CHARLOTTE — When Florida State decided to cancel last year’s football game against Clemson just three hours before kickoff, the Seminoles said they did not feel safe playing the game after a Clemson player was sent home the day before after testing positive for COVID-19.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was not happy about how the situation was handled, or the fact FSU indicated it was Clemson’s fault.
Over the next week, Swinney and Seminoles coach Mike Norvell sparred through the local press on each side, as well as the national media. There seemed to be no love loss between the two head coaches at the time.
During Thursday’s final day of the ACC Football Kickoff at the Westin in Charlotte, Swinney deflected the question when asked he and Norvell have spoken about the situation or tried to talk things out.
“We flew in at the same time yesterday. We actually got a cart,” Swinney chuckled while trying to answer the question. “It is fine. It is totally fine. We have been on the phone together, conference calls together, committed together. Talked to him a bunch of times. I have no issue with him.”
When asked a similar question earlier in the day, Norvell said something different, and they had “not really” spoke about the events from last November 21.
“We both have jobs to do and are trying to invest in our programs and at the end of the day that’s what we are trying to do and continue to build Florida State back to where it needs to be,” Norvell said.
Norvell was again asked about the situation, and he said there is nothing to work out.
“At the end of the day there is really nothing to work out, coaches can make statements and that’s an opportunity we all have,” Norvell said. “For me everybody is entitled to an opinion of what they want to state and I’m going to stay focused on what we are doing and what we are all about here at Florida State.”
I guess we will find out if there is not any animosity between the two teams when Clemson hosts the Seminoles on Oct. 30 at Death Valley.
—Alex Dodd contributed to this story
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