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Florida State pays six figures for game vs Central Arkansas
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- Florida State pays six figures for game vs Central Arkansas
Florida State 's first football meeting with Central Arkansas carries an added connection for Mike Norvell and a six-figure price tag for the Seminoles.
Under the game contract between the schools, Florida State agreed to pay Central Arkansas a $450,000 guarantee for its Sept. 26 trip to Doak Campbell Stadium, according to the Tallahassee Democrat . The agreement was executed in March 2024 and called for the payment to be made by July 1, 2026.
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The financial guarantee is only part of what FSU agreed to provide the visiting program. Central Arkansas also receives 300 complimentary tickets, an allotment of consigned tickets, use of a stadium suite, parking passes and the maximum number of team bench-area passes permitted under NCAA guidelines, according to Sports Illustrated.
While guarantee games between FBS and FCS programs are common, this matchup carries a considerably more personal connection for Florida State's head coach.
Central Arkansas is Norvell's alma mater. He was a four-year letterwinner for the Bears, finishing his playing career with 213 receptions for 2,611 yards before beginning his coaching career there as a graduate assistant in 2006. Norvell was later inducted into the UCA Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
That makes Saturday less about Norvell returning to Central Arkansas and more about Central Arkansas coming to him in Tallahassee. The matchup is the first football meeting between Florida State and Central Arkansas. The Bears entered the weekend at 2-2, while the Seminoles came in at 1-2 following consecutive losses to SMU and Alabama.
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Florida State's agreement with Central Arkansas also comes at a substantially lower guarantee than another nonconference home game on its 2026 schedule. FSU agreed to pay New Mexico State $1.4 million for its Week 0 visit to Tallahassee, compared with $450,000 for Central Arkansas.
For the Bears, the trip provides a significant financial guarantee and a chance to play in one of college football's most recognizable venues. For Norvell, it puts the program where his playing and coaching career began on the opposite sideline at Doak Campbell Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Florida State pays six figures for game vs Central Arkansas
