The USF Football team has played at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium for the last 26 years, soon, that will change.
Z News reporter Marissa Stiff visited the ground-breaking for the new on-campus football stadium this past Saturday.
The 340-million-dollar project will seat about 35 thousand people. New renderings show that the stadium will include a student section featuring the Bulls logo that lights up at night. There will also be premium seating including club and private suites.
Photo by University of South Florida
The stadium will also feature a DJ deck and a student-only concession stand. The north lawn area will have many places for tailgating, events, live music and more.
“USF is a great university, our alumni, our faculty, and our staff, and most importantly our students deserve to experience the excitement and the energy that an on-campus stadium can provide,” Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford said. “I’ve always said, and I continue to believe it, this stadium is bigger than football. It’s a reminder to USF, that we can and will continue to do big things.”
The first ever USF Football practice took place on Sycamore Fields in 1996. The stadium will sit in the very same spot 31 years later. The stadium is set to open in 2027 and will host more than just football events.
“The other thing that this stadium will do is it gives us the ability to host all kinds of events,” USF President Rhea Law said. “Certainly, it will be USF football, but it’s gonna be women’s lacrosse, it’s gonna be concerts, it’s gonna be festivals, it’s gonna be other events. We want to activate this throughout the year. So there’s lots of reasons for you to come back to the University of South Florida and celebrate with us.”
CREDITS:
- Anchor: Fallon Crowell
- Reporter: Marissa Stiff
- Editor: Melissa Baldelomar
- Audio: Malia Knight
- Tech Director: Luciana Cordero
- Producer: Victoria Harris
- Graphic Design: Marla Rodriguez
- Web Editors: Ava Jochims
- Teleprompter: Sofia Reyes
- Production Assists: Paula Sanchez Ruiz and Valeria Maldonado
- Faculty Advisor: Dr. Stephanie Anderson
- Graduate Assistant: Grace Ficara