University

Vision advances for an on-campus football stadium

Rendering of the new proposed on-campus stadium

A location for an on-campus football stadium has been chosen [Illustration: Courtesy USF Athletics].

By Adam Freeman | USF News

USF is moving forward with plans to build a new football stadium on campus, with a recommended site identified and the first major gift for the project revealed.

Following Board of Trustees (BOT) Chair Will Weatherford’s announcement in September 2021 that USF would pursue the transformational project, Michael Kelly from USF Athletics and Jay Stroman from the USF Foundation have led a Campus Stadium Planning Committee.

The site the committee has recommended to the BOT is on the east side of the Tampa campus in a location known as Sycamore Fields, which is currently used for intramural sports. The site is within the USF Athletics district and sits near its operations facility and new Indoor Performance Facility.  There is also a historical connection, as USF football used the fields for practice when the program was first formed in the 1990s. The location allows for strong connectivity with other important parts of campus.

In addition to supporting football, USF leaders see the stadium enhancing the overall campus experience by giving students, faculty, staff, alumni and the surrounding communities a place to come together, develop deeper relationships with the university and build memories across generations.

USF has already announced a $5 million gift for the stadium from longtime university supporters Frank and Carol Morsani, Life Members. They were key figures behind the formation of the USF football program and the Bulls football team trains at the Frank Morsani Football Practice Complex that opened in 2011. Also, USF announced a $5 million gift from Jeff and Penny Vinik. They have been strong supporters of a variety of USF programs for many years and were instrumental in USF Health’s expansion in Water Street Tampa. Jeff Vinik is the owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning and co-developer of Water Street Tampa.

While the full scope of the project is still being developed, the timeline for completion could be in time for the start of the 2026 or 2027 football seasons.