The Florida State athletics department did not fold during the Seminoles' so-called football dark period between the end of the Bobby Bowden era and the beginning of the Jimbo Fisher era. But, now that Fisher has Florida State back in the BCS National Championship game since 2000, the garnet and gold athletics engine is running at full throttle.
“If football has success, everybody is rewarded,” Florida State baseball coach Mike Martin told FloridaToday.com. “Everybody is excited, and we all want to be a part of it. It helps everybody. Does it help baseball? You’re dadgum right it helps baseball.”
Martin and his entire baseball staff are in Pasadena to support the football team, along with golf coach Trey Jones and many other Florida State coaches.
“You look at the Moore Athletics Center; that wasn’t built because of the golf team,” Jones said. “It helps every team in every way. … And from a recruiting standpoint, if I go to a tournament and there’s a player wearing a Florida State hat, there’s a reason for that.”
Jones is exactly right. There's no better recruiting tool for the Florida State tennis team, for example, than Jameis Winston firing a game-winning touchdown pass in front of 30 million television viewers wearing the same garnet-and-gold spear that the Seminoles' tennis players wear every day. If the Florida State softball coach wants a new locker room, she'd better hope the Seminoles' defensive front can corral Nick Marshall, Tre Mason and company.
"I've known who pulled this train for all these years," Martin added.