The next generation of Bulls will be able to trot over to football games from their dorms and walk home hand-in-hand win or lose.
Yesterday, the USF Board of Trustees unanimously approved a $340 million funding plan for an on-campus football stadium. The university will take on $200 million in debt to fund the project + pull another $140 million from donations, Capital Improvement Trust Fund dollars, and more.
The decision saw some opposition from the school’s faculty, who argued that the cost of the project might exceed expectations and cut into other parts of the university’s funding.
Chair Will Weatherford said the new stadium will activate the campus, serving as a place where “our alumni and our students and faculty can gather and celebrate what we are as an institution.”
“This is a transformational project,” President Rhea Law told the crowd at the board meeting. She added that the stadium would be massive both for the student experience + for the entirety of the USF family.
What’s next?
Officials expect to break ground on the 35,000-seat facility in October 2023 — and plan to have the stadium ready for the 2026 season. The facility will take over the current Sycamore Fields site and will also host the women’s lacrosse team + concerts.
Renderings will have to wait while the university, Barton Malow, and Populous work through the design phase — a process that has included tons of conversations with students, faculty, and community members.
Which special features do you think the stadium should have (Think: Raymond James has a life-size pirate ship)? Let us know.
