Demolition Begins on Iconic FSU Football Dormitory

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The demolition of an iconic venue for Florida State University football is now underway. The building, located across Stadium Drive from the newly renovated Doak Campbell Stadium, served as the football team’s dormitory from 1987 until a NCAA rule change in 1995 ended the practice of athletes-only dorms.

According to a report from the Tallahassee Democrat last August, the facility is set to be razed in a project overseen by FSU Facilities Design and Construction. The land will be converted into a flat gravel parking lot.

Bill Ragans, a former FSU strong safety from 1986 to 1990 and the Chiles football coach, reflects on the significance of the dorm. “The team unity, the bonding and friendships that developed from a place like that is irreplaceable,” Ragans said. “We were the first group (of players) that moved in. It was a tight-knit community up there with us.”

The dormitory carries the name of Burt Reynolds, a former FSU football player and Hollywood icon, who, while not a financial contributor, was honored at the building’s ribbon-cutting in 1987. Reynolds attended with his then-wife Loni Anderson and fellow actors Dom DeLuise, Bernie Casey, and Ricardo Montalban.

Owned by Seminole Boosters, Inc. for 36 years, the 60-unit complex on Hayden Road was sold to the FSU Research Foundation in 2020. Following the NCAA’s ban on athletes-only residences, the building transitioned into a student-housing complex, which included three two-story buildings and at one time, a swimming pool.