Sources close to the Florida State University football boosters have reported that one big-money booster has weighed in on whether or not legendary head coach Bobby Bowden should return for 2010.

The question is, how much weight does $15 million carry in Tallahassee?

The unnamed booster has reportedly offered to donate $15 million toward the construction of an indoor training facility for the Seminole football program.  One condition, however, is that Jimbo Fisher, not Bowden, be the man to coach the football team in the new practice facility.

Plans have been announced for the facility but funding remains an issue.  (Design firm Ellerbe Becket has provided the school preliminary pictures here, here, here, and here.)

Director of Athletics, Randy Spetman, has confirmed that there are some donors willing to provide what he called, “seed money.”  “We do have some [money] committed for the project and a number of interested donors, but are not at a point to announce any kind of time line.”

If my sources are correct, the reason there is no time line for the donation is there has been no time line announced for Bowden’s departure.

This appears to be yet another twist in a seemingly ever more acrimonious split between Bobby Bowden and the Florida State University football program he essentially built.  After 34 years together, maybe it’s true…there is no easy way to say goodbye.

Stay tuned for more…

~Smokey Joe

Joe Mayes ACC, Florida State