Florida State College (FSC), the institution that would become Florida State University (FSU), fielded their first football team in 1902. The team played just three seasons, disbanding when the 1905 Buckman Act reorganized the state’s educational institutions and made FSC available only to white women.

In May 1947, Florida’s governor signed an act returning the institution to coeducational status and renaming it Florida State University. That fall, FSU welcomed their first football team in over 40 years. Students voted on the moniker “Seminoles” for their athletic teams.

FSU defeated Naval Air Station Whiting Field at home, 74-0. The Noles scored 11 touchdowns, which set a still-standing program record for most touchdowns in a game. On the other side of the ball, FSU held NAS Whiting Field to just 68 yards of offense and four first downs. The win set a still-standing record for largest margin of victory in program history.

Named after FSU’s president, Doak Campbell Stadium opened to great fanfare in the 1950 season. FSU defeated Randolph-Macon, 40-7, in the first game played at the venue, and followed with a 14-8 win over Sewanee at Doak Campbell Stadium Dedication Day a few weeks later. The Seminoles still call the historic stadium home today.

After three years in the “amateur” Dixie Conference, FSU dropped out and began an era of independence. FSU football remained an independent, non-conference member for over four decades until joining the ACC in 1992.

Bill Peterson became head coach in December 1959, bringing FSU their first sustained era of success. Over 11 seasons at the helm, “Coach Pete” led dozens of star players including College Football Hall-of-Famers WR Fred Biletnikoff and WR Ron Sellers. He also guided the Seminoles to their first win over a ranked opponent and their first victory against rival Florida in modern program history.

Ahead of a road game against Georgia, FSU professor and athletic board member Coyle Moore challenged the Seminoles to “bring back some sod from between the hedges of Georgia.” The Seminoles upset the Bulldogs, 18-0, and team captain G Gene McDowell pulled a small piece of turf from the field and gave it to Moore at the next practice. Coach Bill Peterson buried the sod on a practice field, starting the tradition of the Sod Cemetery. Today, FSU players bring back pieces of the opposing team’s turf to commemorate major victories.

DB James “J.T.” Thomas became the first Black starter in program history, appearing in the season opener against Louisville and blocking a field goal to help FSU win the game. Thomas, who played for the Seminoles from 1970 to 1972, became the first Black All-American in program history. He later played in the NFL for 10 seasons, winning four Super Bowls as a member of Pittsburgh’s legendary Steel Curtain.

The Bobby Bowden dynasty began when FSU hired the former Seminole assistant as head coach in 1976. For the next 30-plus years, Bowden would build one of the most successful programs in college football history. Bowden led the Seminoles to two National Championships, a streak of 14 consecutive top-5 finishes in the AP poll and the status of perennial bowl contenders.

One of the greatest traditions in all of college football began when an actor playing Seminole warrior Osceola rode an Appaloosa horse named Renegade I onto the Doak Campbell turf and planted a flaming spear at midfield. The tradition, later backed by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, honored the namesake of FSU’s athletic teams and remains an essential part of home games today.

Gene Deckerhoff called his first Seminole football game in 1979. Over the next 43 years, fans listened to Deckerhoff tell the story of FSU football through exciting play-by-plays and signature phrases. “Touchdown, Florida State!”

No. 10 FSU upset No. 3 Clemson with one of the greatest plays in all of college football, dubbed the “puntarooskie.” Tied at 21 and facing fourth-and-long deep in their own territory, the Seminoles lined up to punt. FB Dayne Williams caught the snap and placed it between his legs, and FS LeRoy Butler stealthily secured the ball and ran it 78 yards to Clemson’s 1-yard line. FSU would score a field goal in the final seconds to win the game.

No. 1 FSU defeated No. 3 Michigan on the road, 51-31, in front of more than 106,000 fans in Ann Arbor. CB Terell Buckley got the Noles off on the right foot by running back a 40-yard pick-six less than a minute into the game. QB Casey Weldon compiled 268 yards and three touchdowns, while TB Amp Lee had 122 rushing yards and two touchdowns of his own. The victory on a national stage further showcased Bobby Bowden’s rising team.

After more than four decades of independence, FSU football joined the ACC in 1992 and absolutely dominated with nine straight conference championships. Today, FSU has produced seven ACC Player of the Year awards, three ACC Coach of the Year awards and dozens of other individual conference-level honors, making the Noles one of the ACC’s flagship programs.

Led by Heisman-winning QB Charlie Ward, LB Marvin Jones Sr., LB Derrick Brooks and RB Warrick Dunn, FSU finished the 1993 regular season 11-1, then advanced to the Orange Bowl. In an incredibly close and exiting game, No. 1 FSU defeated No. 2 Nebraska, 18-16, to secure the first National Championship in program history.

In a dominant 1999 campaign, the Seminoles went 11-0 in the regular season to set up a meeting in the Sugar Bowl against conference rival Virginia Tech. Backed by future Heisman winner QB Chris Weinke, WR Peter Warrick and NG Corey Simon, the No. 1 Seminoles crushed the No. 2 Hokies, 46-29, to claim the second National Championship in program history. The victory made FSU the first program to go No. 1 wire-to-wire in the AP poll throughout the season.

After 34 years on the sidelines, coach Bobby Bowden announced his retirement. He finished with 346 career wins, including 304 wins with FSU, and remains the second-winningest coach in major college football history. FSU had honored the coach by dedicating Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, and a statue of his likeness stands tall outside the venue.

In 2013, Heisman-winning QB Jameis Winston broke out with a rookie campaign for the ages. Together with offensive weapons WR Rashad Greene, WR Kelvin Benjamin and RB Devonta Freeman, star K Roberto Aguayo, and defensive stud DB Lamarcus Joyner, the Seminoles were unstoppable. No. 1 FSU defeated No. 2 Auburn, 34-31, in the BCS National Championship Game to secure the third National Championship in program history and wrap up an undefeated season.

Mike Norvell became head coach in December 2019, and he quickly guided the Noles back to a championship run three seasons later. Led by QB Jordan Travis, DE Jared Verse and WR Johnny Wilson, FSU boasted a 13-0 season, including a win in the ACC Championship Game, but narrowly missed out of the 2023 College Football Playoffs. Norvell was named the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year at the end the season. He continues to lead FSU today.