LeRoy Butler says Florida State needs to pack its bags and get the hell out of the ACC ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the perceived weakness of the conference is a big reason the College Football Playoff committee gave the Seminoles the boot on Sunday.
"We're going to have to leave," said Butler, who starred at FSU from 1987 through 1989. "We've got to get out of the ACC. If we want to win a national championship, we've got to go."
FSU -- which just completed a 13-0 season on Saturday -- was believed by many to be one of the four best teams in the country ... but when it came time to pick the four squads who will play for this year's national championship, the CFP committee gave the nod to a one-loss Alabama team over the Seminoles.
Florida State reacting to missing out on the #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/K0SwbkLwZm
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 3, 2023
When we spoke with Butler about the snub some 24 hours after it went down ... he was furious -- saying he believes the committee "robbed" his former team.
Then, he told us FSU's conference affiliation will need to change in order to prevent these kinds of situations going forward.
"Let's be honest, they don't think the ACC is a good conference," Butler said ... before adding, "I bet you I've gotten 50 calls from people -- 'Man, ya'll have got to get out of the ACC.'"
"This is not basketball. Football brings in the money."
Happy 55th birthday to former FSU star LeRoy Butler! Born July 19, 1968, Butler is known as the executor of the “puntrooskie” and originator of the “Lambeau Leap”. A Consensus All-American as a senior in 1989, Butler finished his FSU career with nine interceptions and two TDs. pic.twitter.com/2WgGFGEkKS
— FSU History (@ThisDayFSU) July 19, 2023
While Butler didn't say where he'd like his alma mater to end up -- it seems pretty clear it's the SEC.
"The SEC is in everybody's brain -- that a one-loss team is better than a 13-0 team."
Regardless, Butler still obviously believes his Noles should have gotten into the final four -- telling us his new nickname for the CFP is simply, "Certified Fraud Playoffs."