Florida State will pay Central Arkansas $450,000 under a contract for the Bears’ Sept. 26 visit to Doak Campbell Stadium. The agreement was completed in March 2024 and required the payment by July 1, 2026.
The deal also provides Central Arkansas with 300 complimentary tickets, consigned tickets, access to a stadium suite and parking passes, along with as many bench-area passes as NCAA rules allow. The matchup will be the first football meeting between the schools.
The game has a personal connection for Florida State coach Mike Norvell, who attended Central Arkansas. He earned four letters while playing for the Bears, catching 213 passes for 2,611 yards, then began his coaching career at the school in 2006 as a graduate assistant. Central Arkansas inducted Norvell into its 2015 Sports Hall of Fame class.
Central Arkansas entered the weekend with a 2-2 record. Florida State was 1-2 after dropping consecutive games to SMU and Alabama.
