Scott & Number of Bulls Alumni to Highlight Return of Football Kickoff Luncheon in August
Event held Wednesday, Aug. 18 at new JW Marriott downtown;
Head Coach Jeff Scott, entire 2021 USF football, band, cheer, and football alumni Barrington, Daniels, Grothe, Smith and more highlight the second annual event
TAMPA, JUNE 28, 2021– Head Coach Jeff Scott and the entire 2021 USF football team will officially welcome the full return of Bulls fans for the 2021 season presented by Tampa General Hospital at the second-annual Bulls Kickoff Luncheon to be held at the new JW Marriott (505 Water Street) in downtown Tampa on Wed., Aug. 18.
The kickoff event, which began in 2019 and was canceled due to the pandemic in 2020, will return packed full of fun and special guests to highlight the 25th anniversary season of USF football. The luncheon will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street’s 30,000-square foot ballroom, the largest such space in Tampa Bay. The area’s newest luxury hotel opened last fall.
Lunch will be served at noon and will feature Scott previewing the Bulls’ upcoming season, his second at the helm. Fans will hear from Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly, have an opportunity to meet the 2021 team, have photo opportunities with Rocky the Bull and USF cheer teams, enjoy the performance of the USF Herd of Thunder Band, and win door prizes for those in attendance. Attendees will be seated with USF players at their table.
Former USF and Green Bay linebacker Sam Barrington (2009-12) will host the event and the current Bulls radio analyst will welcome back several alumni for a fun panel discussion of 25 years of USF football. Among those joining Barrington on stage will be former standout quarterbacks BJ Daniels (2008-12) and Matt Grothe (2006-09), one of the Bulls OG’s Marshall Smith (1997-2000), and possibly more.
Registration for the Bulls Kickoff Luncheon is open to the public. A luncheon table for eight may be purchased for $360 and individual tickets are $50. Registration for the event is online. Please direct questions to 1-800-GoBulls.
“We are very excited for the 2021 football season and the return of this signature kickoff luncheon event in downtown Tampa,” Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly said. “It is going to be an exciting season as we celebrate our 25th anniversary of football and welcome some impressive opponents to Raymond James Stadium for Coach Scott’s second season leading our team. With a sparkling new venue at the JW Marriott in the Tampa Water Street development and the participation of several former players, this year’s luncheon is going to be a can’t miss event.”
The Bulls will open the 2021 season with a Thursday night, primetime matchup at NC State on Sept. 2 (7:30 p.m). USF’s 2021 home opener will be vs. Florida on Sat., Sept. 11 (noon), marking the Gators’ first-ever trip to Raymond James Stadium to play the Bulls. The Gators posted an 8-4 (8-2 SEC) record last year, reaching the SEC Championship game where UF fell to eventual national champion Alabama, 52-46. Florida finished No. 13 in the final AP Poll and is expected to enter the 2021 season among the top 10.
The Bulls will also face defending American Athletic Conference Champion Cincinnati (9-1) on Fri., Nov. 12 in Tampa. The Bearcats finished No. 8 in the final 2020 season AP Poll. USF will play five Saturday home games and one Friday primetime matchup and will return to selling tickets for full capacity at 65,857-seat Raymond James Stadium, beginning with the home opener vs. Florida. Kick times and specific television designations will be announced at a later date.
All tickets will once again be dynamically priced for each game based on demand and are subject to change. Season, Flex Plan and group ticket packages are currently available by calling or texting 1-800-GoBulls or visiting USFBullstix.com or Ticketmaster. Single-game tickets for six home dates will go on sale on July 7.
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and will celebrate its 25th season in 2021 (22nd at the FBS level). USF has posted 15 winning seasons and is the fastest program in the state of Florida to reach 150 all-time wins. Bulls have earned 14 All-America selections, 29 first-team all-conference selections, and 30 USF players have been selected in the NFL Draft. USF has made 10 bowl game appearances (going 6-4 in those games) and posted a program-record six-straight from 2005-2010. The Bulls most recently made four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18 and posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016 while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program-record 20-straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 seasons and reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings during the 2007 season.
Follow @USFFootball on Twitter for all the latest information concerning the USF Football program.
– #GoBulls –
