TAMPA, Fla. – The gathering on a steamy Friday afternoon included a who’s who of Florida politics. Among those present at the University of South Florida on-campus stadium groundbreaking were Attorney General Ashley Moody, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, House Speaker Paul Renner, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and Senator Danny Burgess, a USF alum.
The elected officials, who were introduced by university president Rhea Law, were among a couple of thousand attendees who gathered to witness the ceremonial first step of a vision that is expected to become a reality by the beginning of the 2027 football season.
That reality, as noted on one of the many video screens located inside and outside a large tent under which the speaking portion of the event was conducted, is a 35,000-seat stadium adjacent (to the north) to the indoor practice facility. The first game, if everything goes according to plan, will be Sept. 4, 2027 against Louisville.
“It’s a coming-of-age moment for this university and I am proud to be a small part of it,” said Will Weatherford, chair of the USF Board of Trustees and former Florida house speaker. “I am really proud of the entire community stepping up to help USF make this real. It will be a real special stadium. It is going to activate our campus and it is going to take us to new heights.”
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The costs of the venue, which will include an 8,000-seat student section, will be north of $300 million, though a final price tag has yet to be determined. Construction is slated to begin in early 2025. One thing is for certain and that is the stadium will be used for far more than football. It will be the home field of the women’s lacrosse program, which will have the curtain rise on its inaugural season in the spring.
Bowl games, any number of a NCAA events, concerts and various university events such as fund-raisers and the like could also be part of what is hoped to be a very full venue calendar.
“It will attract events of all sorts, and not just university related, but economic benefit events,” said athletic director Michael Kelly, who noted there have been conversations with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission and executive director Rob Higgins, a USF alum. “We’re going to bring (American Conference) championships here, soccer matches, international events and all the things that can bring so much economic impact the community.”
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