those points aside …

While there has been no indication whatsoever (right now, at least) from those in charge at FSU that the move-the-Seminoles-to-the-Big 12 campaign is in full swing, it is becoming ever clearer that it is a conversation worth them having.

And no, a switch to the SEC is not on the table. Although there were conversations, that wasn’t really going to happen last fall when the rumors about an FSU-to-SEC switch began popping up.

All of this is to say, the timing of these conference television deals, in addition to the timing of the news about FSU’s budget shortfall, in addition to the timing of resignations/hirings of various conference presidents, does give credence to the rumors that have persisted at fever pitch in the blogosphere for the past week or so. Will FSU eventually change conferences? Will it not?

Right now, who knows. What is known is that some very important people are beginning to stare down some very important decisions.

***

Apologies for the pseudo-tangent on FSU’s finances and the whole conference-switch debate currently raging online. Had been picking my time to weigh in with a bit of armchair quarterback analysis on the entire situation; felt this was as good a time as any.

Hopefully that all made sense. Hopefully it also didn’t give you an idea of where I’m leaning! I do have an idea of what I think FSU should do with respect to conference expansion (only two options: stay or go). But I’m not telling …

***

In the meantime, here are a couple of the important additions to the ACC TV deal that must be highlighted:

~Deal extended through 2026-27

~Deal expected to give schools $17 million each

~Deal gives ESPN/ACC increased inventory. Meaning, there will be three Friday ACC football games each season. Boston College and Syracuse are required to play one Friday game per season, each. One of the Friday games will be played and aired the day after Thanksgiving.

~The increased inventory also includes more coverage of ACC men’s basketball games — both regular season and ACC Tournament (with partner Raycom) — as the conference schedule expands from 16 to 18 games per year with the additions of Pitt and Syracuse.

~The increased inventory also includes the promise of more coverage of the “Olympic” sports. i.e. track and field, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, softball, etc.

~Deal also includes sponsorship rights. ESPN will reserve title sponsorship rights — subject to the ACC’s approval — for all conference championships, excluding football. That means, for now, Dr. Pepper remains the title sponsor for the ACC Championship football game. But for every other sport, ESPN can be named title sponsor. … This is one portion of the deal that shouldn’t go overlooked, but likely will. This may be the first time a media entity has held title sponsor rights of a major sporting event (the ACC Tournament).

~ESPN has televised ACC content since 1979.

Florida State second baseman Devon Travis nearly had a key hit in Monday's game vs. Maryland. Instead, rare defensive miscues and baserunning gaffes helped send the Seminoles to an 8-5 loss. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel file)

TALLAHASSEE — One minute, there was Devon Travis, channeling his inner Roy Hobbs while battling through injury and pain and stepping up to let loose of a towering line drive that had haymaking — game-tying perhaps — potential.

In most other moments, his Florida State teammates looked like the unnatural versions of themselves, instead turning in one of the more overall unique, bizarre and comedic, even, efforts of their blisteringly good season.

Thanks in part to a slew of rare defensive errors and baserunning gaffes, the Seminoles lost Monday night to Maryland, 8-5, in the series finale at Dick Howser Stadium. The defeat came just hours after the Seminoles had been named the consensus No. 1 team in the nation by the four major college baseball polling entities.

At times, they sure looked like anything but a No. 1.

“You don’t dwell on this one,” FSU coach Mike Martin, Sr. said. “You move on to the next one.”

The Seminoles’ next game is Tuesday evening at Stetson. Ten hours after the conclusion of Monday night’s late, weather-delayed, three-hour-and-35-minute ACC contest, the Seminoles (39-8, 21-3 ACC) were scheduled to push back out of Tallahassee toward Central Florida.

Monday’s game came after the Seminoles took the series’ first two games from Maryland (30-22, 9-18) in a pair of blowout victories. Following 10-3 and 9-2 wins, they looked poised to claim another runaway victory in the early innings of the finale.

Despite taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, however, that didn’t happen.

In all, two wild pitches, two errors, seven pitchers, two rundowns, one squeeze play and four base hits off a series of strange circumstances combined to ruin the Seminoles.

One of the wild pitches resulted in a run — Maryland’s go-ahead run No. 5 in the seventh. Another two Terrapins scored on the pair of errors; one was credited to FSU shortstop Justin Gonzalez, the other to first baseman Jayce Boyd. The seven pitchers allowed a combined five earned runs. Both rundowns involving FSU baserunners stalled a pair of scoring chances. The squeeze play was the backbreaker that effectively won the game for Maryland.

On the squeeze, with runners at second and third, Terrapins second baseman Kyle Convissar laid down a perfectly placed bunt back toward the pitcher’s mound. As the baserunners sprinted ahead for the respective base ahead of them, Seminoles pitcher Robert Benincasa charged toward the bunted ball.

He picked it up and nonchalantly threw over to first base to get Convissar on the sacrifice.

Little did he know that the runner who was on second, Tomo Delp, took a big turn around third and was looking to score.

“We have seen it, we have talked about it,” Martin said about the potential of two runners trying to score on a single squeeze. “But we never try it.”

Benincasa never looked in Delp’s direction. By the time Boyd caught his throw for the out at first, it was too late for his return throw home to nail the baserunner.

“You credit them, we did what we would ordinarily do,” Martin said. “They did a good job of taking advantage of the throw to first.

“It’s a play that if you think about it, and you know that guy from second is coming, when the ball is at the pitcher, all the pitcher does is act like he’s going to throw it to first and then turn back. You’ve got the guy.”

That play occurred in the top of the eighth. Runs No. 6 and 7 in the game, they gave the Terrapins a two-run lead they would not relinquish the rest of the night.

One of FSU’s own guys ended up getting gotten in the next half-inning. On the inning-, and perhaps game-altering play, a potential rally was snuffed out.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Travis, the Seminoles’ injured second baseman who had to be removed from the lineup Sunday with a painful ingrown toenail, walked up the dugout steps, off the on-deck circle and towards the batter’s box. After having had the toenail removed before Monday’s game, Travis had told Martin that he would be available for any pinch hit situations that arose.

Enter, his “The Natural” moment.

Like Hobbs, the bleeding, in pain protagonist of the old baseball movie, Travis slowly strode to the plate with the scattered crowd on its feet, eagerly anticipating an electrifying moment.

He provided.

“Devon did a great job of picking us up,” Martin said. “It’s just unfortunate that things happened the way they did.”

After lifting a long fly ball to the right-center field wall, Travis was chugging hard for his well-earned double. He was hoping to plate his 31^st RBI of the season.

He would have to wait.

Missing a stop sign by third base coach Mike Martin, Jr., the runner who had been at first base, Stephen Spradling, charged furiously toward home plate, before suddenly realizing that he’d better get back to the last base he touched. That split-second decision caused him to get into a rundown. He was eventually retired on a 4-5-2 putout, and helping snuff out a potential late-game rally.

“It was obviously disappointing,” Martin, Sr. said about the several baserunning miscues his team had, “but I hope we got them out of our system. We certainly made some mistakes on the bases that we haven’t made all year. Certainly, there’s no excuse for it from a coaching standpoint. We’ve just got to do a better job of working on that.”

Florida State shortstop Justin Gonzalez on Monday was named the ACC's Player of the Week after his three-homer, seven-RBI showing in FSU's three games last week. He was making his return to the lineup after missing three games due to a hamstring injury. (Raleigh News & Observer file photo/McClatchy-Tribune Wire)

One week after missing a three-game series with a hamstring injury, Florida State shortstop Justin Gonzalez returned to form for the Seminoles this past week. After driving in seven runs and posting a scorching .545 on-base percentage in three games, he was named Monday afternoon the ACC’s Player of the Week.

Picking up right where he left off — Gonzalez had hit two homers in the three games before hurting his right leg while beating out a sacrifice bunt — the shortstop earned the honors after blasting a trio of home runs in wins over Maryland, and recording six putouts against Jacksonville in another.

The Seminoles conclude their three-game weekend set against ACC foe Maryland at home at 7 p.m. Monday.

Gonzalez’s six putouts, including one sharply hit up the middle in the bottom of the ninth, led to FSU’s 3-0 win over Jacksonville last Wednesday.

His 3-for-5 outing in the first game against Terrapins included a pair of opposite-field blasts Saturday. The Seminoles ended up winning, 10-3. In the middle game of the series Sunday afternoon, he launched a third-inning grand slam to left-center field. The bases clearing shot was his second career grand slam, and propelled the Seminoles to a 9-2 win.

For the week, he posted a 1.111 slugging percentage, and the .545 on-base mark. He reached base in all four of his plate appearances Sunday.

The Monday series finale airs on ESPNU beginning at 7 p.m.

Florida State is facing a $2.4 million shortfall on its proposed 2012-13 athletics budget. In order to make it up, even more cuts and changes could be made with respect to the athletic department's spending. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

By now, you’ve probably read about or at least heard about the rather stunning news out of Tallahassee: Florida State athletics is desperate for cash.

During an athletics board meeting Wednesday afternoon, FSU athletics director Randy Spetman announced the school was looking at a $2.4 million shortfall on its proposed 2012-13 operating budget. Instead of meeting the anticipated and needed $18.9 million mark, as of now, his department in conjunction with Seminole Boosters, Inc., projects it will only have $16.5 million to work with for next year’s budget.

Yes, for the non-Math majors out there, 18.9 minus 16.5 equals $2.4 million.

This news comes after the department even decreased its overall spending by about $500,000 since the last budget cycle.

So, what this all means is: despite its best cost-cutting and reducing efforts in trying to head off a problem, FSU’s athletics board still is feeling a real financial pinch. It’s a financial pinch that other institutions likely are feeling, but, depending upon the the school, the region (and perhaps the conference), the level of pain of said pinch may vary.

Below is a side-by-side numbers comparison of FSU’s 2011-12 operating budget paired with the proposals for the 2012-13 academic year. You see noted decreases in funding in key sports:

Before we get too far into the table, it should be noted that the budget Spetman was discussing Wednesday is but a proposal. It can be refused or vetoed at any time in the coming days. Right now, it has been sent to FSU president Eric Barron, who will review it and offer his thoughts on changes that can be made, or scrap it altogether. There is a chance the shortfall could go deeper, or, be reduced.

Whatever the final model will be that Barron signs off on, there is this simple fact: the way FSU goes about its financial business these next few months will be drastically different. Certain recruiting trips may get scrapped. (The days may soon be gone when 7-foot-3 centers from overseas get brought to FSU). Raises could be frozen (FSU men’s basketball coach Leonard Hamilton and his staff already have been told they will not be receiving the raises and contract extensions the school had begun negotiating for him in March, following his team’s first-ever ACC Tournament championship and Round of 32 NCAA Tournament run). Long-distance road games could be shortened to trips closer to FSU’s Southeastern home. Obviously, the forthcoming additions of Syracuse and Pittsburgh — sometime in the next two years — will have an impact on what types of non-conference trips the Seminoles take. (Even if rumors about FSU one day jumping to the Big 12 Conference are true, that could also cause problems for the school from a travel logistics standpoint)

From the proposed budget, here are some key highlights of the numbers that you’ll see below:

~The Operating Transfer amount in FSU’s athletics budget decreased by $489,695

~The Athletic Development Fund amount in the budget decreased by $146,136

~The Total Funding amount in the budget decreased by $585,831

~The On Behalf Of amount in the budget increased by $50,000 (because the school says not all athletic-related expenses can be paid through the university)

~Scholarships and Benefits increased … they are offset by potential 10 percent reductions in both team travel and recruiting (travel) expenses. Scholarships increased to $989,717 and Benefits increased to $93,943

~Academics support expenses decreased by $33,141

~Football expenses decreased by 0.38%

~Football Game Operations expenses increased by 6.02%

~Baseball Postseason Hosting expenses increased by 121.92%

~Strength and Conditioning expenses decreased by 15.93%

~Funding of women’s sports decreased by $86,793

~Funding of men’s sports (with football) decreased by $194,254

~Funding of men’s sports (without football) decreased by $146,616

~Revenue is budgeted to increase by $391,492

~Women’s sports are budgeted at $11.2 million

~Men’s sports (with football) are budgeted at $21.6 million

***

(All of the information you see is courtesy of the FSU athletics department. Below are just some of the numbers from the budget.)

EXPENSES                2011-12 Budget                2012-13 Proposal       Percent change

Administration            $6,373,989                      $6,352,930                         -0.33%

Equipment                     $221,834                          $194,353                              -12.39%

Ticket Office                  $1,045,166                      $1,078,307                         3.17%

Academic Support     $1,605,651                      $1,535,984                          -4.34%

Compliance                   $669,063                         $614,419                              -8.17%

Medical Support         $2,438,668                     $2,387,445                         -2.10%

Strength/Con.             $735,885                         $618,659                             -15.93%

Sports Information   $995,854                         $906,587                            -5.15%

Marketing/Promo     $664,454                         $599,433                            -9.79%

Video Support            $1,172,157                     $1,329,069                        13.39%

Facilities                       $4,531,168                     $4,348,494                        -4.03%

Baseball                        $1,912,518                      $1,862,081                        -2.64%

Baseball Postsea.      $127,730                        $283,464                           121.92% (Hosting Regionals/SuperRegionals)

Men’s Basketball       $3,877,987                    $3,801,029                       -1.98%

Men’s Bball Tickets  $350,000                       $150,000                          -57.14%

Football                       $12,418,888                  $12,371,250                     -0.38%

Football Game Op.  $1,252,733                    $1,328,109                        6.02%

Football Tickets       $600,000                      $300,000                           -50.00%

Bowl Game Expense  $750,000                   $1,000,000                       -33.33%

Men’s Golf                   $514,844                        $540,413                            4.97%

Men’s Swimming      $883,255                        $905,635                           2.53%

Men’s Tennis              $648,140                       $640,644                           -1.16%

men’s Track                $1,578,273                   $1,518,599                       -3.78%

Women’s Basketball   $3,139,259                 $3,192,683                       1.70%

Softball                        $1,164,759                     $1,093,047                      -6.16%

Women’s Golf            $540,216                        $549,215                            1.67%

Women’s Swimming  $946,986                     $992,813                            4.84%

Women’s Tennis      $759,191                         $730,908                           -3.73%

Women’s Track        $1,842,688                     $1,784,953                       -3.13%

Women’s Volleyball    $1,015,230               $1,005,266                       -0.98%

Wo. Sand Volleyball  $452,668                    $407,633                           -9.95%

Women’s Soccer          $1,491,221                 $1,508,907                       1.19%

____________________________________________________

OPERATING EXPENSES   $57,864,695      $57,766,492                    -0.17%

(The total operating expenses includes other expenses left off the table above; they are included in the full budget provided by FSU.)

***

~In terms of REVENUES, FSU anticipates a 3.65 percent reduction in revenue from regular season ticket sales from last year’s budget. The school budgeted $15,05,000 in football regular season ticket sales in 2011-12. On the proposal, FSU anticipates revenues to equal $14,500,000 in 2012-13.

~In terms of REVENUES, FSU anticipates a 20 percent reduction in revenue from men’s basketball regular season games, and a 28.57 percent reduction in revenue from men’s basketball postseason games on the proposed budget. In 2011-12, the school budgeted $1,000,000 in men’s basketball regular season ticket revenues and $350,000 in postseason ticket revenues. On the proposal, FSU cites regular season revenues to hit $1,200,000. Postseason revenues are listed at $250,000.

~FSU also anticipates a 1.82 percent increase in athletic fees. In 2011-12, the budget listed athletic fees at $7,463,900. On the 2012-13 proposal, they are listed at $7,600,000.

~FSU also anticipates a 0.77 percent drop in sponsorships. The 2011-12 budget set aside $1,564,000 in sponsorship revenue. The 2012-13 proposal lists it at $1,552,000.

~While the ACC’s conference distribution should go up from $13,800,000 to $14,078,892, FSU anticipates a drop in the NCAA/ACC reimbursement revenue. After budgeting $587,000 in reimbursements on the previous budget, the school outlined $575,000 in the 2012-13 proposal.

~In all, FSU’s budgeted revenues increased 0.83 percent on the proposal.

Former Florida State offensive tackle Zebrie Sanders (No. 77) was named Wednesday to the National Football Foundation's Hampshire Honor Society. It means he maintained better than a 3.2 GPA throughout his FSU career. On Saturday, he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

Now for a little positive football news.

The National Football Foundation, the group that coordinates the College Football Hall of Fame, announced Wednesday morning its list of players named to the Hampshire Honor Society. A body first organized in 2007, the Hampshire Honor Society is comprised of student-athletes who maintained a 3.2 grade-point average or higher throughout their collegiate careers.

This latest group is the largest in the Honor Society’s history, with 721 players from 232 schools being recognized.

From Florida State, there was just one representative: former offensive tackle Zebrie Sanders.

On Saturday, Sanders was drafted in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. There, he will join Seminoles teammates Nigel Bradham (fourth-round draftee) and Shawn Powell (undrafted free agent) to form, what we’ve come to terming here on the Chopping Block, the Buffanoles.

Zebrie Sanders fields questions at the NFL Combine earlier this year in Indianapolis. On Saturday, he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round. (USPresswire)

Sanders played four years for the Seminoles. He started 50 games at FSU. Last December, he anchored the offensive line in the Champs Sports Bowl. As the lone senior member of the unit, he was playing alongside four true freshman while protecting quarterback EJ Manuel. Despite second-half issues, the group got in sync by the fourth quarter. At the start of the quarter, Manuel completed a pair of touchdown passes to spark an 18-14 come-from-behind win over Notre Dame.

A four-star high school prospect, Sanders was named the Anthony Munoz Foundation Offensive Lineman of the Year as a senior. The Dayton, Ohio product also earned Under Armour All-America honors.

The football field wasn’t the only place he excelled. As a member of a chamber orchestra in high school, he received a superior ranking as a violist.

To check out the full list of Hampshire Honor Society additions, go here.