The shaky performance of the state’s two flagship college football teams is drawing notice from Gov. Ron DeSantis after losses over Labor Day weekend.
“This morning was probably a rough morning for Florida State Seminole fans after last night. You know, we want all the teams to do well. And I also know we’ve got a lot of (University of Florida) fans in this area and Saturday was not the best day for that either,” the Governor said Tuesday at Daytona State College.
DeSantis attended the UF home opener against Miami, which the road squad won 41-17. He also attended FSU’s loss in Ireland last weekend to Georgia Tech, hazarding criticism from a Legislator for visiting a so-called “antisemitic country,” before attending the Seminoles’ second loss of the year on Monday.
The Governor has griped about the underwhelming performance of the state’s college football teams on many occasions, criticizing the Gators more than the Seminoles given FSU’s strong performance last year.
This Spring, he told a Gainesville crowd that excuses were running out after a legendary coach left the college ranks.
“You know, Nick Saban has retired from Alabama. So this is the window,” DeSantis said in May in Gainesville.
“I know Georgia is still very tough. It’s a tough league. I get it. But I saw those national championships up, back in the day and that was great, and basketball too. I mean, so hopefully we’ll get back there. We’re really looking forward to seeing Florida return to being the college football capital of the world like we used to be.”
DeSantis similarly discussed Billy Napier’s squad during September 2023 comments to the California Republican Party.
While he noted that the University of Florida was “the top ranked public university in America,” he added quickly that he needed “their football team to start doing a little bit better.”
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