USF Bulls: The New On-Campus Stadium Is Closer To Being A Reality

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There have been rumors now that the USF Bulls want to build a new on-campus stadium. I and my friend Larry Frank interviewed the Athletic Director of USF, Michael Kelly. It took place on a podcast that we used to host called “Bulls Eye”. At the time he told us that it was not in the cards. That was last year and well, now things have changed. I have read from many articles from the Tampa Bay Times and usf.edu that it looks like it will happen. It seems like there is a construction timeline, what the capacity will be, and what steps must be taken to close the deal. It looks like it will be a nine-figure project. I have read that Jeff Vinik, owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, has donated five million dollars towards the stadium. He has also built a new hospital for the university.

The expected seat capacity for the on-campus stadium is going to be around 35,000. The USF Bulls currently play in Raymond James Stadium which is also home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The capacity is nearly 66,000. The Bulls have not filled the stadium since the program started. For the longest time, the Bulls want to have an on-campus stadium. They say it will be easier for the students to make it to the games. It is a 20–25-minute drive from the campus depending on traffic. If the stadium is built, it will give them a chance to fill the stadium. The program is going through a rut. Many believe that this is a make-or-break year for head coach Jeff Scott. The Bulls are opening a new indoor practice facility and upgrading the Lee Roy Selmon facility. Things are looking up for the USF Bulls program.

The area the stadium will be built on is very close to the practice facility. Currently, the USF Bulls Rugby team plays on the site. There is plenty of parking like there is at Raymond James Stadium. The stadium cost is somewhere over $200 million dollars. It says that the building could start by 2024 which is just one and half years away from now. I am not saying that if the Bulls have a bad season that Jeff Scott will get fired. He has only won three games since taking over the program. Many will say forget 2020 because of the pandemic. Last year he was able to get their first conference win since 2018. The Bulls only had two wins but had a lot of the close losses that could have been won. That will have to change in 2022.

At the end of the day, the program is trying to offer more chips for recruiting. We all know that when it comes to college sports the most crucial aspect is recruiting. It is great if you can get a kid to sign a letter of intent because of the stadium and training facilities. USF is a smaller program in the state of Florida compared to many of the others. This is what they need to happen to get the program back to when it started. At one time the Bulls were ranked number two in the country. USF can be a great program with the right coaching staff and recruiting chips, it can be great again. I would love for the Bulls to have a new stadium but I will miss Raymond James when the stadium is finally built.