Mike Norvell’s FSU Make Terrible Stadium Blunder to Embarrass 67000 Fans in Front of Alabama

Week 1 has already kicked off. It would be the first time in the history of the Crimson Tide as they would travel to Doak-Campbell in Tallahassee. The marquee matchup against the Seminoles is set to kick off in just a few minutes, but one embarrassing oversight before one of the season’s most anticipated games has already grabbed attention. A new major blunder at Florida State’s Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, saw an ACC banner hung upside down. “Florida State’s 2023 ACC champions flag flying upside-down in Doak Campbell today,” reported Bama247 reporter Mike Rodak.

The Alabama-FSU opener game would be an interesting addition to Bama’s already winning streak against the Seminoles. Can Bama maintain its 3-1-1 dominance against the Seminoles? Alabama and Florida State’s history goes back to 1965, when they first faced off against each other at Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide had a blast, as they destroyed the Seminoles with a clean 21-0 record. But two years down, they would face off again. The popular verdict had been in favor of the Bama. Back then (and even now), the Crimson Tide enjoyed a successful game streak and were considered one of the best teams in college football.

They had been shutting off all their opponents. They closed out Notre Dame, 11-0, during the 1966 Irish Bowl, and among six games, only one opponent was barely able to scrape off 10 points against them. That very year, FSU sputtered to a 6-5 record. And during the season opener of 1976, they lost poorly to the University of Houston. 13-33.

No one expected them to win against Alabama. But the 21-0 defeat two years prior had already ignited a fire, fueling the adrenaline, and what came next was a redemption arc. That Saturday, Birmingham witnessed something special. It was a tie, 37-37. From lodging in zeroes to kicking off 37 points was a big deal. It not only bolstered their confidence, but the whole FSU community celebrated with joy. Tallahassee Democrat’s then sports editor Bill McGrotha called it, “Beyond any question at all, one of the greatest football games ever played anywhere,” he wrote, according to Jim Joanoa, per Nolefan.org.

Seven years down the line, they would meet again, back in Tuscaloosa. It was a low-scoring game. But a crisp close call, with Bama edging out the Seminoles with one point. 8-7, and the Tide called the Roll Tide. But the momentum was strong. Next? It would be around thirty years later that they would go against each other. And in 2007, Florida State saw to its redemption. It was an interesting match, for it would be the one and only winning streak the Seminoles would earn on the trenches against Alabama.

On September 29, 2007, Bobby Bowden-led roster would take the lead, for the first time, defeating the Crimson Tide with a 21-14 win. Mind you! It was 2007, Nick Saban had already hit the gravel at Tuscaloosa. Saban’s reaction? “He (then FSU QB Xavier Lee) gave them a spark,” Nick Saban said per Seminoles.com. “His ability to run made us play different.” For the last time, until Saturday, they would face off against each other in 2017. Bama took back the lead at Atlanta and won the game, 24-7. In 2025, Florida State, for the first time in its history of more than 50 years, welcomed Alabama to its home turf at Doak-Campbell Stadium.

A $265 million stadium, 70,000 seats for FSU season opener

At the age of 75, the Doak Campbell saw a new foundation. A renovation, which would cost $265 million and would take nearly two years to complete, would witness its first home game against Alabama, over their decade-old history.

The aim? “We are doing things in a collegiate facility that haven’t been done. The comfort and versatility of the building is just going to be something that’s really going to stand out,” said FSU Vice President and Athletic Director Michale Alford. Boasting 70,000 new seats, climate-controlled club spaces, and a spacious concourse, the stadium made its 2025 debut.

But it didn’t go short of any controversy. Fans called out about being kicked out of the seats they have held over the years due to price hikes. Prime location seats sold out for dollar. Not to forget the reduced seating after the renovation. Now, the stadium holds 12,000 fewer seats, the lowest capacity since 1991. For context, in 2001, it was 82,300.