By Adam Freeman, University Communications and Marketing
The University of South Florida has revealed a first look at the university’s transformational on-campus stadium by releasing three renderings of the new facility.
“Since we first announced plans to build an on-campus stadium at the University of South Florida, it has become the topic I hear about most often from our passionate supporters. There is a genuine excitement within our community,” USF President Rhea Law said. “We’re thrilled to offer the first images of the stadium that will activate our campus in ways we never have before and will make a positive impact on our university for generations to come.”
The initial renderings are conceptual and will evolve as the design process continues and more detailed design elements are finalized. Along with the images, USF released several new details about the stadium, including:
- An east-west build to help maximize shade for daytime events.
- A dedicated section for students in the west end of the stadium that includes a design unique to USF featuring Bull horns and amenities that will cater to the student experience.
- An open concourse around a majority of the stadium that provides views of the field, even as fans are walking to concession or restroom areas.
- A large tailgating space on the north side of the stadium.
- A variety of premium seating options, including suites, loge boxes and club areas.
The design incorporates the feedback the university gathered through listening sessions with dozens of stakeholder groups, including students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. More specific distinctive stadium features will be shared as the design process moves forward into a more advanced stage.
“The design elements and amenities unveiled today all reflect our goal to build a stadium that provides the best possible experience for our students, alumni and entire fanbase. We appreciate everyone who has taken the time to share their valuable input, which is reflected in our initial renderings and will continue to be seen as we roll out more details in the future,” said Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly.
USF today also announced a $6 million gift from the USF Federal Credit Union to name the walkway that will lead into the main entrance of the new stadium and will serve as home to the football team’s traditional Bulls Stampede pregame walk from the buses into the stadium. USF will create signature signage at the entrance to the newly named USF Federal Credit Union Champions Way, located off USF Genshaft Drive. USF has now raised more than $43 million of its $50 million goal for the stadium project.
“Our university will proudly feature one of the nation’s most beautiful and community-centered stadium entranceways,” said USF Foundation CEO Jay Stroman. “We are grateful to USF Federal Credit Union CEO and President Rick Skaggs and his team for their incredibly generous and longstanding support of Bulls Nation.”
In an update to the USF Board of Trustees today, the university confirmed that the stadium is scheduled to open in fall 2027. The timeline factors in current global supply chain issues and provides the flexibility to have a few months prior to the facility opening to the public to ensure stadium operations -- such as food service, ticketing and security -- are fully prepared to welcome and best serve fans from day one.
The Tampa General Hospital Center for Athletic Excellence, an operations facility that will be located adjacent to the new stadium, is scheduled to be ready by August 2026. The state-of-the-art building will serve as the daily home for the football and women’s lacrosse teams.
“A project of this magnitude is such an important part of USF’s future and must be done the right way,” USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford said. “The updates we are announcing today show that we are making tremendous progress to deliver on our commitment to build a world-class facility that our community can be proud of and is set up for long-term success.”
In their update to the board, stadium planning committee co-chairs Stroman and Kelly said the next milestones for the project will be to release more detailed stadium renderings in spring 2024 and to hold a groundbreaking ceremony in fall 2024.
The updates provided today do not impact the total cost of the project or the financial plan that was previously approved by the USF Board of Trustees and the Florida Board of Governors.
More information about the stadium is available here.