USF Football On-Campus Stadium Concept
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#USFOCS The Time Is Now for USF’s On-Campus Stadium

Matthew Manuriby
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The OCS will drive every change the university is missing, especially an investment in the undergraduate experience.
#USFOCS USF Football On-Campus Stadium Concept
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I believe an on-campus stadium is vital for the growth of the USF Football Program as a national brand. This belief is rooted in driving alumni and fans back to campus, where alumni enjoyed there collegiate years.

Heading back to campus is nostalgic for us as alumni, so being able to ‘head back home’ allows us to relive our yesteryear and builds a sense of pride. This pride is essential for USF to grow into an institution rich in tradition.

My parents went to FSU, and that’s exactly what happens every fall in Tallahassee. RV’s blanket the open grass areas, bbq grills and fans tailgating covering the remaining space. It builds a sense camaraderie, family, and most importantly: pride. Donors will follow.

After years of media hype, University of South Florida’s current interim and incumbent presidents have both been assigned the responsibility of making an on-campus stadium a reality. “The idea of an on-campus stadium is bigger than football,” said USF Board Trustee Chair Will Weatherford. Yes Will you’re correct, institutional pride outweighs all.

USF Athletics recently announced a legitimate goal for the project with a target completion date of 2026. Here are the five locations being considered for the new home of USF Football:

  1. Corner of Fowler Avenue and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard
  2. The current Intramural fields
  3. MOSI
  4. Fowler Field
  5. Sycamore Fields

Personally, I prefer the MOSI site to allow for more parking options, but quite frankly I’ll take any of the five as long as the university actually builds what many have considered a pipe dream for the last several years. (2017 Feasibility Study; 2018 Feasibility Study)

In my opinion, USF Athletics needs to target donations from younger graduates (class of 2006-2016). It may not be $5M each, but the collective contributions in total will not only provide the cash necessary to get the project off the ground, but evoke other donors to follow suit.

Lastly, USF Athletics and USF Greek Life must be synonymous. Why is the first home football game during Panhellenic Recruitment every single year? Fix it now.

Let’s get this started right now.

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