Student-athletes to use platform to promote unity and positive change;
All USF Athletics teams to wear black “United” patch; Inclusive Excellence Committee established; voting education and voting holiday implemented department-wide
TAMPA, SEPT. 11, 2020 – Furthering its commitment to equality, social justice and unity, USF Athletics announces several new initiatives established in coordination with Bulls student-athletes and driven by a desire to continue to bring awareness and focus to the fight against racism and social injustice wherever it may occur.
“USF Athletics is committed to equality, unity and justice and we feel it is important to continue to enhance our programming and support for our student-athletes and staff in that area and take further action in support of those ideals,” Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly said. “I appreciate the thoughtful and passionate participation of our student-athletes and the leadership of Senior Woman Administrator Marquita Armstead as we worked closely with our student-athletes to implement programs and develop visual reminders of our role in helping promote and produce positive social change.”
Earlier this summer, Bulls student-athletes KJ Sails and Jordan McCloud took active roles in the Tampa community, leading a 400-person unity walk in downtown Tampa and organizing cleanup efforts around the USF campus, respectively. USF student-athletes, coaches and teams across Athletics also took to social media to express their support for social change.
Building on that, Athletics established an Inclusive Excellence Committee in July with representation from across the athletic department, including head coaches, staff, and student-athletes. The committee is tasked with evaluation of the department in the areas of diversity and inclusion, racial justice, LGBTQ+ and more. The goal of this initial group will be to establish department-wide educational opportunities and help to cultivate and retain a diverse and inclusive department.
All USF Athletics teams and staff will now have a voting holiday on Nov. 3 for Election Day as all teams and staff calendars have been cleared for the day to encourage participation in the electoral process. Voter education webinars and voter registration efforts for student-athletes and staff have also begun and will continue through the fall, with one of the first events featuring a presentation by the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections.
To establish a continued visual reminder of USF Athletics’ commitment, all Bulls teams will wear a black “United” patch on their uniforms throughout the 2020-21 season. Additionally, all student-athletes were given the option of receiving an adidas-branded Black Lives Matter shirt to wear in warm-ups if they choose. The football team will also place a “BLM” emblem on the back of its helmets for the season, starting Saturday with the season opener vs. The Citadel at Raymond James Stadium.
Student-athletes from each team have also been given the opportunity to write and appear in a team-specific video produced by the department in which they can voice their message in promoting positive change in social justice.
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics 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. The Bulls’ athletic program began in 1965 and is in 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 19 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, and own 120 conference titles overall. The Bulls posted a combined annual grade-point average over 3.0 for the fifth straight year in 2019-20 and have posted a program record 11 straight semesters with a combined GPA over 3.0. USF has had nearly 350 student-athletes earn their degree since 2016-17.
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