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USF approves updated football stadium plan. Here's the timeline for construction

By and
Published  April 30, 2025 8:50am EDT
University of South Florida Bulls
FOX 13 News
USF to start stadium construction soon

USF to start stadium construction soon

University of South Florida trustees signed off on an updated plan for the school's on-campus football stadium -- and with that new plan comes new costs. FOX 13’s Mariah Harrison reports.

The Brief

    • USF trustees have unanimously approved an updated on-campus football stadium plan.
    • The project cost is higher than initially approved in June 2023, including upgrades to the stadium's design.
    • The Bulls are scheduled to begin playing at the new stadium in 2027.

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of South Florida's Board of Trustees has signed off on an updated plan for the school's on-campus football stadium, with upgrades to the facility's design leading to increased costs.

On-campus stadium project

By the numbers:

USF's new plan includes a total project cost of $348.5 million, up from $340 million in June 2023.

The stadium will initially seat about 35,000 fans, with room for future expansion.

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Courtesy: University of South Florida.

USF also plans to expand the Tampa General Hospital Center for Athletic Excellence, enhance locker room amenities and build out academic space.

In addition to updating the stadium plan, USF trustees approved $47.9 million in infrastructure upgrades for the east side of its main campus to prepare for future growth, including the new stadium.

Another $10.5 million has been set aside to cover unexpected costs, design changes, or unforeseen issues with any of these projects.

What they're saying:

"It's about as big a check as we're going to write for anything at the University of South Florida, so I'm a believer in measuring twice and cutting once," USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford said. "I think our team has done a good job of measuring here and trying to build in all the contingencies that you can for a project of this size and scale."

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When will the new stadium open?

Timeline:

Crews officially broke ground last November, with USF saying this week that additional site clearing will take place in May, followed by full construction "shortly after."

University officials say their goal is for the Bulls to move in during the summer of 2027 ahead of the stadium's first events.

USF's football team is scheduled to face Louisville at home on Sept. 4, 2027.

The Source: This story was written with information from the University of South Florida and previous FOX 13 News reports.

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