USF Athletics targets facility investments across all sports programs to elevate the Athletics district among the nation’s best
TAMPA, SEPT. 1, 2022 – University of South Florida Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly today announced the university’s vision and commitment to continuing to provide an unparalleled student-athlete and unique fan experiences outlined in two plans – a Facilities Master Plan that includes additions and enhancements of facilities for all varsity athletic sports programs and a new Athletics Strategic Plan that identifies key department goals and strategies to achieve them. Both documents are available for public viewing at the links provided below.
“We are committed to competing at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics and continuing to provide a unique and special experience for USF student-athletes and fans that rivals that of any in the nation,” Kelly said. “A big piece to that experience as well as remaining highly competitive and attracting the best and brightest student-athletes is providing top-of-the-line facilities for both daily training and competition. My staff and I have worked hard to develop a comprehensive, Facilities Master Plan and an overall Athletics Strategic Plan that is in alignment with the University’s recently released strategic plan. These plans will focus our resources and energies in our daily operations and elevate our Athletics campus by strategically enhancing existing facilities and adding new ones across all our programs in the coming years.”
Facilities Master Plan (LINK)
The vision for the future development of the USF Athletics district can be viewed at HERE. The website includes facility investments that have already been achieved in the last year, conceptual plans for many facilities currently in development, and highlights future initiatives in the beginning planning stages that will continue to evolve. All facility plans are subject to the USF Campus Master Plan approval and process.
“We believe USF Athletics can grow significantly and achieve great things in the coming years and have an aggressive vision for getting there,” Kelly said. “The university is very supportive of this vision and understands Athletics’ place as a key driver for one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. We will need the support of our fans, partners, community and generous donors to get there, but I believe we have the passion and will to achieve great things.”
Many facility enhancements that are part of the plan have already been achieved in the last year or are nearing completion within the next year. These include a $22-million Indoor Performance Facility set to open this fall; a $3-million football locker room and office renovation completed last summer, a $2-million television broadcast facility completed in 2020, a $1-million resurfacing of the running surface at the USF Track & Field Stadium, installation of new hydrotherapy pools in the Lee Roy Selmon Center, and $1.2-million in enhancements to The Corral for USF volleyball that include a new Taraflex floor, bleachers, nutrition bar, videoboard and roof among many enhancements.
New facility additions included in the plan include the addition of an on-campus football and lacrosse stadium by the 2026 season, a baseball and softball clubhouse, a tennis facility, a complete overhaul of the golf practice facility, and USF Track & Field Stadium additions of a new press box and video board. Plans for the recently announced Beach Volleyball program include building a new facility adjacent to the Yuengling Center and providing renovated coaches’ offices and a locker room. Women’s lacrosse will utilize a new locker room and coaches’ offices in the Lee Roy Selmon Center and will begin play in Corbett Stadium before moving into the on-campus stadium.
Current facilities also slated for enhancement include the Lee Roy Selmon Athletics Center – which will include a complete renovation of the entrance lobby – and Corbett Soccer Stadium – which includes enhanced fan areas, a new video board and a new press box. The Yuengling Center, home of USF basketball, underwent a complete $35.6-million renovation in 2012 that included the addition of the Pam & Les Muma Basketball Center. The Facilities Master Plan also includes renderings for a renovation of the Muma Basketball Center lobby and other player areas, such as lounges and locker rooms.
The Facilities Master Plan website will also feature regular updates as renderings are completed for additional renovations and facility enhancements.
Athletics Strategic Plan (LINK)
The 2022-23 Athletics Strategic Plan is a living document that provides objectives and strategies to achieve USF’s strategic goals starting in 2022. As the college athletics industry changes, the Plan will be updated to keep South Florida at the forefront of Division I athletics. It can be viewed HERE.
The plan shares department priorities to assist team members in short-term and long-term planning and provides transparency as to how USF Athletics will achieve its goals.
The Athletics Strategic Plan lays out the department’s core values of: commitment, community, excellence, inclusion, innovation, integrity and teamwork.
It also outlines five key goals and the strategies to achieve them. Those goals are:
- Provide an unparalleled student-athlete experience
- Renovate, expand and enhance the USF Athletics District
- Elevate athletic performance
- Foster a culture that promotes efficiency, innovation, teamwork and inclusion
- Embrace our campus and Tampa Bay communities
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics currently sponsors 19 varsity men’s and women’s teams that compete in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference, which will expand to 21 teams with the recently announced additions of women’s lacrosse (2024-25) and women’s beach volleyball. The Bulls’ athletic program began in 1965 and completed its 55th season in 2020-21. Nearly 450 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls have claimed 26 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, including seven trophies in the 2021 calendar year, and own 139 conference titles in department history. The Bulls have posted a combined annual grade-point average over 3.0 for more than seven straight years and have posted a program-record of 15 straight semesters with a combined GPA over 3.0 as of the spring of 2022. USF has had over 500 student-athletes earn their degree since 2016-17.
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– #GoBulls –
