Needless to say, these figures pale in comparison to the $170 million in revenue and $172 million in expenses Florida State’s athletic department reported to the NCAA for that same time period.

This discrepancy—and its general lack of financial activity—has made FSUAA an oddity among university athletic associations in its state and around the country.

It also calls into question what exactly the FSUAA is and what purpose it now serves, more than a decade after it was created and five years since the school’s board of trustees ostensibly empowered it to oversee and manage the entire athletics program.

For now, FSUAA exists as a “reliable administrative entity,” says Florida State athletic director Michael Alford, who was hired in 2021.

“Our long-term plan for the FSUAA remains true to its original intent—to serve as an entity to create improved collaboration and cooperation between FSU Athletics, the University and [its booster club],” Alford said in a statement. He declined to comment on whether the organization’s role could evolve in the future.

Amid the current convulsions in college sports, brought on by the inception of NIL and the nearing expectations of athlete revenue-sharing, the Seminoles have become a poster child of sorts for the gray middle area, a major national program left out of the monied comfort of the two richest conferences—the SEC and Big Ten. That has motivated its recent push for resources.