“At the end of the day, it’s all about our student-athletes. We want them to have the opportunity to play at the highest possible level while we prepare them for life after graduation. USF offers a wonderful combination of athletic and academic excellence.” –Lee Roy Selmon, President, USF Foundation Partnership for Athletics; NFL Hall of Famer

Wearing the uniform of the University of South Florida provides our remarkable student-athletes a way to develop self-discipline, to learn the value of teamwork and to measure themselves against the nation’s top level of intercollegiate competition. In this way, these student-athletes will learn valuable leadership skills inside and outside the white lines and build the character necessary for a lifetime of success.

 For our general student body, attendance at athletics events enriches the collegiate experience and provides memories and pride that last a lifetime. Athletics also provide a window to the university for a national audience and provide a door through which alumni reconnect to their alma mater. Great teams can uplift the university and provide exposure for its research engine as well as its academic enterprise.

This is why we have worked tirelessly to create exceptional programs, hire top-notch coaches and recruit outstanding athletes. It’s why we made the decision to add a football team and why we entered the Big East Conference in 2005.

In most ways, USF athletics mirrors the philosophy of the university as a whole. We don’t rest on our laurels, and we don’t listen to naysayers. Instead, we believe in building great facilities for our fans as well as our athletes. USF athletics plays a central role in the Tampa Bay community. The region is known for great sports and enthusiastic fans: USF is part of that time-honored tradition. The Bulls—all 19 teams—will continue their ascent as we project the unstoppable nature of USF itself.

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  Unstoppable Bulls

  A program that started in a double-wide trailer a little more than a decade ago should not by rights be nationally recognized. But that’s what happened when USF added football to its slate of intercollegiate athletics over the objections of some who believed it was too ambitious. Today, the Bulls are ranked consistently in the Top 25, and the sky’s the limit.
  

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  Big East and Women’s Sports

  USF’s 2005 entrance into the Big East Conference made a tremendous difference for women’s as well as men’s sports. Because of Big East membership, USF has received more national exposure and has been able to recruit a higher caliber of athlete to the nine women’s sports offered. The women’s tennis team was the first USF team to win a Big East championship, and the women’s basketball team won the 2009 National Invitation Tournament.
  

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  Building a Winning Program

  Head Men’s Basketball Coach Stan Heath knows what it takes to compete in one of America’s elite basketball conferences, the Big East. University of South Florida fans are taking notice of a program that’s moving in the right direction. The Bulls will soon be practicing in a brand new facility and are competing, living and learning with a positive attitude. That starts with the coach. That starts with Stan Heath.