Florida State Seminoles

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Florida State Seminoles
University: Florida State University
Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference
Division: Division I
Director: Dave Hart
City: Tallahassee
State: Florida
Teams: 17
Stadium: Doak Campbell Stadium
Ballpark: Dick Howser Stadium
Arena: Donald L. Tucker Center
Symbol: Seminoles
Nickname: 'Noles
Colors: Garnet and Gold           
Website: Seminoles.com

The Florida State Seminoles are the men's and women's sports teams of Florida State University. The men's programs consist of baseball, basketball, cross country running, football, golf, swimming, tennis and track & field. The women's programs consist of basketball, cross country running, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field and volleyball.

The teams are represented by the symbols Chief Osceola and Renegade. This Native American name is used with official sanction of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc. FSU participates in the NCAA's Division I (Division I FBS for football) and in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The logo, a profile of a Seminole warrior, was created using the actual profile of Thomas Wright, who wrote the Florida State fight song.

Contents

Baseball

  • 1977, 1980, 1981, 1983-1991 - Metro Conference Champions
  • 1995, 1997, 2002, 2004 - Atlantic Coast Conference Champions
  • 2007 - Atlantic Division Champions

Basketball

  • (1954-1955) - Men's Florida Intercollegiate Champions
  • (1990-1991) - Metro Conference Champions

Football

  • 1948-1950 - Dixie Conference Champions
  • 1992-2000, 2002, 2003 - Atlantic Coast Conference Champions
  • 2005 – Atlantic Division Champions, Inaugural ACC Championship Game Champions

Men's Golf

  • 1977-1987, 1989, 1990 - Metro Conference Champions

Softball

  • 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997-2000, 2003, 2004 - Atlantic Coast Conference Champions

Men's Swimming

  • 2007 - Atlantic Coast Conference Champions

Women's Swimming

  • 2006 - Atlantic Coast Conference Champions

Track

  • Indoor Men's
    • 1994, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 - Atlantic Coast Conference Champions
  • Men's Track and Field
    • 1950, 1951 - Dixie Conference Champions
    • 1972-1974 - Southeastern Champions
    • 1977-1991 - Metro Conference Champions
    • 2002-2007 - Atlantic Coast Conference Champions
  • Women's Cross Country
    • 2007 - Atlantic Coast Conference Champions
  • Women's Track and Field
    • 1989-1991 - Metro Conference Champions
    • 2000 - Atlantic Coast Conference Champions

Volleyball

  • 1983, 1985-1989 - Metro Conference Champions
  • 1998 - Atlantic Coast Conference Champions

  • 1951 - Men's Gymnastics (NCAA National Champion)
  • 1952 - Men's Gymnastics (NCAA National Champion)
  • 1981 - Women's Golf (NCAA National Champion)
  • 1981 - Women's Softball (NCAA National Champion)
  • 1982 - Women's Softball (NCAA National Champion)
  • 1984 - Women's Indoor Track and Field (NCAA National Champion)
  • 1985 - Women's Outdoor Track and Field (NCAA National Champion)
  • 1993 - Football (as awarded by the AP and the ESPN-USA Today Coaches Polls)
  • 1999 - Football (as awarded by the AP and the BCS)
  • 2006 - Men's Outdoor Track and Field (NCAA National Champion)
  • 2007 - Men's Outdoor Track and Field (NCAA National Champion)

Doak Campbell Stadium
Doak Campbell Stadium

There are two major stadiums and an arena within FSU's main campus. Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium named after the winningest coach in Division 1 college football history as well as President Campbell which during his administration was instrumental in beginning the Florida-Florida State rivalry. Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium is the home for Seminole baseball and is named for the legendary skipper, Mike Martin and for coach Dick Howser, head coach for Kansas City, Cleveland, and the New York Yankees as well as returning to coach at Florida State in 1979. The Donald L. Tucker Center is home for men’s and women’s basketball.

Mike Long track is the home of the two time back to back National Champion Men’s Track and Field team. The track has undergone a complete revamp and in 2003 a brand new track, complete with a new surface, wider lanes, faster turns and a larger infield area for hosting field events was unveiled. Following their championship on 2007, a new three building complex broke ground on the corner of Spirit Way and Chieftan Way in the southern end of the track.

H. Donald Loucks courts at the Speicher Tennis Center is the home for FSU Tennis. The complex was named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Michael Scott Speicher, a graduate of Florida State University and the first American casualty during Operation Desert Storm. By presidential directive, the facility bears the name the "Scott Speicher Tennis Center."

The Seminole Soccer Complex is home for women’s soccer normally holds a capacity of 1,600 people but has seen crowds in excess of 4,500 for certain games. The home record is 4,582 for last year’s game versus Florida.

The Seminole softball plays at the Seminole Softball Complex and the team takes the field that holds the name of the winningest coach in softball history, Dr. JoAnne Graf.

Unconquered:The Seminole warrior statue in front of Doak Campbell Stadium honors the unconquered spirit of the Seminole people.
Unconquered:The Seminole warrior statue in front of Doak Campbell Stadium honors the unconquered spirit of the Seminole people.

Florida State's traditional rivals in all sports include the University of Florida Gators and the University of Miami Hurricanes. Florida State University is the only school in the State of Florida to play both the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Gators year in and year out in all sports.

The Bowden Bowl involving Florida State and Clemson University is currently in its ninth season. This gridiron rivaly is played between father Bobby Bowden, head coach at FSU, and his son Tommy Bowden, head coach at Clemson.

Florida State University was founded by Francis Eppes VII, the University of Virginia by Thomas Jefferson, and so the battle for the Jefferson-Eppes trophy in football once was a yearly occurrence. With the recent realignment of the divisions in the Atlantic Coast Conference the Florida State Seminoles found themselves in one division and the Virginia Cavaliers in another. The two schools will once again meet in 2010 to renew the rivalry.[1]

Rivalries in some other sports also exist, including the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in baseball and the Duke University Blue Devils in basketball.[1]

Seminole baseball is one of the most successful collegiate baseball programs in the United States having been to 18 College World Series, and having appeared in the national championship final on three occasions (falling to the University of Southern California Trojans in 1970, the University of Arizona Wildcats in 1986, and the University of Miami Hurricanes in 1999).

Under the command of Head Coach #11 Mike Martin (FSU 1966), Florida State is the second-winningest program in the history of college baseball. Since 1990, FSU has had more 50 win seasons, headed to more NCAA Tournaments (19 Regional Tournaments in 20 years), and finished in the top 10 more than any team in the United States. Since 2000, FSU is the winningest program in college baseball with more victories and a higher winning percentage in the regular season than any other school. Despite their regular-season success and winning sixteen conference championships, Florida State is still chasing their first College World Series Championship.

  • Field Dimensions:
    • 340’ - left field
    • 400’ - center field
    • 320’ - right field
      • Stadium Capacity: 6,700
Dick Howser Baseball Stadium
Dick Howser Baseball Stadium

Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium is located on the campus of Florida State University. It opened in 1983 and held approximately 6,000 seats. A two year, $12 million project was completed in 2004 to make it one of the top collegiate baseball facilities in the United States, upgrading the stadium capacity to 6,700. The upgrades included: chairback seats for visitors and fans, a 40 foot by 70 foot $800,000 video board, high quality public address system, the luxurious Griffin Family Clubhouse, and the Mike Loynd Tradition Room.[2]

Mike Martin Field is also home to the Animals of Section B. The Animals are a boisterous group of baseball fans dating all the way back to 1977. The main purpose of the Animals is to support Florida State Baseball in a "unique", yet clean and classy manner. Our name originated in 1978, when Sol Carroll (FSU's #1 Fan) would bring doughnuts to Seminole Field to pass out to the fans - old, crusty, tasteless doughnuts from Yum-Yum Doughnuts (or was it Yuck-Yuck Doughnuts?). This tradition went on game after game, when finally these fans had enough and threw Sol's doughnuts right back at him. He called them a bunch of 'Animals' and the name stuck.

When Seminole Field, later Dick Howser Stadium, opened in 1983, the Animals took roost in Section B, and have stayed there ever since. The Animals consist of students, alumni, business people, families, public servants, and anyone else who has a deep passion for Florida State Baseball. The Animals use intimidation through noise to rattle the visiting team's psyche. We use cheers and songs to help get our crowd and team into the game, and the visitor's out of theirs.[3]

Donald L. Tucker Center Banners
Donald L. Tucker Center Banners

Donald L. Tucker Center is a 12,100 seat multi-purpose arena in Tallahassee, Florida. The arena opened in 1981 was built at a cost of $33.8 million. It is home to the Florida State University Seminoles men's and women's basketball teams. Before they moved. Formerly known as the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center, it was re-named, in accordance with a 2004 act of state legislation, in honor of Donald L. Tucker, a former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and Special Ambassador for the United States to the Dominican Republic. Prior to the opening of the Tucker Center, Florida State's basketball teams played on-campus at Tully Gymnasium.

The Tucker Center has 34 luxury suites, 468 club seats as well as a 450-seat arena-view restaurant. A four-sided Megavision video display is located in the center of the arena

After spotting America’s major college basketball programs a 50-year head start, Florida State would be struggling just to catch up. Not so. In just over 50 years, the Seminoles have matched and surpassed many of their older brethren in victories, in 20-win seasons, in NCAA Tournament games and in the individual honors picked up by Florida State players. While many teams have celebrated over 100 years in college basketball, the Seminole program remains a virtual baby in years playing the game. But not in years of excellence.

The Men's Seminole team has enjoyed some NCAA Success. Since their first appearance in the NCAA’s big dance in 1968, the Seminoles have played for the title in the NCAA championship game, fought their way into the Elite 8 and Sweet 16 and become tournament regulars.

Florida State is one of only two ACC schools that have had at least one player selected in each of the last four NBA Drafts. Hearing their names called on recent draft days were Tim Pickett by the New Orleans Hornets in 2004, Von Wafer by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005, Alexander Johnson by the Indiana Pacers in 2006 and Al Thorton by the LA Clippers in 2007 giving Seminole head coach Leonard Hamilton four NBA draft choices in his first four years at Florida State. A total of 35 Seminoles have been selected in the NBA Draft including seven first round picks. Among those first round selections are Dave Cowens, one of the greatest centers in NBA history, and George McCloud, the first lottery selection in school history. Today, five Seminoles are on NBA rosters and 16 have played in the league in the last 17 years..[4]

Like the Florida State men's team, the Lady Noles play their basketball from the Donald L. Tucker Center. In the 2005-06 season FSU entered the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll for the first time at No. 19. The Lady Seminoles earned a #6 seed in the 2005-06 NCAA women's Tournament.

Florida State College football 1902
Florida State College football 1902

Florida State University football is one of the 119 NCAA Division I-A collegiate football teams in America. The first Florida State football team was fielded in the 1902 Season and lasted until the 1904 season. The team went (7-6-1) over the three seasons posting a record of (3-1) against their rivals from the University of Florida in Lake City. In 1904 the Florida State football team became the first ever state champions of Florida after beating both the University of Florida and Stetson University. The team moved to Gainesville in 1905 when the University of Florida opened its doors.

Florida State Football Practice Fields
Florida State Football Practice Fields

Under head coach Bobby Bowden, currently in his 32nd year, the Seminole football team became one of the nation's most competitive football teams, greatly expanding the tradition of football at Florida State.[5] The Seminoles played in five national championship games between 1993 and 2001, and have claimed the championship twice, in 1993 and 1999 . The FSU football team was the most successful team in college football during the 1990s, boasting an 89% winning percentage.[6] FSU also set an NCAA record for most consecutive Top 5 finishes in the AP football poll - receiving placement 14 years in a row, from 1987 to 2000. The Seminoles were the first college football team in history to go wire-to-wire (ranked first place from preseason to postseason) since the AP began releasing preseason rankings in 1936. FSU also owns the record for most consecutive Bowl game victories with 11 between 1985 and 1996.[5] The Seminole Football team has also won 15 Conference championships in the Dixie and Atlantic Coast.

FSU Football head coach Bobby Bowden is the Division I leader in the NCAA with 372 career wins, followed by Penn State's Joe Paterno with 370. FSU football is well-known for introducing talented players into the NFL, including Deion Sanders, Terrell Buckley, Derrick Brooks, Sebastian Janikowski, Walter Jones, Corey Simon, Anquan Boldin, Javon Walker, Warrick Dunn, Peter Boulware, Laverneus Coles, Brad Johnson, Samari Rolle, and many other players in recent history.

Florida State Football's Sod Cemetery is the final resting place for 75 "Sod Games"
Florida State Football's Sod Cemetery is the final resting place for 75 "Sod Games"

In 1962, the FSU football team captains returned to Tallahassee with a piece of the turf from Sanford Stadium after whipping Georgia 18-0 in Athens. The turf was presented to Dean Coyle E. Moore who founded the tradition of the sod game.

The sod cemetery began when the first piece of sod was buried in the corner of the Florida State practice field and a monument was placed to commemorate the road victory. In the early years, FSU only snipped grass when it won by upset on the road. But as the Seminoles became more successful, the criteria changed. Sod games still represent road games won when FSU is a significant underdog, however, all bowl games are now considered sod games as well as landmark road wins no matter who was favored. Each piece of sod is buried in the cemetery next to the practice field and a tombstone is placed above it with the score and date of the game..[7]

Langford Green at University Center
Langford Green at University Center

The stadium, named after former Florida State President Doak S. Campbell, hosted its first game against the Randolph-Macon College Yellowjackets on October 7, 195] with the Seminoles winning the game 40-7. At that time the facility had a seating capacity of 15,000. Florida State first began play at Centennial Field during the team's inaugural 1947 season and would continue to play there for the following two years (1948 and 1949). The stadium has expanded numerous times; from 15,000 seats to 19,000 in 1954, to 25,000 in 1961 and to 40,500 between the years 1960 and 1970. Since that time, the stadium has expanded to almost 83,000, largely in part to the success of the football team under head coach Bobby Bowden coupled with the ever growing student body. It now is the largest football stadium in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

  • The university offered to rename the entire stadium after legend Bobby Bowden, but Bobby asked them to name only the field after him.
  • Prior to the start of the 2007 Season a new state of the art sound and public address system was installed.
  • At the end of the 2007 Seminole Football Home Season work will begin on installing two new LED Scoreboards as well as four new LED ribbon boards.

The University Center

Doak Campbell Stadium is a unique venue in collegiate football. It is contained within the brick facade walls of University Center, a vast complex that houses the offices of the University, the Registrar, School of Hospitality as well as numerous other offices and classrooms.

  • The University Center A (East wing)

Building A houses the offices of the Registrar, Financial Aid, Admissions and Dean of Students. The Career Center is also located here until it is moved to the new Student Success Center. The Award Winning Film School is Located in the 2nd wing of Building A. The top two floors are home to Skyboxes

  • The University Center B (South Wing)

Building B holds the Seminole Sportshop as well as Visitor Services. UCB is also home to the University Center Club and to the Osceola Sports Grill, the ultimate way to watch a Seminole Football game. The highly ranked Dedman School of Hospitality is located on the second floor of Building B.

  • The University Center C (West Wing)

Building C is home to the College of Communication, Florida State Testing Center as well as the College of Social Work. The Athletics Ticket office is also located here as are many of the offices of Seminole Boosters. Floor nine is home to the Press Boxes with two floors of Skyboxes below.

  • Moore Athletic Center (University Center D)

Located on the North Side of Doak Campbell, the athletic center houses nearly all of the athletic offices as well as some classrooms and lecture halls. Visitors are welcomed into the Great Hall showcasing the best of Seminole Athletics. The two National Championship Football trophies are on display for all to see.

The FSU men's Track & Field team won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship three times running, and the NCAA National Championship in back to back years. IN 2006 Head Coach Bob Braman and Associate Head Coach Harlis Meaders helped lead individual champions in the 200 m (Walter Dix), the triple jump (Raqeef Curry), and the shot put (Garrett Johnson). Individual runners-up were Walter Dix in the 100 m, Ricardo Chambers in the 400 m, and Tom Lancashire in the 1500 m. Others scoring points in the National Championship were Michael Ray Garvin in the 200 m (8th),Andrew Lemoncello in the 3000 m steeplechase (4th), Raqeef Curry in the long jump (6th), and Garrett Johnson in the discus (5th).[8] In 2007, FSU won its second straight men's Track & Field NCAA National Championship when Dix became the first person to hold the individual title in the 100 m, 200 m, and 400 m at the same time.[9]

The Seminole softball team plays at the Seminole Softball Complex; the field is named for JoAnne Graf, the winningest coach in softball history.[10] The winningest coach in softball history keeps pushing her record farther and farther up the charts. Following the program's 25th 40 win season in 2006, Graf 's 1,355 total wins are 149 ahead of the next closest coach. An 8-1 victory over Jacksonville on February 22, 2006, made her only the second coach in NCAA history to record 1,100 NCAA fast pitch wins. In 1999, Florida State received a state-of-the-art softball complex which also houses the Seminole soccer stadium. The result was the creation of one of the nation's premier collegiate joint softball and soccer facilities.

Seven trips to the Women’s College World Series, 19 NCAA Tournaments, 24 All-Americans, 10 conference titles in 15 years and one of the nations’ premiere softball facilities and that’s just scratching the surface of what it means to play softball at Florida State. From the time FSU won its first national championship in 1981, the nation’s best players have come to play for legendary head coach Dr. JoAnne Graf and wear Garnet and Gold.

For over two decades those players have made FSU one of the most dominant softball programs in the history of collegiate softball. Only five teams in the history of the NCAA have been to more WCWS than Florida State and no school east of Arizona has been to more NCAA Tournaments than the Seminoles. Florida State’s success on the field is remarkable. The Tribe has never endured a losing sea son in coach Dr. Graf ’s 28 years as they have won 76% of the 1786 games they have played. Only UCLA has amassed more program wins than Florida State’s 1136 since 1984 and the Seminoles have a winning record against over 80% of the 165 opponents they have faced in the program’s illustrious 28-year history. Nothing has changed recently either as over the last 15 seasons, FSU has amassed 761 wins or an average of more than 50 victories a season.

  • Field Dimensions:
    • 200’ - right and left field
    • 220’ - center field
      • Stadium Capacity: 1,000

JoAnne Graf Field at the Seminole Softball Complex is state-of-the art in every facet and provides Florida State softball players with an all-inclusive complex that includes locker rooms, meeting rooms and one of the best playing surfaces anywhere in the country.

Florida State has posted 217 wins in its eight years at the complex. Even more impressive, FSU has gone 164-36 at the complex the last six years for an amazing .820 winning percentage. The complex was also featured in Athletic Business Magazine’s 2002 Architectural Showcase.

Florida State’s dream of a new, state-of-the-art softball complex became reality when ground was broken in a ceremony in the spring of 1998. Construction workers worked continuously to complete the facility, which also houses the Seminole soccer stadium. The result was the creation of one of the nation’s premier collegiate softball and soccer facilities. The complex, which was completed in the spring of 1999, includes ticket and concessions buildings and spacious press boxes with radio/television booths. The two-level Mary Ann Stiles & Barry Smith Team Building features a reception area, softball and soccer coaches offices, which overlook their respective stadiums, a combined workroom, large team and coaches locker rooms and training and equipment rooms.

On April 2, 2005, university president Dr. T.K. Wetherell and Dave Hart officially renamed the softball stadium “JoAnne Graf Field at the Seminole Softball Complex.” She joins Bob Heck at Georgia State as the only two active softball coaches with fi lds named after them. This fall the stadium got a facelift as a Florida State will unveil a brand new video scoreboard for the 2007 season. The board uses the same technology that is used at most outdoor professional stadiums. The ProStar is capable of displaying video clips, live video, animation, player head shots, graphics and statistics in 4.3 trillion colors.

The Seminole Softball/Soccer Complex is located in between the Dick Howser Baseball Stadium and the Mike Long Track on Chief tan Way. The facility can be accessed from both Chieftan Way and Stadium Drive.

  • Head Coach: Mark Krikorian (3rd Season)

Florida State University has had one of the top women's soccer programs in the nation. The University added women's soccer as its 17th varsity sport in 1998. The Seminoles have appeared in the NCAA tournament every year since 2000 and have appeared in the ACC tournament final in 2001 and 2004. FSU is one of only a few schools to have played in the NCAA Women's College Cup three times in the last four years, appearing in 2003, 2005, and 2006.

  • All-Americans
    • 2 India Trotter (2002-2006) - First Team All-American
    • 8 Selin Kuralay (2003-present) - Second Team All-American
    • 10 Kelly Rowland (2002-2006) - First Team All-American
    • 13 Leah Gallegos (2002-2004) - Third Team All-American

In 1998, FSU built a state-of-the-art soccer and softball complex. The 1,600 seat stadium is only for the women's soccer team since FSU doesn't have a varsity soccer or lacrosse team. Florida State's women's soccer team is 91-32-7 at home.

As a major competitor in college athletics, Florida State University has many notable student athletes, coaches and staff members. Many of the most notable members are listed in FSU's Hall of Fame and represent all major collegiate sports.[11] Currently, 75 FSU alumni compete in professional basketball, American football, baseball and golf.[12]

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