Photo Credit: gousfbulls.com
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We are on the verge of the college football season starting for most colleges in the nation. One of those teams is the USF Bulls. Their athletic director and vice president of athletics, Michael Kelly, is moving on. Kelly has taken the athletic director position with the United States Naval Academy. The Navy Midshipmen are in the same conference as the Bulls, the American Athletic Conference. He has helped build what many would call a legacy at USF. Kelly became the leader in 2018, and one of the biggest aspects was getting an on-campus stadium for the football program. I had the honor of interviewing Mr. Kelly, and I asked him during that interview if there would be an on-campus stadium, and at that time, he said it was not in the cards. Shortly after the interview, the stadium was announced, and it was great news.
The university now has 21 varsity sports, with the two newest in women’s lacrosse and beach volleyball. Under his tenure, the Bulls captured 21 AAC team championships. Among those 21, it included firsts in men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, and men’s track and field. The athletic department also achieved two divisional titles, two NCAA championships, eight cheer national championships, one cheer cup, and more than two dozen student-athletes were named All-Americans. USF has also had more than 30 NCAA postseason appearances. The university has gotten better, and as he leaves, it is moving in the right direction.
It not only happened on the field or court, but the grade point average for the student athletes was 3.0 or higher for 21 consecutive semesters. That led to, of course, an 88% graduation success rate, an improvement of one percent from the previous high. All these accolades are what helped him get his new position. Let’s see if Kelly can do the same at Navy.
For USF, the athletic department doubled the department budget to $100 million and received another $100 million in philanthropic gifts. That was one of the many reasons why the on-campus stadium will be happening. The 35,000 to 40,000-seat stadium will open in 2027 and is a huge tool for head coach Alex Golesh for recruiting. This will also make it easier for the students who live on campus to attend the game, which was one things that Coach Golesh wanted when he became head coach. Where they currently play is about a 25-to-30-minute drive, depending on traffic. Most programs around the country have their college football stadium on campus. Bulls’ Nation thanks Michael Kelly and wishes him the best of luck at the United States Naval Academy. We will never forget him and what impact he has made on the athletic program.
What are your thoughts on Michael Kelly moving to the Naval Academy? Leave a comment below.
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Author Profile
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Bradley Walker serves as the Director of Operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a co-host on the P&W Sports Report and hosting The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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