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When I read last week about the consternation at Florida State regarding the ACC, it made me wonder if David Boren was advising the Seminoles on conference realignment.

The former University of Oklahoma president had a habit at high-profile administrative events of shooting from the hip regarding the school’s dissatisfaction with the Big 12. Similarly, athletic director Michael Alford used a meeting of school trustees to lay out FSU’s frustrations and fears about getting left behind in the new world order of college athletics. And much like Boren, FSU’s A.D. seemed to catch college football media off-guard with some of his pronouncements about the Noles’ state of mind.

Boren knew how to get the ear of reporters. He played the posturing game better than most think. He still failed in the end to get OU to another conference or to reshape the Big 12. (Current university president Joe Harroz worked with athletic director Joe Castiglione to shepherd OU to the SEC, a move that Boren was said to oppose when he was in charge.)

FSU and ally Clemson can raise as big of a ruckus as they want right now, but their gambit with the ACC will probably suffer the same fate. Let’s walk through why.

What do Clemson and FSU want?

Sounds like more money.

Don’t we all?

True. The real issue is that SEC and Big Ten teams appear poised to leave their ACC counterparts in the dust financially when their new media deals kick in. Meanwhile, the ACC’s long-term contract with ESPN means its member schools don’t have any leverage to negotiate for more money at the moment. Even if the ACC’s deal with ESPN fell apart tomorrow, there’s no reason to believe the league could take its media rights to the open market and find a bidder willing to pay anything in the same stratosphere as what the two big dogs are getting.

So how do Clemson and FSU get more money?

There are two obvious answers here:

OK, so what’s wrong with the first option?

Multiple things. First, I don’t want to put words in your mouth, but I’m assuming “another conference” means the B1G and/or SEC, right?

Indeed.

Why would those leagues would want to add CU and FSU at the moment?

We can start with the B1G. Let’s say the B1G schools looked past the academic profiles of CU and FSU, which don’t fit with the conference’s membership. The conference will have 16 teams once USC and UCLA join in 2024. That has long been viewed as the upper limit on members to maintain a functional league. Going beyond that threshold would certainly require Notre Dame’s involvement. The geography also starts getting rough when you consider the B1G just added two outliers in California.

Then there’s the matter of media partners. The ACC owns the media rights of its members through 2036. The ACC has an exclusive broadcasting contract with ESPN for that window. Therefore, getting out of the ACC grant of rights essentially means finding a way for the conference to break its deal with the worldwide leader. Rest assured that ESPN will make it exceedingly painful for any ACC schools to leave for the B1G, which won’t have any relationship with ESPN once its new media deal kicks in.

Fine, the B1G is out. Aren’t Clemson and Florida State more like SEC schools anyway?

They are, which is actually a problem.

The current members of the SEC don’t have any reason to invite that kind of competition into the league right now. FSU and CU don’t bring in new recruiting territory to the mix. Instead, they would simply become even stronger competitors for players from the SEC’s bread basket. Schools like Florida and South Carolina seem extraordinarily unlikely to back any moves that might benefit their in-state rivals, and it’s hard to see many other members getting onboard, either.

Hold up. Texas A&M would like a word.

True, the Aggies clearly objected to the SEC adding OU and Texas on similar grounds. A combo of Clemson and FSU probably falls short of a Sooners-Longhorns pairing from the standpoint of brand value.

Equally important, the Red River rivals began negotiating their entrance into the SEC with an exit point from the Big 12 in sight. Once they made it known they intended to leave the Big 12, the SEC had to grapple with the possibility that passing on OU and UT meant they might get scooped up by the B1G or the ACC instead. Clemson and FSU don’t pose that same kind of threat right now, especially with ESPN calling the shots.

So shake down the ACC for a larger share of the conference revenue?

Maybe the rest of the ACC would agree to unequal revenue distributions, but are we to believe that would keep CU and FSU tethered to the conference for longer than the minimum amount of time it takes for them to find an off ramp? There’s no feasible split that would allow them to keep pace with the B1G and SEC teams.

Why give them more money when they are going to leave the conference anyway?

Where is this all headed?

Great question. The vibe around the ACC now feels very much like the Big 12 for the last decade or so, with the eyes of the Seminoles and Tigers wandering while playing out the string. A few years down the line, the SEC may decide it needs the schools to notify its territory. Or the B1G might decide to turn a blind eye on academics. Or something could change that leads to a major shakeup of college football itself.

No need for CU and FSU to pack any bags for a while, though.

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Inflation remains a major issue for Americans, especially parents. With clothing and footwear at a rate of 2.9%, they're looking for cheaper outfits for their kids.

One church in Tallahassee is celebrating a year of providing free clothing and other baby items families need without breaking their banks.

"This is a great way to show the world that the church is here to love on people and serve," said Olivia Campbell.

Campbell is a first-time mom to three-month-old Isabella. She's been shopping for baby items at Calvary Church's Kid's Closet since she was five months pregnant. Every first Monday of the month, expecting or new parents like Campbell can come shop at the kids closet for any items they might need for free.

"It feels like a nice store. It doesn't feel like hand me downs. It feels like they matter, and everybody deserves to have nice quality clothes," said Andrea Roberts.

Children's Ministry Director Andrea Roberts said the idea to open the closet came after a donation of baby clothes was made to the church. Now, a year since opening, they have a whole room filled with newborn to toddler essentials for over 30 families in need.

Families shopping at the kid's closet can come pick up a bag and fill it with any items they might need. Anything from formula to baby clothes or even a crib. The closet runs solely of donations made to the church.

Roberts said those bigger items, like cribs and strollers, are usually the first to go, but new donations help them continue to offer them.

"Anything that is expensive is a huge need in the community and people are always growing out of those too so to watch that continually be supplied is amazing," said Roberts.

Another hot item is baby formula. The price for baby formula went up 18% in 2022, according to the Center for American Progress costing parents, like Campbell, up to a $1.15 per ounce.

"It's very expensive so when I saw it, I was like I need to get it. It's a huge help. That's a few feedings," said Campbell.

Now that Campbell has had her baby, she's excited to be able to use the items she's gotten from the closet and donate back as her daughter grows.

"It doesn't make sense to buy a lot and then in a few weeks, they're not going to use it anymore so it's good that we can have that here and then bring it back for more families or babies that can use it."

Campbell said the Kid's Closet has also helped her meet new mom friends and find support in the community. If you would like to donate items to the Kid's Closet, you can drop them off at the church of Mahan Drive Monday through Thursday.

Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Florida State University’s Women’s Student Union (WSU) has unique events in order this upcoming March, and you must check them out. Being on WSU’s Women’s History Month Committee, I have the inside scoop on all the best activities and which ones you absolutely must go to. Mark your calendars because this month will be exhilarating and you won’t want to miss it!

Do you want to learn more about being a powerful and admirable leader? For this event, WSU partnered with WIN (Women In NAACP) to bring you a panel full of young, inspiring women speaking on leadership and their experiences. This event will take place in the Redina Room from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., across from the Alumni Center Ballroom.

Join the Women Student Union board for a fun morning of yoga on Landis Green! This event will take place at 9 a.m. and will be sure to get you in a zen state of mind just in time for spring break!

For this event, WSU joined forces with Planned Parenthood Generation Action and the Reproductive Health Club at FSU to bring you an informative evening all about women’s health. It takes place in Globe Room 2500 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This event will have a special guest and many fun activities to make the most of your evening. They will be giving out complimentary journals, stickers and much more. Stick around to the end of the event and you’ll receive a goodie bag too!

This event is one of my personal favorites, being that we get to create friendship bracelets and self-care routines! This event will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Student Union Room 2212. Scrapbooking is also in order during the event, helping us bloom into our best selves while eating yummy snacks. We’ll all be thriving by the end of this event.

This event is arguably one of the coolest. Bring your friends and enjoy a night of roller skating and rocking out to some of the best women empowerment songs! This event will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Skate World Tallahassee at zero cost. As if this event wasn’t already so great, all expenses, including roller skates and snacks, are covered by Women Student Union.

Remember the bowling alley in the Student Union? Well, on March 26 you’ll be enjoying complimentary equipment while bowling with your besties. The event is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Union Bowling Alley.

I guess WSU heard our calls. One of the most popular movies of 2022 is coming to the ASLC! Grab your snacks from the ASLC’s snack station and enjoy Florence Pugh and Harry Styles’ amazing performance.

Want to be the aesthetic book girl of your dreams? Make sure to pick up a free book at WSU’s Market Wednesday table and come to our book talk from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Student Union Room 2213. Take it from me, this book is one of a kind, as it discusses intersectionality and feminism. During the book talk, attendees will discuss their favorite moments from the book with their fellow book lovers, all while snacking on some delicious treats.

What’s a great way to end March 2023? A banquet with an awards ceremony, giving out awards to the most inspirational and spirited women of FSU. This event is the perfect time to take out that beautiful dress that you’ve been meaning to wear. You’ll be there from drinks till dinner, and a social hour to speak to your fellow constituents. Make sure to mark your calendars for 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Student Union Ballrooms for this lavish night.

As if all the rest of the events weren’t enough, WSU has yet another event planned — except this one is a surprise. And let me tell you, it’s a good one. Save the date and stay tuned to the WSU Instagram for more information in the coming weeks!

Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us onFacebook and follow us onInstagram,Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, andPinterest!

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Florida State begins spring practice tomorrow. The combination of returning starters, developing underclassmen, and potential impact transfers creates a good deal of intrigue and competition for these 15 spring practices.

With that in mind, Noles247 finishes its list of the 30 Most Important Players of the Spring with 10-1 on the countdown.

**Take advantage of Noles247's 50% off annual offer**

A reminder, it's a list of players who intrigue us for a variety of reasons (how they look coming off an injury, how they'll potentially fit into the lineup this season, their longterm projection, etc.) vs. a list of the top players or most important ones.

10.CB Azareye’h Thomas

Azareye’h Thomas ended 2022 on a high note after some major struggles at the beginning of the year.

Here are the splits:

Through his first five games, Thomas gave up a 71.4 completion percentage, an NFL Passer Rating of 113.7 when targeted, and gave up 13.43 yards per attempt thrown his way.

In the final six games, the completion percentage dropped to 60.0, the Passer Rating fell to 25.0, and the YPA plummeted to 8.40.

The former four-star built confidence and started coming into his own as his rookie season progressed, setting the stage for a 2023 campaign in which Thomas should be a regular part of the rotation from Day 1.

One dynamic that will be interesting to watch: Does Thomas get some burn at slot to add size to that spot? Or does FSU keep him at outside corner so he can keep building on his progress from last year?

9. QB AJ Duffy

This is a big spring for AJ Duffy. He’s in an interesting position entering Year 2 as the former four-star QB is trying to make a push for Tate Rodemkaer’s QB2 spot while also fending off true freshman Brock Glenn.

With competition all around him, Duffy will have to be sharp and can’t afford practices that, frankly, felt like they were unproductive at times last season.

The encouraging news is that Duffy has apparently dialed up his intensity so far this offseason, looking like a more muscular player while getting praise from Mike Norvell for how he’s carried himself.

Duffy is a wildcard, no doubt, as his growth could change the complexion of this position group.

His development will be fun to monitor.

8. S Shyheim Brown

Three fun stats for Shyheim Brown.

1. He led all safeties nationally in Pass Breakup Rate (22.2 percent) even with a strong sample size of 200+ coverage snaps. This points to being in good position and making good plays on the ball.

2. He was 6th among all DBs in completion percentage when targeted (33.3).

3. He was 2nd nationally among all safeties in PFF's Pass Rush Production formula at 41.7 (min. 10 attempts)

The sample sets are smaller here, but Brown has done exactly what you’d like of him when given the opportunity. And with Jammie Robinson moving on to the NFL, Brown is going to see his role expand from the third safety to that of a starter.

His size and speed combo should allow DC Adam Fuller to get creative in how he uses this talented underclassman. And with Brown up to 217 pounds, he seems to be ready to throw his weight around starting this spring.

7. DT Darrell Jackson

FSU gets a plug-and-play trench player in Darrell Jackson, who started at Miami last year and graded out well (70.0 per PFF) on a subpar defense.

His supporting cast should be better now that he’s at FSU. He’s already gained 9 pounds since making it to Tallahassee, and he carries his 326 pounds remarkably well.

There’s some internal buzz about Jackson being a high-end NFL Draft pick if he’s able to unlock all his physical tools. We can't wait to see how he handles himself in the trenches this spring.

6. DT Braden Fiske

We’ll see just how much Braden Fiske can do this spring as he recovers from a shoulder procedure, but we should at least get a good idea of the Western Michigan transfer’s athletic profile by seeing him move around.

Word is that Fiske – who has 100 QB Pressures in his career – moves remarkably well at 300 pounds, and that could allow him to move all over the defensive line.

This spring probably won’t tell us everything we need to know about Fiske, but it should at least present a clear picture of the baseline skill set he’ll offer up at the Power Five level.

5. OL Jeremiah Byers

Athletically, Jeremiah Byers might be the best offensive lineman FSU has fielded in a decade. He moves remarkably well at his size, that much was evident during the snippet Tour of Duty this past week.

Now what does he do from a physicality standpoint to complement that athleticism as he moves up to the Power Five level?

That’s a question/storyline we’ll be following this spring. Because if Byers combines mean with movement…watch out. He could be a game changer given that he has the frame/athleticism to play tackle or guard.

4. WR Winston Wright

Remember what Winston Wright was supposed to be a year ago? He was a highly-productive transfer from West Virginia and was thought to be the leader to take over as WR1 before a devastating leg injury knocked him out for the entire season.

Wright has endured a difficult road back, but looks like he’ll be fully available this spring. We’ll see just how close he is to his pre-injury form, but Wright was moving without a limp during Tour of Duty and also squatted 455 pounds recently. Those are encouraging signs.

3. WR Hykeem Williams

It’s been a while since FSU has had a five-star product on campus, so witnessing that rare size/speed combo in general will be a fun novelty.

But with Hykeem Williams, it’ll also be exciting to see him develop under this coaching staff. He’ll be pushed by Norvell, a former receiver, and Ron Dugans. How will the young player handle not being the top dog for the first time in his career? And is he capable of making some sort of impact in Year 1?

2. CB Fentrell Cypress

Put Fentrell Cypress in the “as advertised” category as the Top 5 transfer has looked every bit the part in workouts. He’s come to FSU in fantastic shape from an endurance standpoint and has received high praise from every source we’ve talked to this offseason.

The Virginia transfer comes to FSU after a breakout 2022 campaign in which he established himself as one of the best corners in the country. Cypress allowed just one completion of 20+ yards as the primary defender all season and was third nationally in Pass Breakup Percentage at 22.5, showing that he’s a playmaker in addition to being a controlled cover corner.

Cypress, if he has a similar season for FSU, opens up a ton of possibilities in FSU’s secondary as the Seminoles will have the flexibility to move other pieces around with Cypress solidified as CB1.

1. TE Jaheim Bell

We enter the spring confident that Jaheim Bell will be a factor in this offense. But just how much of a factor and exactly how he’ll be utilized are unknowns still.

COMMENTS

The next 15 practices should paint a pretty clear picture both in terms of skill set and usage.

Bell comes to Tallahassee after presenting a wide array of skills at South Carolina as he was a receiving threat from multiple spots on the field as well as an accomplished runner. His 1,029 yards of total offense over the past two seasons are third among all active tight ends in college football behind only Georgia’s Brock Bowers and Stanford’s Benjamin Yusorek.

There’s clearly potential to unleash here. And given Mike Norvell’s creativity, it’s hard not to be excited to see how FSU plans to use this do-everything athlete.

A federal judge Tuesday upheld a portion of a constitutional amendment on lobbying and disrupted any retirement plans Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor may have had.

U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom issued a preliminary injunction against a restriction on state and local officials lobbying other government bodies while in office. She did not block another part of the amendment that restricts former state and local officials from lobbying for six years after leaving office.

The prohibition was approved by 79% of voters in 2018 and was enacted by laws passed by the Legislature last year.

The Obama-appointed judge wrote the state defended the limited restriction as a way to prevent “quid pro quo corruption,” but did not justify a broader prohibition on all governments.

Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor calls the ban on lobbying the government where one had served “crazy” and “ridiculous.”

The ruling came in a challenge brought by Miami-Dade County Commissioner Rene Garcia and South Miami Mayor Javier Fernandez., who represent clients before other governmental bodies while serving in elected office.

Proctor had tried to join the lawsuit but Bloom ruled he lacked standing.

Friday, he compared the lobbying ban to a dishonorable discharge from the Army.

“I have served honorably. I tried to do the right thing and I don't have any marks or bruises or concerns that I did it wrong. Why would you prohibit someone like me with three decades of experience and expertise from being involved in politics,” said Proctor, first elected in 1996.

If the split ruling by Bloom stands, the 63-year-old Commissioner, whose term expires in 2024, would either have to run for reelection or stand on the sidelines, unable to participate in the discussion about a series of unfinished projects he had championed.

Proctor said if he were out of office he would fear being accused of lobbying for walking into the Courthouse and talking to Commissioners and staff about widening Orange Avenue from Monroe Street to Capital Circle SW, or improvements to Crawfordville Highway, and the $12 million plan for the North Florida Fair property.

“I would be penalized for exercising my knowledge,” said Proctor when asked if his interest in the case was because he’s thinking of retirement and not running in 2024.

“I’m going to die in office because I do not want to be prohibited from being able to go down there and argue for what I’ve tried to do. If I can’t go down there and stand up for those projects then I’m going to stay in office,” said Proctor, who had worked for former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham and Gov. Lawton Chiles, before running for the Leon Commission.

The penalty for violation of the ban includes a $10,000 fine.