Future USF On-Campus Stadium

USF breaks ground on new on-campus stadium

Ground was broken for the University of South Florida’s first on-campus stadium. Beginning in fall 2027, the approximately 35,000-seat facility will host home USF football and lacrosse games, additional sporting events, concerts and festivals. It might also host graduation ceremonies, intramurals, club sports and other academic initiatives.

Learn more about the Groundbreaking 

Rocky the Bull and campus leaders wearing hard hats pose for a photo with the "Bull U" hand sign in front of the groundbreaking site

An on-campus stadium is bigger than football. While it will have a tremendous impact on the Bulls football program, the stadium will provide a unique, vibrant, shared campus experience that will contribute to the culture, spirit and connectedness of the university, not just during fall football games but throughout the year. It will provide students, staff and faculty a place of their own to gather and share their passion for USF while giving alumni and community members a compelling reason to return and experience the beauty and energy of our ever-evolving campus and students. It will be a place where incredible memories are built across generations, that reminds us why USF is so great and stirs our passion for the university. 

Quotes

"Bulls Nation deserves to have a stadium on this campus. There's a renowned author named Victor Hugo who once said, 'There's nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.' Our time has come. These student-athletes...our 50,000 students...the alumni, faculty and administration, they all deserve a stadium on this campus. I'm here to tell you we're going to do it. It's going to take a lot of work. It may take a little time. But if I know anything about USF and the Bulls spirit, it's that we're never shy about having bold ambitions and going after them." Will Weatherford, Chair of USF Board of Trustees

“USF’s new stadium will have a game-changing impact for our campus in ways that won’t just be felt on Saturdays in the fall. It will enhance the overall campus experience and provide many new opportunities for community engagement. Our vision is to give students, faculty, staff, alumni and others throughout our region a place to come together, develop stronger relationships and grow a deeper connection with the University of South Florida.” Rhea Law, President

"Our ambitions are now known and they have been spoken into existence. What I know is we have $25 million in pledges raised for our indoor facility and those numbers have not happened in the 55 years of playing sports at USF. We have a plan. We have momentum. We have had some plans that were temporarily derailed by the pandemic, but our supporters are rallying behind the vision. The best days are yet to come for USF football and USF athletics in general." Michael Kelly, VP of Athletics

"An on-campus stadium at USF will be a game-changer, literally and figuratively, for the university and our entire Tampa Bay community. The gift from the Morsanis inspired Penny's and my investment, and the best part is this chapter of the story is just beginning. The Bolts enjoy the best fan and community support in the NHL, and in just a few short years, the Bulls will experience that in a completely new way in their campus home." Jeff Vinik, Owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Co-developer of Water Street Tampa

"Bulls everywhere deserve a destination where pride, prestige and performance come together. This stadium will be so much more than a building. It will energize our community and showcase USF's culture of achieving excellence in all forms. Let's bring the Bulls home." Jay Stroman, Senior VP of Advancement and Alumni Affairs and USF Foundation CEO.

 

Learn More

Michael Kelly discusses several facility construction updates with Barry Clements, Deputy AD/Capital Projects. (Presented By TGH) 

Campus Stadium Planning Committee Co-chairs Jay Stroman, CEO of the USF Foundation, and Michael Kelly, vice president of athletics, share their vision for the stadium and outline how else it may be utilized.

Process

Sept. 8, 2021 – Chairman of the USF Board of Trustees Will Weatherford announces publicly his goal to build an on-campus stadium during the groundbreaking of a $22 million Indoor Performance Facility saying - “Bulls Nation deserves to have a stadium on this campus. These student-athletes … our 50,000 students … the alumni, faculty and administration, they all deserve a stadium on this campus. I'm here to tell you we're going to do it.” Nov. 16, 2021 – USF President Rhea Law’s annual goals are approved by the Board of Trustees and include making advancements on the stadium project by June 30, 2022. Dec. 7, 2021 – Leadership updates USF BOT on an on-campus stadium detailing a Campus Stadium Planning Committee formed with four subcommittees: Scope and Budget, Revenue and Financing, Communications and Marketing, Legal. - The committee evaluates five possible locations: o Southwest corner of campus near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and Fowler Avenue o Intramural fields near Juniper-Poplar residence hall o Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) site o Fowler Fields, located next to the Patel Center for Global Solutions o Sycamore Fields, near the USF Athletics district UPCOMING PROJECTED TIMELINE March 2022 – On-Campus Stadium location recommendation presented to BOT. Campus Stadium Planning Committee recommends building the stadium on Sycamore Fields on the northeast part of campus, which is adjacent to the current football practice facility in the Athletics campus and the location of the football team’s original practice fields. 2026-27 – Potential opening dates. Timeline contingent on planning and construction time.

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Potential Stadium Usage

Host six to seven home football games each fall.
Host university and private events in indoor and outdoor spaces.
Host seasonal concerts, sporting events, festivals and other programming.

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