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On Feb. 11, 1994, a little over a month after beating the Nebraska Cornhuskers to earn the national championship, the Florida State Seminoles were at the White House, being honored by then-President Bill Clinton.

FSU celebrated its second national title at the White House on March 2, 2000, about two months after winning that one.

But after winning the 2014 national championship, the Seminoles have yet to set foot in the White House. It’s nearly July – nearly time for the next football season to begin – and the national champions still haven’t been honored in the Nation’s Capital.

What gives?

Corey Clark of the Tallahassee Democrat further investigated this topic last week, and based on his report, it sounds likely that the FSU baseball team’s busy spring schedule is partly to blame. Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston was the baseball team’s closer and an outfielder, so his weekends have been busy.

And yes, it’s not all about one player, but when it’s Mr. Heisman, there’s a good chance FSU officials are going to work with his schedule to make sure he gets to meet the president.

FSU senior associate athletic director Monk Bonasorte told the Democrat they’ve been working for months with the White House to solidify a date for the visit, but he estimated more than a dozen submitted dates have all been denied by the White House.

Now, the Seminoles are inching closer to training camp for the upcoming season, which would become another hurdle to clear if they wait much longer.

There’s a few things FSU fans should know about the situation. First of all, the White House responded to the Democrat’s request for a statement, and they said both sides continue to work on a date. It’s a good sign that neither side has completely given up, and it should tell fans that the national champs will eventually get to tour the Oval Office.

Also, Clark mentioned that the Tennessee Volunteers didn’t visit the White House until Aug. 17, seven months after winning the 1998 national championship, so this lengthy wait isn’t unprecedented.

Still, it’s time for the two sides to get together and agree on a date. These kids deserve it, especially the seniors who took a chance four years ago on a fledgling program and helped mold it back into a national champion.

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