TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Construction on the University of South Florida’s on-campus stadium will ramp up after the plan was approved by the university’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday.
The plan presented Tuesday includes a project cost of $348.5 million, which has been revised from what was previously approved by the board in June 2023.
The university’s stadium plan now includes design and structural upgrades for a potential future stadium expansion, vertical expansion of the Tampa General Hospital Center for Athletic Excellence, and enhanced locker room amenities.
USF said the funds added to the project will come from interest earnings on the $200 million in financing previously issued by the USF Financing Corp.
Now that the stadium plan has been approved, the project team will begin clearing the site in May, with full construction set to pick up shortly after.
The stadium is set to be completed in spring 2027. USF will move into the facility in the summer and prepare to host the first events in fall 2027.
“The plan approved by the Board of Trustees represents another important milestone in the process to deliver a world-class stadium that the USF community and all of our supporters can enjoy for generations to come,” USF President Rhea Law said. “We are excited to see the construction take off on this iconic facility that will bring tens of thousands of fans to our campus, help build lifelong connections to USF and allow even more people to experience everything our university has to offer.”
USF also released a new rendering that shows the east side of the future stadium.
“With our plans in place and construction preparations underway, we’ve officially entered the next chapter in delivering USF’s on-campus stadium, set to open in 2027,” said USF Vice President for Athletics Michael Kelly and USF Foundation CEO Jay Stroman, the co-chairs of the stadium planning committee. “This moment is the result of years of vision and planning. We are grateful for the passionate support of our donors, alumni, fans and the greater Tampa Bay area community — this stadium is being built by and for USF, and we can’t wait to take this next big step together.”