ACC changes football schedules, FSU football gets 2023 linebacker commit and more of the latest in Florida State Seminoles sports

Hello everyone, happy Wednesday -- this is Noles News Now, the latest in Florida State Seminoles sports, presented by Tomahawk Nation. I’m Perry Kostidakis -- let’s jump in. More news on the recruiting trail for FSU -- this time in the form of a 2023 linebacker commit, DeMarco Ward out of Duluth, Georgia. A three-star prospect, the Seminoles earned his pledge over conference opponents Louisville, Wake Forest, and Duke as well as the UCF Knights and Memphis Tigers. Ward stands at 6-foot-2, 205-pounds and accumulated nearly 80 tackles (65 of which were solo), three sacks, and an interception last season. In addition to linebacker, he gets reps at wide receiver, as well as playing basketball and running track to complement his gridiron exploits. Ward’s ranking doesn’t immediately jaw drop -- he’s a newly-christened three-star -- but his highlights show an affinity for contact, an ability to diagnose plays, and some impressive flashes of athleticism. He’s a nice addition to a 2023 class that’s looking to hear to some good news as we get into July -- a month where FSU has the chance to snag several commits, mostly blue-chip. Some major football news in the ACC, with the conference dropping divisions starting in 2023 and instead having teams play three permanent opponents while rotating other programs on the schedule so that each team has the chance to play a home and away game at each member school. That’s a benefit not lost on FSU athletic director Michael Alford, who said in a press release that “The new format means our season ticket holders will see every ACC team play in Doak Campbell Stadium over a four-year period.” As part of the new arrangement, Florida State will be facing off against the Clemson Tigers, Miami (FL) Hurricanes, and Syracuse Orange yearly. Why Syracuse? Our sources have said that rather than saddle FSU with a trap game in Georgia Tech each year, FSU lobbied for a matchup that would help expand its geographical footprint as well as present a little bit less of a challenge, given that its two permanent matchups are against two of the bigger names in the conference. For those curious, outside of FSU, Miami’s other two permanent opponents are Boston College and Louisville, while Clemson is paired up with Georgia Tech and NC State. FSU track star Trey Cunningham became the second Nole in school history to be named a finalist for The Bowerman — one of three male finalists for college track and field’s most prominent individual award. Via FSU, he was the first athlete in NCAA history to run 13.22 or faster nine times in the 110m hurdles and the only athlete to run 7.42 or faster four times in the 60m hurdles. Of the three finalists, Cunningham is the only athlete to be undefeated against collegians in both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Cunningham went 20-for-20 against collegiate competition. That’s the major news of today -- you can read up on all of these stories and more on TomahawkNation.com, where you can always stay updated on all the latest things Florida State. Thank you for listening, thank you for supporting the pod network, please rate five stars and leave a comment if you haven’t yet, have a great second half of your week and we’ll see you next time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices