The University of South Florida announced the selection of Rob Higgins as the university’s first-ever CEO of Athletics following a comprehensive national search.
Higgins has served as executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission since 2004, successfully positioning the region as one of the nation’s premier destinations in sports and entertainment, including hosting two Super Bowls, a College Football Playoff National Championship and a long list of other high-profile events during his tenure. Higgins, a former USF Athletics staff member, becomes the first USF alum to lead the department.
“As we embarked on this search, it became clear that this moment was different for the University of South Florida. Our next leader couldn’t just be an athletics director – we needed a CEO of USF Athletics. In this new era of college athletics, not only is the role about providing a top-tier experience for our student-athletes across all sports, it now requires a business approach to build a competitive enterprise, grow revenue, embrace innovation, lead through change and position our university — and the Tampa Bay region — on the national stage,” said USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford. “Rob Higgins has proven during his time with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission that he isn’t afraid to dream big. He’ll bring that same ambition to USF and we’re excited to welcome him back home to lead our next chapter.”
Higgins served as the president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee in 2021 and was on the bid and operations committee that hosted Super Bowl XLIII in 2009. In addition to the two Super Bowls, events the region has hosted and/or been awarded since he joined the Tampa Bay Sports Commission include the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four on four occasions, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament three times, the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in hockey three times, the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship twice, the NHL All-Star Weekend, NHL Stadium Series and WrestleMania 37.
“Rob is a terrific example of the impact our alumni make every day. Through his tireless efforts over the past two decades, Rob has helped elevate Tampa Bay through hosting events that generate economic impact for our communities, attract thousands of visitors to the area and grow the region’s brand to audiences across the world,” said USF President Rhea Law, the first university alum to serve in her role. “We’re proud of all his success and look forward to everything he will accomplish as our CEO of USF Athletics.”
Among his accolades, Higgins was named to the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Power 100 each of the last five years, selected for Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40,” the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s “30 Under 30” list, the Tampa Bay Times named him one of the top 10 difference makers in Tampa Bay and Huffington Post listed him as one of the top 30 sports marketers in the world.
“I’ve been fortunate to know Rob Higgins for many years, and I’ve seen the passion he has for the University of South Florida and the Tampa Bay region,” said USF Board of Trustees Vice Chair Mike Griffin. “As a university, and as a community, we have great momentum. USF is rising in research, rankings and reputation. Especially as we prepare to open our transformational on-campus stadium in the coming years, Bulls Nation is more engaged and energized than ever. At this pivotal time in USF Athletics history, Rob is the right person to lead us into a new era.”
Higgins’ connection to USF started at an early age. Shortly after attending his first men’s basketball game at age 8, he became a ball kid for the team. After graduating from USF, he worked as a staff member for USF Athletics, helping oversee facilities and event management. He was inducted into USF’s Zimmerman School of Advertising Hall of Fame in 2015 and in May 2025 he received the Distinguished Citizen Award at USF Commencement.
“I never imagined that an opportunity to volunteer as a young boy at USF basketball games would take me down a path to a career of over 20 years serving at the Tampa Bay Sports Commission and now the opportunity to return to my alma mater as the first CEO of Athletics. Cliches are often rooted in some truth, but this truly is a dream come true. I could not be more honored to take on this responsibility and could not be more excited to get started,” Higgins said. “Go Bulls!”
Higgins and his wife Casey have two children, Laney and Landon.
An introductory press conference is scheduled for Sept. 22, and additional details will be shared in the coming days.