About
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does USF want its own stadium?
An on-campus football stadium will be transformational for the University of South
Florida in ways that extend well beyond sports. 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. The facility will
be a place where incredible memories are built across generations and reminds us why
we cherish the university.
How would a stadium support the mission of the university?
In addition to benefitting USF Athletics, we see a wide range of ways this project
can support the mission of the university.
We believe a stadium will:
- Raise the overall visibility of the USF brand
- Transform the student, faculty, staff and alumni experience on campus to create an even stronger sense of community
- Serve as a powerful recruiting tool for students, faculty and staff
- Open more opportunities for alumni and donor engagement that support programs outside of Athletics
- Provide a new meeting and event space on campus
- Deepen the connection between the Tampa Bay region and USF
How will you use the stadium beyond six or seven football games per year?
We envision a facility that we can use throughout the year beyond our home football
games. There may be opportunities to host concerts and other events such as graduation
ceremonies, and students can use it for intramurals, club sports or fitness classes. There
may be other options as well, depending on the scope of the project. It will give
our students who live on or near campus an opportunity to walk to the stadium and
cheer on our Bulls. It will give our thousands of passionate alumni a chance to come
back to our campus and deepen their relationship with the university. And it’s also
a chance to grow our support from the Tampa Bay community at large and build lifelong
connections to USF.
Where would the facility be located on campus?
In March 2022, the Campus Stadium Planning Committee led by Michael Kelly from USF Athletics and
Jay Stroman from the USF Foundation recommended a site located on the east side of
the Tampa campus known as Sycamore Fields. The site, which is currently used for intramural
sports, 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,
as it’s positioned close to student housing and parking, with multiple options for
tailgating space.
The location aligns with the vision of USF leaders for a stadium to enhance 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.
What is your timeline for this project?
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 season.
How large of a seating capacity are you seeking?
The scope of the project is still under consideration.
Will you build it in a way that seating capacity could be expanded in the future?
Yes, an option for future expansion will be incorporated into our planning.
Where would everyone park for football games?
We are considering available parking and traffic flow in the site selection process
and project planning. Most home football games are played on Saturdays when more parking
is available on campus than during the week.
What is the estimated cost of the new stadium?
We're too early in the process to have an estimate as we're still determining the
full scope of the project.
Which funding sources will you use?
We're too early in this process to know the details. We look forward to sharing the
financing plan with the community soon. In March 2022, USF announced the first major
gift for the project, a $5 million gift from longtime university supporters Frank
and Carol Morsani.
Are there revenue streams that USF is missing by not having its own stadium?
Yes. We collect very limited parking and suite revenue in our current stadium contract
and no revenue from concessions or naming rights. We also share the in-stadium sponsorship
opportunities and revenue from the digital signage in the arena bowl and spend money
to rebrand the stadium walls, tunnels, field and club areas each game.
How can I support the project?
Fundraising opportunities will be announced soon. In the meantime, click here to receive regular updates and find out how you can be involved in this historic
project.