Tallahassee, Fla. - Florida State Director of Athletics Stan Wilcox announced today that the Seminoles will play the 2016 annual spring football game at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla. FSU has partnered with Florida Citrus Sports (FCSports) for the game scheduled for Saturday, April 9, with kick off set for 5:00 p.m.
Florida State’s Marketing and Promotions Office, The Seminole Boosters and the FCSports will sponsor a number of events surrounding the game, including a Block Party on Friday evening similar to the one held in downtown Tallahassee prior to every FSU home game. In addition, special hotel blocks with preferred rates will be announced soon for Seminole fans following the team to Orlando.
“The short term construction challenges of building the Champions Club in Doak Campbell stadium have provided a unique opportunity for our 2016 spring football game,” said Wilcox. “We are pleased to offer our fans greater access to Florida State football at an exciting and refurbished venue in one of the best destinations cities in the world. Moving the game to Orlando and partnering with Steve Hogan and his staff at Florida Citrus Sports will allow us to platform the game and Florida State athletics in exciting and unique new ways.”
The spring game will be a ticketed event with general admission seats selling for $5.00 each beginning November 1. Limited suite and lounge seating will be available for purchase through Seminole Boosters only on that date as well.
“We are excited to play our 2016 spring game at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, said FSU head football coach Jimbo Fisher. “With the renovations to our stadium next spring that have been provided from contributions from our fans and boosters, it gave us a unique opportunity to hold our spring weekend at another venue. The Orlando area is a tremendous part of our Seminole fan base and it will be a great opportunity for the greatest fans in college football from across the state to see our team. Couple that with the fact that we are opening the 2016 season against Ole Miss in the Citrus Bowl and it made sense.”
"This will be the first spring game that Florida Citrus Sports has hosted and we couldn’t be more excited,” said FCSports CEO Steve Hogan. “What a perfect lead to our new Orlando Kickoff game between Florida State and Ole Miss later in the year on September 5, 2016, as fans will get an early look at one of the top teams in the country"
More information on the game and surrounding events will be released as details are finalized.
About Florida Citrus Sports
Florida Citrus Sports (FCSports) is a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to increasing community spirit and pride, promoting tourism, stimulating economic development and ultimately benefiting charities, educational institutions and the quality of life in Central Florida through world-class events including the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl and the Russell Athletic Bowl. For more information, visit FCSports.com.
About Orlando Citrus Bowl
The Orlando Citrus Bowl is owned and operated by the City of Orlando. Since opening in 1936 as a Works Progress Administration project by President Franklin D. Roosevelt at a cost of $115,000 and a capacity of 8,900, the stadium has undergone numerous expansions and name changes over the years. The historic venue underwent a massive $207.7 million reconstruction in 2014 which yielded 90% all-new construction and a completely modernized stadium. The numerous enhancements and amenities include 41,000 lower bowl seats with chair backs, two 360-degree concourses, multiple giant video displays, a 20,000-square-foot plaza deck, a vibrant open-air facade and unique indoor & outdoor club spaces to serve 6,000 patrons. These upgrades will allow the Orlando Citrus Bowl to draw new high-profile events like neutral-site college football games, NFL pre-season match-ups and big-name concerts while retaining its signature annual events. The City of Orlando and its partners at Florida Citrus Sports expect the recent reconstruction to generate a $300 million annual economic impact. More information at OrlandoCitrusBowl.com.
Courtesy Seminole Athletics
