USF committee narrows down site for on-campus football stadium
Provided by USF
TAMPA, Fla. - The Board of Trustees at the University of South Florida heard a proposal Tuesday to build its on-campus football stadium behind the team’s practice fields.
A committee and the athletic director weighed the options for five possible sites and ended up suggesting the Sycamore Fields for further study. They made the recommendation based on several criteria, including accessibility (driving/walking distance), parking, location relative to support services, and whether this site will appeal to the public.
For example, fans could visualize the tailgating possibilities.
Currently, the Sycamore Fields is used for intramural sports. It's located within the USF Athletics area, on the east side of the Tampa campus, including the new Indoor Performance Facility. It's also near student housing and parking.
READ: Chris Oladokun hopes his 6-year college journey leads to the NFL
"Sycamore Fields is not only the stadium location that presents the most advantages, but it is without doubt the most historically fitting," Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly said in a statement. "Our football program was literally born on those fields a quarter-century ago, and they served as our primary practice and development area for over a decade as USF football rose to national prominence at an unprecedented pace. To have the stadium reside in an area that possesses that history and is also within our current Athletics footprint, adjacent to many other athletic facilities and parking, is a tremendous opportunity to build on our tradition in a very smart way."
The USF football program currently calls Raymond James Stadium home – but school leaders and students have said the space is too big.
Tuesday’s presentation was only a recommendation, and a proposed finance package to fund the stadium will be put together by this summer. It could cost anywhere from $250 million to $400 million.
The committee that oversees the on-campus stadium research will return to the board at a later date after additional analysis for the Sycamore Fields site.
Also during the meeting, it was announced the university will receive a $5 million donation from Frank and Carol Morsani, a philanthropic couple who have donated to USF over the years. It will be used toward the on-campus stadium.
"We have loved watching Bulls football for the last 25 years and are thrilled to make the first gift in support of the stadium," according to a statement by the Morsanis. "An on-campus stadium elevates not only our athletic programs, but our entire university. We look forward to others joining us in making a financial commitment that will help make this project a reality."