USF Athletics Unveils Facilities Master Plans and Strategic Plan

September 1 for most athletic departments is a milestone day, as it is the first day that many major sports can begin recruiting high school graduates in the next cycle of recruiting. However, USF Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly decided to utilize today as the day to also unveil the master facilities plan and the new strategic vision for USF Athletics.

Facilities Master Plan

The Facilities Master Plan goes well beyond the scope of building an On Campus Football Stadium. On top of the some of the plans that have already been completed (new football locker room, Indoor Performance Facilities, new track surface, etc.), USF is looking to expand and enhance many of the facilities in the newly minted “Athletics District” that will span from The Claw and Golf Facility all the way onto the south part of Campus at the Baseball and Softball complex and Yuengling Center.

The new updates, renovations, expansions, and projects included are displayed on a new website within the main Athletics site called https://www.gousfbullsmp.com.

A breakdown of the updates include:

Golf

• Phase 1: Development of new practice area
• Phase 2: Development of three-hole practice area

Tennis Pavilion

• Phase 1: New tennis courts with two center courts, new fencing, new light poles, scoreboard upgrade and relocation. 300 seat grandstand, new parking area, new pedestrian bridge, new restrooms
• Phase 2: Tennis clubhouse with observation deck, spectator seating, and a fan zone

On Campus Stadium

• No major updates, but mentions that Women’s Lacrosse will be utilizing the stadium as well

Track & Field Renovation

• Phase 1: new track surface and throw facility (completed)
• Phase 2: New locker rooms
• Phase 3: New press box and a new video board

Lacrosse

• Phase 1: creation of locker room, amendment of practice field for lacrosse, amendment of Corbett for lacrosse (author’s note: I believe practice field will be T&F and games will be at Corbett)
• Phase 2: on campus stadium, operations building in the stadium

Indoor Performance Facility

• Outdoor plaza area

Lee Roy Selmon Center

• Phase 1: Hydrotherapy pools, Hall of Champions updates, Conference Rooms updates
• Phase 2: Weight room expansion with speed and agility areas, and a new administrative space

Soccer

• Phase 1: Fan enhancement upgrades
• Phase 2: Locker room upgrades, new press box, new VIP seating, new video boards

Beach Volleyball

• Phase 1: creation of three court facility, locker room, and offices/meeting spaces
• Location will be alongside the Yeungling Center

Volleyball

• Phase 1: New Taraflex game floor with additional Taraflex practice area, new bleachers, and a nutrition area
• Phase 2: Corral facelift with new branding, new video board, new scorers table, locker room upgrades

Muma Basketball Center

• Phase 1: New hydrotherapy pools, lobby upgrades
• Phase 2: locker room upgrades, student-athlete lounges upgrades

Baseball & Softball Complex

• Phase 1: batting cages and bullpens, turf baseball infield (TDS is hearing that it’ll hopefully be done in time for the upcoming season), fan enhancement upgrades
• Phase 2: fully enclosed batting cages
• Phase 3: clubhouse with offices, locker rooms, sports medicine/nutrition, weight room, meeting rooms

Sailing

• Phase 1: upgrading locker rooms

This is the most “All In” move that USF has ever done when it comes to athletics, this is putting all the chips down on the table and setting yourself up for the future. Most importantly, the strategic alignment of the university is coming into fruition, from President Rhea Law down to the student athletes, the alignment we have been waiting for years on is finally happening.

You want a facilities arms race? Well, you have a new leader of the pack

Strategic Plan

Buried below the renderings, Michael Kelly has also unveiled the new Strategic Plan for Athletics, code named “Bullseye”, for the 2022-2023 athletics calendar. The five goals of the 2022-2023 calendar year are as follows:

1. Provide an unparalleled student-athlete experience
2. Renovate, expand and enhance the USF Athletics District
3. Elevate athletic performance
4. Foster a culture that promotes efficiency, innovation, teamwork, and inclusion
5. Embrace our campus and Tampa Bay Communities

(author’s note: that last goal is arguably the most important and will have the greatest impact in my opinion)

The link to the to the Strategic Plan can be found here, and goes into further detail on how they will accomplish these five goals, with sub strategic plans listed throughout.