STARTING SOME NEW TRADITIONS. Florida State earns a tournament bid. Good going, Sue, thanks for keeping me in the loop.


The university decides to expand its illuminated-spear ceremony beyond football season.

Since its dedication in 2003, the spear has been set ablaze at sunset before FSU home football games only and it burns until sunrise the morning after the game. The new policy means the spear will be lit when FSU wins an Atlantic Coast Conference team championship in any sport, or an NCAA individual championship in any sport. In addition, the spear would be lit the night an FSU team is selected for NCAA Championship competition and will burn for 24 hours.

No word on whether this honor will be offered if a Florida State graduate rides the Space Shuttle or if a faculty member wins a Nobel Prize.