USF Adds Several Home Dates with Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman to Schedule

Bulls and Rattlers to meet in 2021, 2023 & 2027 in Tampa

Bulls and Wildcats to meet in 2020 & 2026 in Tampa

TAMPA, JUNE 20, 2019 – USF Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly announced the addition of five home games to the Bulls’ future football schedules as USF inked agreements for three visits from Florida A&M and a pair of visits from Bethune-Cookman to Raymond James Stadium.

The addition of the home series with the in-state programs leaves USF with just two non-conference dates remaining to be filled through the 2027 season, with one date remaining to be filled in each of the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

“We are excited to add five home games vs. a pair of in-state programs and to be able to continue to build and highlight the great tradition of college football in the state of Florida, ” Kelly said. “Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman both have deep traditions and passionate fan bases and we look forward to a great atmosphere in Raymond James Stadium for these games.”

The Bulls will renew the series with FAMU starting on Sept. 18, 2021 and the Rattlers will also visit Tampa on Sept. 23, 2023 and Sept. 18, 2027. USF leads the series with FAMU, 3-0, and posted a 51-3 victory in the last meeting in 2015.

The Bulls will meet Bethune-Cookman for the first time ever on Sept. 12, 2020 and the Wildcats will return to Tampa on Sept. 26, 2026.

Both programs will travel their notable marching bands to perform at the contests in Raymond James Stadium.

The Bulls have scheduled 17 non-conference games vs. Power 6 opponents over the next 10 seasons, including three-game series with Alabama, Florida and Miami, as well as home-and-home series vs. Boise State (2025 & 2027) and BYU (2019 & 2021). The 17 contests vs. Power 6 opponents are tied for the most among American Athletic Conference teams. The Bulls have at least one Power 6 non-conference opponent scheduled in each of the next 10 seasons and two or more in seven of those seasons.

Six future non-conference opponents can claim a national championship and the Bulls will be facing programs during that span that claim a total of 34 national championships. Six future non-conference opponents in the next 10 seasons rank among the top 25 all-time in Associated Press Top 25 Poll appearances.

The Bulls will play nine games vs. ACC opponents and six vs. SEC foes in the coming years. Future ACC opponents include Georgia Tech (2019), Louisville (2022, 2024 & 2026), Miami (2025, 2027 & 2028) and NC State (2021 & 2024). Future SEC opponents include dates vs. Alabama (2023, 2024 & 2026) and Florida (2022, 2023 & 2025). The Bulls will also face Big 12 opponent Texas (2020) and Big Ten foe Wisconsin (2019).

The Bulls beat Georgia Tech (49-38) at home and Illinois (25-19) in Chicago last season and have won five straight matchups vs. non-conference Power 6 opponents, and seven of the last eight contests overall. USF takes on Wisconsin on Fri., Aug. 30 in a primetime clash to open the 2019 season, travels to Georgia Tech (Sept. 7) in Week 2 and will host BYU on Oct. 12 for a homecoming clash at Raymond James Stadium.

USF has played 13 non-conference regular season games vs. Power 6 opponents in six seasons since joining the American Athletic Conference in 2013. The non-conference Power 6 opponents faced over that span include Florida State (2015, 2016), Georgia Tech (2018), Illinois (2017 & 2018), Maryland (2014, 2015), Miami (2013), Michigan State (2013), NC State (2014), Syracuse (2015, 2016) and Wisconsin (2014).

USF football season ticket members can renew their tickets for the 2019 season and new season tickets can be purchased by visiting USFBullsTix.com by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls.

Mobile ticket options for the 2019 season such as the Boundless Bulls Pass and the Horns Up Pass, which offer fans flexibility and convenience, can also be purchased by visiting USFBullsTix.com by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls.

ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
Having completed just its 22^nd season of football, and 19^th at the FBS level, the USF football program has earned 10 bowl appearances, including a current run of four straight, and owns a record of 6-3 in bowl games. The Bulls have appeared in the national top 25 rankings in each of the past three seasons, including a program record run of 20 straight weeks in the top 25, and in 2018 reached the program’s 150^th win faster than any FBS program in state of Florida history. USF has posted a pair of 10-plus win seasons in the last three years, including a program-record 11 wins (11-2) in 2016, and logged 15 winning seasons overall. Since first taking the field in 1997, the USF program has reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings (2007), seen 30 players selected in the NFL Draft, 14 named All-American and 29 earn first-team all-conference selection.

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