Athletics of the University of South Florida
The University of South Florida (USF) participated in its first intercollegiate athletic competition on September 25, 1965, securing a victory against Florida Southern College in men’s soccer. The university joined the NCAA in 1968 and currently competes at the NCAA Division I level. USF was a founding member of the Sun Belt Conference, moved to Conference USA in 1995, joined the Big East Conference in 2003, and is now part of the American Athletic Conference. Each academic year, nearly 500 student-athletes represent the university across 19 varsity sports. The current athletic director is Michael Kelly.
As of January 2024, USF teams have won 163 conference championships and one NCAA national title, claimed by the women’s swimming team in 1985. The Bulls have also finished as NCAA national runners-up four times: men’s swimming in 1971, men’s golf in 1971 and 1972, and rifle in 1989. Additionally, USF athletes have secured 19 individual NCAA national championships (seven in women’s swimming, six in men’s swimming, two in rifle, three in men’s outdoor track and field, and one in men’s indoor track and field), along with four relay national titles (three in women’s swimming and one in men’s swimming).
Despite its history of success in rifle, men’s swimming, and women’s swimming, USF no longer sponsors these sports. In non-NCAA-sanctioned varsity competitions, the USF softball team won the American Softball Association National Championships in 1983 and 1984, the highest level of collegiate softball before the NCAA began sponsoring the sport in 1985. Additionally, the Bulls sailing team won the 2009 Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Sloop National Championship, as well as the 2016 and 2017 ICSA Offshore Large Boats National Championships.
Seventeen USF alumni, representing 11 countries, have competed as athletes in the Olympic Games as of the 2020 Summer Olympics. Canadian soccer player Évelyne Viens became the first former USF athlete to win an Olympic medal when Team Canada secured gold in 2020, though other USF alumni, such as Ken Eriksen, had previously won medals as coaches.
All home athletic events at USF are free for students.
Teams
The university currently sponsors 19 varsity sports for men and women:
Men’s Sports
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Track & Field
Women’s Sports
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Golf
- Lacrosse
- Sailing
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track & Field
- Volleyball
Additionally, USF will introduce a women’s beach volleyball team in the 2025–26 academic year.
Beyond varsity athletics, USF offers numerous club sports, including men’s and women’s rugby, cricket, and men’s ice hockey. USF’s club teams have won 11 national championships across various divisions.
Athletic Facilities
The USF Athletic District, located on the eastern side of the Tampa campus, serves as the hub for 18 of the university’s 19 varsity sports, with sailing being the only exception. Key facilities include:
- Lee Roy Selmon Athletic Center
- Corbett Stadium
- Frank Morsani Football Practice Complex
- Pam & Les Muma Basketball Practice Center
- Yuengling Center
- The Claw (Golf Course)
- USF Baseball Stadium
- USF Softball Stadium
- USF Track and Field Stadium
- The Corral
- USF Varsity Tennis Courts
Lee Roy Selmon Athletic Center
Opened in 2004, the Lee Roy Selmon Athletic Center serves as the main headquarters for USF Athletics. In 2012, it was named in honor of Pro Football Hall of Famer and former USF athletic director Lee Roy Selmon, often credited as the “Father of USF Football.”
The 104,000-square-foot facility houses all USF sports teams except for men’s and women’s basketball, sailing, and volleyball. It features a state-of-the-art strength and conditioning center, a sports medicine clinic, the USF Athletic Hall of Fame and trophy room, and an Academic Enrichment Center equipped with study lounges, a library, a computer lab, and academic counseling services.
Yuengling Center
Located on the Tampa campus, the Yuengling Center is the home arena for USF’s men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as the women’s volleyball team. It hosted its first event, a basketball game, in 1980. Beyond athletics, the facility is used for university events such as commencement ceremonies and orientations.
The venue has also hosted numerous external events, including WWE ThunderDome, consumer expos, conventions, rodeos, gymnastics and cheerleading competitions, political rallies, and concerts featuring artists like Elton John, Florence and the Machine, Frank Sinatra, Heart, and Sting. The facility achieved LEED Silver certification in 2014.
Raymond James Stadium
The USF football team plays its home games at Raymond James Stadium, which is also home to the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. USF is one of just five FBS programs that play in an NFL stadium, alongside Miami, Temple, Pitt, and UNLV. The stadium, located 13 miles from campus, can hold over 75,000 spectators, making it the largest venue in the American Athletic Conference. However, for most games, seating is limited to the lower bowl, reducing capacity to approximately 45,000. The student section, with over 12,000 seats, is the largest in the conference.
Corbett Stadium
Corbett Stadium, located on the main Tampa campus, is the home venue for USF’s men’s and women’s soccer teams. Opened in 2011, the stadium features over 1,000 seats, with additional standing-room space for more than 2,000 fans on the surrounding grassy berms. It replaced the USF Track and Field Stadium as the primary soccer venue and also hosts the USF football team’s annual spring game. Additionally, the stadium will serve as the home field for USF’s women’s lacrosse team beginning in 2024.
Spirit Squads
USF’s Spirit Squads play a significant role in supporting the university’s athletics programs. These include:
- USF Sun Dolls Dance Team
- USF Cheerleading Squad
- Rocky the Bull (Mascot)
- Herd of Thunder Marching Band
In addition to energizing crowds at sporting events, USF’s cheerleading teams regularly compete at the national level. The co-ed squad won the UCA Division I-A National Championship in 2021, 2022, and 2023, while the all-girl squad claimed the title in 2024.
Rocky the Bull, USF’s official mascot, was originally conceived as a bookstore toy in 1965 before evolving into its modern form, unveiled in 2003. Rocky appears at athletic events and other major university functions.
The Herd of Thunder Marching Band, comprising 370 members, performs at all home and select away football games. The program also includes a pep band for basketball and volleyball games, a 30-piece show band for special events, and a winter guard.