- The Florida State Seminoles lost their first home game of the season Monday, 28-13 to Boston College.
- The Doak Campbell Stadium renovation project will be ongoing throughout the 2024 season.
- Watch the video to see what fans think of the work-in-progress at Doak.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Florida state fans welcomed the Seminoles home Monday — and did it in a Doak Campbell Stadium that's going through some changes.
I'm Alberto Camargo, your College Town neighborhood reporter.
I spoke with fans who are being directly affected by the renovations this season.
I've been following the Doak renovations for months.
For this season only, temporary seats stretch across the west sideline.
Monday we got a first look at what the stadium looks like while in-progress.
"It may be smaller crowds, but everything is going to be the same, you're still going to have the same passionate fans."
Douglass Cooke says his family has had season tickets for decades.
"We're original boosters, so the day they started playing football we had seats from then."
Despite having to move seats this season, Douglass is thinking positively -- and practically.
"This year my wife's got a chairback. My daughter's got a chairback. They're ecstatic as can be. We're not fighting for smaller bleacher seats anymore, they've gotten bigger."
Shane Kirkley is thinking long-term.
"To increase funds, to make more facility improvements is awesome. We support them 100%."
Shane also say the seat reshuffling has given him a chance to watch with friends.
"We all ended up with seats all together this year. So this year we get to all sit together and cheer together, and have a season like we've never had before together."
The temporary seat fix will limit capacity at about 55,000 — more than 20,000 less than it was before.
When the work is done ahead of the 2025 season, the permanent capacity will be around 68,000.
Cooke says less fans — same Doak.
"When Chief Osceola and Renegade run out and plant that spear, those fireworks will go off, this little one will get goosebumps all up and down her arms. It's an emotion, a family event. It'll be as close to the same as possible."
The Seminoles next home game will be on Sep. 14 against Memphis.
In College Town, Alberto Camargo. ABC27.
