DRAGGED DOWN: Florida State's Brand Suffers as League Rivals FAIL to Invest—Big 12 Surpasses ACC

The Florida State Seminoles face an uphill climb as ACC rivals fail to invest, while the Big 12 surges ahead in college football's financial arms race. Is FSU’s path to playoff contention blocked by conference stagnation and underperforming programs? Host Brian Smith pulls no punches dissecting the gap in NIL spending, facilities upgrades, and coaching ambition between ACC schools and Big 12 programs spending like they mean it, such as BYU, Oklahoma State, Baylor, and especially Texas Tech. Key talking points include Mike Norvell’s future, SMU’s playoff rise, and why brands like Clemson and Miami can’t help the Noles get out of the ACC hole alone. Which teams could elevate the conference—and will Florida State’s own brand suffer without stronger opponents? Brian Smith raises urgent questions about FSU’s playoff prospects, Super League aspirations, and what it will take for the Seminoles to escape the ACC’s shadow. Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join the community: https://lockedonseminoles.supercast.com/ Support us by supporting our sponsors!  Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast   Rugiet Get 15% off your treatment → https://rugiet.com/lockedonnhl Rugiet. Performance medicine for men. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get one-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.