Nobody can blame USF fans for being skeptical of Weatherford’s comments. Frankly, this community, the students and the athletes deserve a stadium on their campus. “It has an athletic program that is ready to take on the challenge. “USF is a university that is progressing in every metric academically,” said the 41-year-old managing partner of Tampa-based Weatherford Capital, who was speaker of the Florida House of Representatives from 2012 to 2014, to a gathering of boosters, alumni and the football team.

Both projects are privately financed.Īlso, Kelly noted $10-$12 million in funding has been raised for a football center that would be built “in concert” with an on-campus stadium.ĭuring the groundbreaking ceremony USF’s board of trustees chairperson, Will Weatherford, proclaimed that such a venue will be built. Last Wednesday’s groundbreaking for the $22-million project, which Kelly said should be operational in 10 to 12 months, followed renovations to the Lee Roy Selmon Athletics Center that totaled $3.3 million and included a new football locker room that was ready in time for preseason camp. 2 ranking, construction equipment finally rolled in to get going on the much-needed indoor facility. 12 television market, have been moving forward on facilities. Indeed, the timing of the program’s downward trend could not have been worse.Īt least, as Kelly said, the athletic department and the university, which is in the nation’s No. With respect to winning, or lack of it, the Bulls have lost 24 of their last 29 games, including 14 straight to fellow FBS opponents. USF has not won many games since and the lack of facilities, especially an indoor practice facility to combat the region’s unrelenting heat, humidity and thunderstorms that play havoc with preseason and early-season practice schedules, has not helped the cause when it comes to conference expansion/realignment. “It’s a good time to run with the Bulls.The Bulls have certainly experienced some good times in the American, highlighted by a combined 21-4 mark in 2016-17 that included a pair of bowl wins over Power Five opponents. “What a roll we’re on right now …” Kelly said.

And after years of inaction, USF is earning national attention for its infrastructure upgrades. But then-commissioner Bob Bowlsby said the conference focused on “schools that we felt would move the needle for us in football first …” Though facilities don’t do that on their own, they help. “Obviously, with us being an AAU institution and an even bigger market, it makes you even that much more attractive, in my opinion.”īig 12 dignitaries did not specifically cite UCF’s stadium when they celebrated the Knights’ addition in September 2021. “Those that have done in the last 15 years or so have kind of shown the ability for success - most recently with San Diego State kind of being a relevant factor,” Kelly said. San Diego State hasn’t joined a power conference yet - it remains in the mid-major Mountain West - but is expected to earn an invitation to the Pac-12 or Big 12 soon, potentially by the end of the month. The $310 million stadium it opened last year is one of its key selling points. The other, Cincinnati, finished a $86 million expansion and renovation of Nippert Stadium in 2015. Two of the Big 12′s three newcomers from the AAC have relatively new on-campus stadiums: UCF opened what’s now called FBC Mortgage Stadium in 2007, and Houston began playing at TDECU Stadium seven years later. Colorado, Arizona and UConn are potential targets, and there have been recent conflicting reports about the league’s interest in another AAC school, Memphis. It has been open about its desire to expand its national reach. “This is going to help us do that, be more competitive, but to be attractive to anyone else that would be looking for partners.” “Obviously we want to be a dominant leader in the American, and we do that in some areas and we haven’t done it in others,” Kelly said. The building will also house operations centers for football and women’s lacrosse. Approved the initial budget to open a stadium north of the football practice facilities for the 2026 season.

Usf conference realignment