| South Florida Bulls | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | University of South Florida |
| Conference | The American (primary) SAISA (sailing) CUSA (beach volleyball; future) |
| NCAA | Division I(FBS) |
| Athletic director | Rob Higgins |
| Location | Tampa, Florida St. Petersburg, Florida (sailing team) |
| First season | 1965 |
| Varsity teams | 20 (9 men's, 11 women's) |
| Football stadium | Raymond James Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Yuengling Center |
| Ice hockey arena | AdventHealth Center Ice (club team) |
| Baseball stadium | USF Baseball Stadium |
| Softball stadium | USF Softball Stadium |
| Soccer stadium | Corbett Stadium |
| Lacrosse stadium | Corbett Stadium |
| Golf course | The Claw |
| Sailing venue | Haney Landing Sailing Center |
| Tennis venue | USF Varsity Tennis Courts |
| Outdoor track and field venue | USF Track and Field Stadium |
| Volleyball arena | The Corral |
| Mascot | Rocky the Bull |
| Nickname | Bulls |
| Marching band | Herd of Thunder |
| Fight song | Golden Brahman March |
| Colors | Green and gold[1] |
| Website | gousfbulls |
 | |
| Team NCAA championships | |
| 1 | |
| Individual and relay NCAA champions | |
| 24 | |
TheSouth Florida Bulls (also known as theUSF Bulls) are theathletic teams that represent theUniversity of South Florida. USF competes inNCAA Division I and is a member of theAmerican Conference for all sports besides sailing, a non-NCAA sanctioned varsity sport which competes in theSouth Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association within theInter-Collegiate Sailing Association. Additionally, the school will become an affiliate member ofConference USA in the sport of beach volleyball beginning in 2025 because the American Conference does not sponsor the sport. Rob Higgins is the current athletic director, officially titled the CEO of Athletics. The school colors are green and gold and the mascot isRocky D. Bull.
The university currently sponsors 20 varsity sports teams, nine for men and eleven for women. The sports sponsored arebaseball,men's basketball,women's basketball,men's and women's cross country,football,men's and women's golf,women's lacrosse,women's sailing,men's soccer,women's soccer,softball,men's and women's tennis,men's and women's track and field (outdoor and indoor for both), andwomen's volleyball.[2] In addition, USF will add awomen's beach volleyball team in the 2025–26 school year.[3] USF used to sponsor teams inco-ed rifle andmen's and women's swimming and diving.
Across all sports, the Bulls have won one team NCAA national championship (women's swimming in 1985). Outside of the additional seven individual and three relay national championships in women's swimming, USF athletes have won six individual and one relay NCAA national championships in men's swimming, two individual NCAA national championships in rifle, four individual and one relay NCAA national championships in men's outdoor track and field, and one individual NCAA national championship in men's indoor track and field.[4][5][6][7][8] Additionally, the university has won five national championships in varsity sports outside of NCAA competition. The softball team won the 1983 and 1984 national championships in theAmerican Softball Association, which was the highest level of college softball at the time.[9] Sailing, which is not an NCAA-sanctioned sport but is still a varsity team sponsored by the USF Athletic Department, has won three national championships in the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association:Sloop in 2009 andOffshore Large Boats in 2016 and 2017.[10][11][12] USF's teams have also won 171 conference championships, and athletes have won 256 individual and relay conference championships.
As of the2024 Summer Olympics, 20 Bulls have competed as athletes in theOlympic Games, winning one gold medal.[13]
The University of South Florida was founded in 1956 and opened in 1960. First presidentJohn S. Allen was against the prospect of the new university supporting intercollegiate athletic teams, instead wanting to focus on education.[14] In 1962, still years before any sports were announced, students voted to make theGolden Brahman, abreed of bull, the university's first mascot because of Florida's history in cattle raising.[15]
President Allen had a change of heart in 1964 and approved the university's first sports teams to begin in the 1965–66 academic year and asked physical education professor and futureUSF Athletic Hall of Fame memberDick Bowers to become USF's first athletic director.[16]Baseball,men's soccer,men's cross country,men's golf,men's swimming,men's tennis, andwomen's tennis were the seven original sports to be offered by the young university.[17] The men's teams began play as NCAA College Division (now known asNCAA Division II)independents and were called the Golden Brahmans. Since the NCAA did not sponsor women's sports at the time, the new women's tennis team played as an independent in theAssociation for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Small College Division and went by theLady Brahmans instead of the Golden Brahmans. Subsequent women's teams would play in the AIAW and were called the Lady Brahmans as well.[18]
The Golden Brahmans men's soccer team won the first intercollegiate game in school history on September 25, 1965, defeating Florida Southern College 4–3.[19] In 1969, swimmer Joe Lewkowicz won the first individual national championship in school history in the 200-yard butterfly.[20]
The Golden Brahmans' men's swimming team nearly became the first team in USF history to win a national championship, finishing in second place in the 1971 NCAA Championship. Themen's basketball team was founded in 1971 and was by far the most significant step in USF's young athletic history at the time. In spring 1972, USF's men's golf team were the runners up in the NCAA Championship.[21] The Lady Brahmanswomen's basketball,women's golf,softball,women's swimming, andvolleyball teams started the next academic year, and the university had also considered adding women's archery, badminton, and bowling to comply with the newTitle IX law.[22][23] The men's golf team then finished as national runners up again in 1973.[21]
USF's men's sports made the jump to theNCAA University Division (now known asNCAA Division I) in fall 1973, and remained asindependents. Likewise, USF's women's teams moved to the AIAW Large College Division in 1973. USF became a charter member of theSun Belt Conference in 1976 (for men's sports only) as their first ever conference affiliation. That year, the men's soccer team became the first team in USF history to win a conference championship, winning both the regular season and tournament Sun Belt titles.[24] In 1978, USF won theSun Belt Cup (now known as the Vic Bubas Cup) for the first time as the Sun Belt Conference's all-sports champion for the 1977–78 academic year. They would go on to win the Cup again in each of the next four years and seven of the next eight.[25]
In 1981, the Golden Brahmans simplified their nickname toBulls for their men's teams. Naturally, the women's teams soon picked up the nickname ofLady Bulls, though they were officially still called the Lady Brahmans.[26][27] TheAIAW dissolved after spring 1982, and all of USF's women's sports besides softball went on to immediately join the NCAA. In 1983, USF's softball team won the first team national championship in school history. Softball was not an NCAA sponsored sport at the time, so the championship was won in theAmerican Softball Association, which governed the top level of collegiate softball.[9] The Lady Brahmans won the ASA Championship again in the spring of 1984 before joining the NCAA the next year.[28]
In spring 1985, USF's women's swimming team became the first, and as of 2023, only team in USF history to win a team NCAA championship.[26][29] Two years later though in the spring of 1987, both the men's and women's swimming teams were cut due to financial hardships brought on by the sport not being sponsored by the Sun Belt, among other issues.[30] The university added a women's cross country team the next fall to avoidTitle IX violations.[31] Also that fall, the school officially changed the name of all women's teams from Lady Brahmans to Bulls. In 1989, Michelle Scarborough won the 14th individual NCAA national championship in USF history in the air rifle event of theNCAA Rifle Championship. TheBulls rifle team finished as the runners up in the1989 championship.[32]
Michelle Scarborough won another NCAA co-ed rifle championship in1990, this time in the smallbore event.[32] 1990 was also the ninth and final time USF won the Sun Belt Cup, as the school left the Sun Belt to join theMetro Conference starting in the 1991–92 school year.[33] That same year, themen's and women's outdoor track and field teams were founded and Jon Dennis won the national title in themen's outdoor 5000 meter run, which he won again in1993.[34] The men's and women's indoor track and field teams were added that fall.[35]
In 1995 the Metro Conference merged with theGreat Midwest Conference to formConference USA, giving USF their third conference allegiance in school history. This year also brought the Bullswomen's soccer team to life.[36]
USF added their most famous sport in 1997, beginning to playfootball as aDivision I-AA independent.[37] Fall 1997 was also the inaugural year of the Bullssailing team, which is now USF's most successful sport with three national championships, albeit competing in theInter-Collegiate Sailing Association rather than the NCAA.[38][39]
The football team becameDivision I-A in 2001 and joined Conference USA with the rest of USF's sports in 2003, but the school left the conference to join theBig East in 2005. USF football became very notable in the Big East, reaching as high as No. 2 in theBCS rankings in 2007. In spring 2009, USF's women's basketball team won theWomen's National Invitation Tournament for the first postseason tournament victory in their history.[40] The following fall, the sailing team won the fourth team national championship in school history in theInter-Collegiate Sailing Association Sloop National Championship.[41]
The early 2010s brought lots of change to the university's athletic programs. Six new athletic facilities opened between 2011 and 2013:Corbett Soccer Stadium,USF Baseball Stadium,USF Softball Stadium, theFrank Morsani Football Practice Complex, thePam and Les Muma Basketball Practice Center, and theChowdhari Golf Center; plus extensive renovations were completed on theYuengling Center,USF Track and Field Stadium, andUSF Varsity Tennis Courts.[42][43][44] The nearly $70 million project also included construction of recreational fields for baseball, softball, soccer, and more.[42] In 2013, the new golf center became USF's firstLEED certified athletics facility.[45] The Yuengling Center was certified LEED Silver the following year.[45]
Following theBig East Conference realignment in 2013, USF found itself as a charter member of the newAmerican Athletic Conference (now known as the American Conference), where the Bulls still play today. The Bulls sailing team won their second ICSA national championship and the fifth team national championship in USF history in 2016 in theOffshore Large Boats competition and repeated as Offshore Large Boat champions in 2017.[11][12]
Also in 2017, USF launched theBulls Unlimited channel onTuneIn, becoming the second school in the country to have its own 24/7 digital radio station. The station is available for free worldwide and carries live play-by-play coverage of all games in eight different sports plus highlights, shows, and more.[46] A second channel, Bulls Unlimited 2, was launched in 2019 and mostly carries game replays, as well as live game coverage when games are happening simultaneously in two sports.[47]
In 2021, the women's basketball team won their first conference titles with both the regular season and tournament American Conference crowns and became the first team besides Connecticut to win an American Conference title in the sport.[48]
In November 2021, athletic directorMichael Kelly announced that USF would add awomen's lacrosse team beginning in the 2023–24 school year (later postponed to the 2024–25 school year), which will make it the first new sport at the school since 1997.[49] The following February, USF announced that a women's beach volleyball team would be added in 2024–25 (later postponed to 2025–26).[3] It was later announced that the beach volleyball team would play as members of Conference USA because the American Conference does not sponsor the sport.[50]
In 2023,Romaine Beckford became the first USF athlete in 30 years to win an NCAA individual national championship after winning the title in the high jump at the2023 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships.[51] In the2023 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships three months later, Beckford won the high jump national title again.[52] Also in 2023, USF's board of trustees approved funding for a new on-campus football stadium, scheduled to open for the 2027 season.[53] The stadium will seat 35,000 fans, will be located at the Sycamore Fields, and will have amenities including tailgate areas, club seating, rooftop patios, DJ zones, and a west-side student section modeled on the “U” logo.[54]
The Bulls men's basketball team won their first regular season conference title in 2024 under first year head coachAmir Abdur-Rahim.[55]
USF varsity teams have won a total of 171 conference championships and 6 national championships. The school's athletes have won an additional 230 individual conference championships, 26 relay conference championships, 19 individual national championships, and 5 relay national championships. Bulls teams also have four national runner-up finishes in the NCAA and two in the ICSA, plus numerous individual and relay national runner-up finishes.[56]
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Beach volleyball* |
| Cross country | Cross country |
| Football | Golf |
| Golf | Lacrosse |
| Soccer | Sailing |
| Tennis | Soccer |
| Track & field† | Softball |
| Tennis | |
| Track & field† | |
| Volleyball | |
| *– Indicates future teams † – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor | |
USF sponsors 20 varsity sports teams, nine for men (baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field) and eleven for women (basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, sailing, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and volleyball). Awomen's beach volleyball team will be added in spring 2026.[3]
The football team was founded in 1997 and plays its home games inRaymond James Stadium, which is also the home field of theNational Football League'sTampa Bay Buccaneers.[57]
Under head coachJim Leavitt, USF begancollege football play as a Division I-AA (nowDivision I FCS) independent for their first four seasons, finishing with a winning record three times and ranked in the AP Poll twice. During theirfinal year in Division I-AA, the Bulls beat three teams ranked in the DI-AA top 15: No. 13 James Madison, No. 6 Western Kentucky, and No. 1 Troy State; as well as Division I-A Connecticut. That team finished with a 7–4 record, with all four losses coming to Division I-A opponents.[57] They were ineligible for the Division I-AA playoffs as they were to transition to Division I-A the following year.[58]
The team grew rapidly and moved to Division I-A in2001, where they remained an independent. In2003, the Bulls moved toConference USA, but they would leave for theBig East Conference in2005. The Big East eventually became theAmerican Athletic Conference in2013 (later rebranded to American Conference) as part of themajor college football conference realignment.[57][59]
On November 16,2002, USF beat No. 25 Bowling Green State University, its first victory over a ranked Division I-A opponent. On September 24, 2005, USF surprised No. 9 Louisville for its first victory over a Big East conference foe. As a result, USF received its first ever votes in theAP Poll. South Florida received increased press coverage for their upsets of Top 25 ranked teams such as West Virginia (2006,2007,2009), Auburn (2007), Kansas (2008) and Florida State (2009).[57]
On September 16, 2007, a week after defeating Auburn, USF was nationally ranked for the first time in the young program's history. The AP Poll listed USF at No. 23, while theUSA Today Coaches Poll had the Bulls at No. 24. This was an NCAA record, as USF achieved its first Top 25 ranking faster than any other Division I-A team in the modern era with 104 weeks.[60] On October 14, 2007, after the AP, Coaches', andBCS rankings were released, the Bulls were ranked No. 2, No. 3, and No. 2 respectively, the highest ranked the football program has ever been.[61] However, the following week, the Bulls lost to Rutgers in a 30–27 upset in Piscataway, New Jersey. The Bulls finished the 2007 season 9–3 ranked No. 21 in the BCS standings, and earned a spot in theSun Bowl, which they lost to Oregon.[61]
On September 12, 2008, the Bulls defeated No. 11 ranked Kansas 37–34 at Raymond James Stadium. USF would win its next two games, getting to 5–0, and being ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll, before losing to Pittsburgh 26–21. The Bulls finished the season 7–5, which earned them a spot in the inauguralSt. Petersburg Bowl against the Memphis Tigers, where they won the first bowl game in school history 41–14.[57]
On September 26, 2009, USF defeated No. 18 Florida State 17–7 atDoak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. On October 4, 2009, the Bulls entered the AP rankings for the first time in the season, coming at No. 23 after beating Syracuse 34–20. The following week, they lost to highly favored No. 8 Cincinnati. The Bulls would finish the season 8–5 and received a bid to theInternational Bowl against the Northern Illinois Huskies. The Bulls would go on to win 27–3.[57]
Jim Leavitt was fired on January 8, 2010, after an investigation alleged that he grabbed a player by the shoulder pads and struck him twice across the face. The investigation also claimed that Leavitt interfered with the investigation by telling several coaches and players to change their stories.[62] Leavitt maintains he never struck the player, but was merely trying to console him, and after a wrongful termination suit against USF, the university eventually settled with Leavitt for $2.75 million.[63]
On January 14, 2010,Skip Holtz was hired away from East Carolina and named the team's second head coach.[64] The Bulls went 8–5 in Holtz'sfirst season, finishing it off with a 31–26Meineke Car Care Bowl victory over Clemson. USF started the2011 season on a high note, defeating No. 16 Notre Dame 23–20 atNotre Dame Stadium.[65] The Bulls reached No. 16 in the AP Poll after starting the season 4–0 but would struggle for the rest of season, finishing with a record of 5–7 and failed to qualify for a bowl game for the first time in 7 seasons. The Bulls'2012 was its worst ever at the time, as the team finished 3–9.[57]
On December 8, 2012, USF announced thatWillie Taggart, who previously coached at Western Kentucky, would be the third head coach in USF football history.[66] The Bulls struggled in Taggart's first year, posting a 2–10 record, however, the team improved slightly in hissecond year, finishing 4–8.[57] Taggart finished histhird season at USF 8–5 with a loss in theMiami Beach Bowl to Western Kentucky. In Week 5 of2016 against Cincinnati,Marlon Mack passedAndre Hall to become the leading rusher in program history.[57] Two weeks later, in a Week 7 game against UConn, Mack passedB.J. Daniels to become the program leader in rushing touchdowns.[57] During their Week 9 game against No. 22 Navy, the Bulls set a school record for rushing yards in a game, racking up 412 yards in a 52–45 victory.[57] The Bulls broke that record two weeks later in their Week 11 game against Memphis, rushing for 416 yards in a 49–42 victory.[57] Also in that game, the Bulls broke the school record for offensive touchdowns in a season (58).[57] In a Week 12 game against SMU,Quinton Flowers passedMatt Grothe to become the school leader in single season total offense.[57] The Bulls secured their first 10 win season after a 48–31 victory over UCF in Week 13.[57] During that game, Quinton Flowers set the school record for single season rushing yards (1,425), passing the mark Marlon Mack set in 2015.[57] On November 30, 2016, Quniton Flowers was named theAmerican Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, which is the first such award in school history.[67] The Bulls ended their season with a 46–39 overtime victory over South Carolina in theBirmingham Bowl on December 29, 2016.[68] On January 12, 2017, Quinton Flowers was named the 2017 College Football Performance Awards National Performer of the Year.[69] Taggart left after the season to become the coach at Oregon.[70]
USF hired former Texas head coachCharlie Strong as their new head coach on December 11, 2016.[71] The2017 Bulls earned their second straight 10 win season after beating Texas Tech in the Birmingham Bowl.[57] The Bulls started2018 with a 7–0 record, but did not win another game and finished 7–6.[57] Strong was fired after the2019 campaign, finishing 4–8.[72]
The Bulls hired former Clemson offensive coordinatorJeff Scott as their new head coach on December 9, 2019. Scott won twoCollege Football Playoff National Championships with Clemson.[73] Hisfirst season, shortened by theCOVID-19 pandemic, was the worst in program history, finishing with a 1–8 record. Scott was fired in 2022 with three games remaining in the season after compiling a total record of 4–26.[74] Special teams coachDaniel Da Prato was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[74] The Bulls lost their three remaining games, but played with notable improvements.[75]
Tennessee offensive coordinatorAlex Golesh, aBroyles Award finalist, was hired as USF's sixth football head coach on December 4, 2022.[76] During hisfirst season, freshman quarterbackByrum Brown broke Quinton Flowers' single-season passing record to become the first USF quarterback to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season.[77] That year, the Bulls qualified for their first bowl game since 2018 and faced former Big East rival Syracuse in theBoca Raton Bowl.[78] They won the game 45–0, the largest shutout in college bowl history and USF's first bowl win since 2017.[79]
On December 5, 2023, USF released renderings for a new on-campus football stadium, which is expected to open in 2027.[80] The stadium will be built on the east side of campus near the current track and field stadium and will seat 35,000 fans, with room to expand the capacity to over 50,000.[81]
Some notable former USF football players areGeorge Selvie,Jason Pierre-Paul,Marquez Valdes-Scantling, andMarlon Mack.[57]
The birth of the basketball program at the University of South Florida was in 1971. The first game was a 74–73 victory at Stetson University. The Bulls inaugural season ended with a record of 8–17. Since 1980, home games have been played at what is now theYuengling Center. The Bulls have made theNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament three times and theNIT nine times. The team has won one regular season conference title and one conference tournament.[55][82] They are coached byBen Fletcher, who took over as interim head coach on October 29, 2024 after former head coachAmir Abdur-Rahim unexpectedly died.[83] Abdur-Rahim led the Bulls to the best season in team history in2023–24 with a 25–8 record.[84]
The Bulls won their first postseason tournament in the2019College Basketball Invitational.[85]
Notable men's basketball players who went to USF includeChucky Atkins andDominique Jones.[86]
The women's basketball team was founded in 1972. The current head coach isJose Fernandez. Fernandez arrived in Tampa in April 2000, as a women's basketball assistant coach and was officially named head coach on December 14, 2000. Under his lead, USF advanced to the program'sfirst ever NCAA tournament during the 2005–06 season, and to 10 postseason tournaments in 11 years after the Bulls had recorded just five winning seasons in the 28-year history of the team before Fernandez became head coach.[18]
Fernandez has also guided USF to nine 20-win campaigns in his career with the Bulls. On April 4,2009, Fernandez led the team to their first ever post season championship with a 75–71 win over the Kansas Jayhawks in theWNIT.[87] Fernandez also coached USF's firstNCAA women's basketball tournament game, beating Texas Tech in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.[18] The Bulls have made the NCAA Tournament ten times and theWomen's National Invitation Tournament nine times in their history.[18] They have won four conference championships, two in the regular season and two in the American Conference Tournament.[88][89]
Notable former USF women's basketball players includeCourtney Williams andWanda Guyton.[18] Former BullBethy Mununga competed in the2024 Summer Olympics for Belgium.[13]
The head baseball coach isMitch Hannahs. The team plays atUSF Baseball Stadium at Red McEwen Field on the Tampa campus.[90]
The program has won eleven combined regular season and tournament conference titles and made 14 NCAA Tournaments.[91] USF has produced manyMLB players and managers includingNational Baseball Hall of Fame memberTony La Russa.[92] Pitchers have thrown one perfect game and three no hitters in school history.[93] 137 USF players have been selected in theMLB Draft as of 2022, including five first round picks.[90]
Some notable USF baseball alumni includeShane McClanahan,Tim Hulett, andDan Otero.[94]
The Bulls men's cross country team began in 1965 and has won seven team conference championships and nine individual conference championships.[95] They have qualified for theNCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship four times. The cross country and track and field programs are directed by Erik Jenkins; the men's cross country team is coached by Tony Nicolosi along with the women's team and the distance running events for the men's and women's track & field teams.[96]
South Florida's women's cross country was founded in 1987 and has won five conference titles, back to back NCAA South Regional championships in 1999 and 2000, and one individual conference championship. They have qualified for theNCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship five times.[97]
The men's golf coach is Steve Bradley. The team was founded in 1966 and finished as the NCAA College Division runners-up in 1972 and 1973. The Bulls have won 18 conference championships, including 11 straight from 1979 to 1989 as members of the Sun Belt Conference.[98] Team members have also won 13 individual conference championships.[99][100] The 2015 team finished fifth in the NCAA Championship.[101]
The women's golf coach is Erika Brennan, who was hired in 2018.[102]
They have won 6 conference championships and a Florida women's golf state title.[102] Their highest finish in the NCAA Championship is fourth, achieved in 1991.[103] Team members have won three individual conference championships.[104][105]
The women's lacrosse team is scheduled to become the first sport added at USF since 1997 when it begins play in spring 2025.[106] The team was originally scheduled to begin in spring 2024, but was postponed.[107] They will play home games atCorbett Stadium, the current home of the Bulls soccer teams, but have plans to move to the on-campus football stadium when it opens in 2027.[49]
The team is coached by Mindy McCord.[108]
The Bulls women's sailing program is a nationally recognized team and is USF's most successful sport by number of national championships won. Since 2004 the team has been coached byAllison Jolly, gold medalist in the first Olympic women's sailing event at the1988 Summer Olympics inSeoul.[109] As sailing is not an American Conference or NCAA sanctioned sport, USF is a member of theSouth Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association within theInter-Collegiate Sailing Association.[110]
The varsity sailing team was formed in 1997 after being a popular club team for USF St. Petersburg students for many years before that.[38][39][111] The team uses a waterfront facility on Bayboro Harbor on theUniversity of South Florida's St. Petersburg campus called theHaney Landing Sailing Center. It is the only varsity sport based on USF's St. Petersburg campus.[112]
The USF sailing team won theInter-Collegiate Sailing Association Sloop National Championship in 2009 and back to backICSA Offshore Large Boats National Championships in 2016 and 2017.[10][12] They were National Runners Up at the ICSASinglehanded National Championships in 2009 and 2011.[113][114] The Bulls represented the United States in the 2017 and 2018Student Yachting World Cups.[11][115] They have also won 13 SAISA conference championships.[56][116]
One USF sailor,Paige Railey, has competed in theOlympics, representing theUnited States in2012,2016, and2020.[117][118]
Men's soccer was the first NCAA sport ever played at USF, beginning in 1965. The Bulls won the NCAA College Division state championship in 1966 going undefeated at 10–0–1. In 1976, the team won the first conference championship in school history across all sports by winning the regular season Sun Belt title, which they followed up by winning the inaugural Sun Belt Conference tournament too.[14]
The Bulls have made the NCAA Tournament 23 times (including the Elite Eight three of those times) and have won 27 total conference championships (13 regular season and 14 tournament), the most of any program at USF.[19]
Notable USF men's soccer alumni includeRoy Wegerle,Jeff Cunningham, andMark Chung.[19]
The Bulls women's soccer team was founded in 1995. The team is led by coach Chris Brown, who is the third head coach in the program's history. He joined the program as the team's associate head coach in December 2006 and was named head coach following the 2023 season after his wife and longtime head coach Denise Schilte-Brown left the team to become coach ofTampa Bay Sun FC.[119] He previously coached at VCU. The women's soccer team has made seven appearances in the NCAA Tournament, and have won seven combined regular season and tournament conference championships, including during an undefeated regular season and conference tournament run in2020.[36] They most recently won a regular season conference title in 2021.[120]
Notable former USF women's soccer players includeChristiane Endler andÉvelyne Viens.[36] Six USF women's soccer players have competed in the Olympics.[13]
The Bulls softball team began NCAA play in 1985. The team has won nine total regular season and tournament conference championships and reached 18 NCAA Tournaments. Additionally, the team has made one NCAAWomen's College World Series (2012).[121]
Ken Eriksen, who played baseball for USF from 1981 to 1984, has been the head coach of the team since 1996 and is the winningest coach across all sports in USF history. He became the first coach at USF to reach 1,000 wins in any sport after pitcherGeorgina Corrick's no hitter on April 30, 2021.[122] Eriksen also managed theUnited States women's national softball team from 2011 to 2022.[123]
Prior to 1985, Bulls softball played in theAssociation for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, which disbanded in 1982; and theAmerican Softball Association, which sanctioned college softball after the collapse of the AIAW until the NCAA started sponsoring the sport in 1985.[124] They made the AIAW Women's College World Series in 1976 and 1981 and won the ASA National Championship in1983 and 1984.[125] They have won eight combined regular season and tournament conference championships.[126]
USF pitchers have thrown five perfect games and 27 no hitters as of the end of the 2022 season.[121] In 2022, Georgina Corrick became the firstpitching triple crown winner in NCAA softball history, leading the nation in wins, strikeouts, and ERA.[127]
The men's head coach isAshley Fisher, who was hired after the 2016 season. The Bulls men's tennis team has won 20 conference championships, the second-most of any USF team. They have also qualified for 18 NCAA tournaments, advancing to the Round of 16 for their best ever finish in 2015.[128]
The women's tennis team is coached byCristina Moros. They have won 13 conference titles and made 12 NCAA tournaments as well as fourUnited States Lawn Tennis Association tournaments (where they finished third in 1970 and 1971) and threeAIAW tournaments.[22][129]
USF men's track & field team has won two indoor conference titles and two outdoor conference titles; its athletes have won four individual national championships (one indoor and three outdoor) and one outdoor relay national championship, plus 37 individual indoor, 5 relay indoor, 65 individual outdoor and 7 relay outdoor conference championships.[130] They, along with the women's team, are coached by Abigi Id-Deen (sprinting and field events) and Tony Nicolosi (distance events). The program as a whole, along with the cross country teams, is directed by Erik Jenkins.[96]
Team members have also won four individual national championships and one relay national championship. Jon Dennis won the national title in the1992 and1993 outdoor 5,000-meter run and Romaine Beckford won the national title in the2023 indoor and2023 outdoor high jump.[34][51][52] The men's 4x400m team won the relay title at the2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[8]
The USF men's track & field program has produced three Olympians:Llewelyn Bredwood ofJamaica in2000,Kemel Thompson of Jamaica in2000 and2004, andAbdul-Rasheed Saminu ofGhana in2024.[117]
The Bulls women's track & field team has won three indoor and three outdoor conference championships, along with producing 43 individual indoor, 4 relay indoor, 59 individual outdoor and 10 relay outdoor conference champions.[131]
The USF women's track & field team has produced four Olympians:Damu Cherry of theUnited States in2008,Dayana Octavien ofHaiti in 2008,Sasha Springer-Jones ofTrinidad and Tobago in 2008, andZahira Allers-Liburd ofSaint Kitts and Nevis in2024.[117][132]
The women's volleyball team was founded in 1972. The Bulls have made the NCAA Tournament seven times and won 19 combined conference regular season and tournament championships, the most of any USF women's teams.[133]
Former USF volleyball player Jolene Shepardson is the current head coach.[134]
On November 10, 2021, USF athletic directorMichael Kelly announced that two new women's varsity sports would be created in the coming years. The sports were later revealed to be women's lacrosse (set to begin during the 2024–25 school year) and women's beach volleyball (set to begin during the 2025–26 school year).[49][3]
The women's beach volleyball team was originally scheduled to begin play in spring 2025.[135] However, the starting year was later pushed back to spring 2026.[136] They will play on campus with a new facility planned to be built on the north side of theYuengling Center.[137] Because beach volleyball is not sanctioned by the American Conference, the team will play as members of Conference USA.[50] Pri Piantadosi-Lima will be the team's first head coach.[138]
Men's swimming and diving was one of the original sports at USF in 1965. Joe Lewkowicz of the team won the first individual national title in school history with the 1969 200-yard butterfly event. The 12 time All-American also won the 1972 400-yard medley relay national championship with other members of the team.[20] The program as a whole won six individual national titles and one relay national title during its existence, and finished as national runners up in 1971.[5][139]
The women's swimming and diving team was founded in 1972. USF's only team NCAA national championship came in women's swimming and diving in 1985.[30] The 1984–85 team alone won five individual national titles, two relay national titles, and racked up 35 All-American honors.[30] All 10 members of the team as well as the coaching staff were inducted into theUSF Athletic Hall of Fame's inaugural class in 2009. During its existence, members of the team won an additional two individual and one relay national championship and the team earned a third-place finish at the 1984 NCAA Championship.[4]
Financial difficulties, along with the sport not being sponsored by theSun Belt Conference, led to both the men's and women's teams being cut after the 1986–87 season.[140]
The co-ed rifle team only existed from 1985 to 1990 and competed in fourNCAA Rifle Championships. In spite of this, the team did extremely well each time, finishing fifth in the1986 NCAA Championship, third in the1987 and1988 NCAA Championships and second in the1989 NCAA Championship.[141][32] They also won theNRA Smallbore Intercollegiate Sectionals in 1987.[142]
USF Hall of Fame inductee Michelle Scarborough won two individual national titles with the Bulls rifle team, winning championships in the 1989 air rifle event and the 1990 smallbore event (smallbore is considered the more prestigious of the two events in collegeriflery).[143] Rifle is one of the only NCAA sponsored sports where men and women directly compete against each other, meaning that Scarborough was not only the best woman at these events, but shot better than all the men as well.[144] Scarborough scored a record 399/400 in her 1989 air rifle championship, which stood as the highest score in the event until the format changed from 40 shots to 60 shots in 2005.[145][146]
Three Bulls shooters have competed in the Olympics.Dorothee Deuring representedAustria in1988,Kristen Peterson represented theUnited States in1988 and1992, andPeter Durben represented theUnited States in1992.[117][147] Other athletes competed internationally as well. Most notably, Michelle Scarborough won three team gold and an individual bronze medal at the1991 Pan American Games and Matthew Suggs won a team gold and individual silver medal at the 1987ISSF 10 meter air rifle world championship.[117][148]
USF's rifle program was short lived. Michelle Scarborough was the only representative of the university in the1990 NCAA Rifle Championship and was the last to do so, as the team was discontinued after that season.[32]
One USF team has won an NCAA national championship.[4]
Nine Bulls have combined to win 19 individual national championships across five sports.[7]
A combined five relay teams from three different sports have won national championships for USF.[7]
These are the 19 individual and five relay NCAA titles won by USF athletes.
| Sport | Year | Athlete or relay team | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's swimming and diving[5] | 1969 | Joe Lewkowicz | 200-yard butterfly |
| 1971 | Rick Morehead | 100-yard breaststroke | |
| 1971 | Rick Morehead | 200-yard breaststroke | |
| 1971 | Rick Morehead | 200-yard individualmedley | |
| 1972 | Rick Morehead | 200-yard breaststroke | |
| 1972 | Rick Morehead | 200-yard individual medley | |
| 1972 | John Stevens, Rick Morehead, Joe Lewkowicz, Mike Sheffield | 400-yard medley relay | |
| Women's swimming and diving[4] | 1983 | Theresa Day | 200-yard individual medley |
| 1984 | Alicia McHugh | 100-yard freestyle | |
| 1984 | Nancy Bercaw, Merit Greaves, Margaret Mortell, Alicia McHugh | 400-yard freestyle relay | |
| 1985 | Alicia McHugh | 100-yard freestyle | |
| 1985 | Dawn Hewitt | 100-yard backstroke | |
| 1985 | Dawn Hewitt | 200-yard backstroke | |
| 1985 | Suzanne Crenshaw | 500-yard freestyle | |
| 1985 | Suzanne Crenshaw | 1,650-yard freestyle | |
| 1985 | Dawn Hewitt, Merit Greaves, Margaret Mortell, Nancy Bercaw | 200-yard medley relay | |
| 1985 | Dawn Hewitt, Nancy Bercaw, Margaret Mortell, Alicia McHugh | 400-yard medley relay | |
| Rifle[32] | 1989 | Michelle Scarborough | Air rifle |
| 1990 | Michelle Scarborough | Smallbore | |
| Men's outdoor track and field[34] | 1992 | Jon Dennis | 5,000-meter run |
| 1993 | Jon Dennis | 5,000-meter run | |
| 2023 | Romaine Beckford | High jump | |
| 2025 | Devontie Archer,Alexavier Monfries,Corey OtteyGabriel Moronta | 4x400-meter relay | |
| Men's indoor track and field[51] | 2023 | Romaine Beckford | High jump |
This section lists national championships won by varsity USF teams outside the scope of NCAA competition. Club teams are not included in this list.
| Year | Sport | Competition | League |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Softball[125] | – | American Softball Association |
| 1984 | Softball[125] | – | American Softball Association |
| 2009 | Sailing[10] | Sloop | Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association |
| 2016 | Sailing[11] | Offshore Large Boats | Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association |
| 2017 | Sailing[12] | Offshore Large Boats | Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association |
USF has won 171 team conference championships. 36 of these championships have come as members of the American Conference (noted byitalics). RS indicates regular season conference titles while T indicates conference tournament titles, where applicable.
Bulls athletes have combined to win 230 individual conference championships.
26 relay teams from USF have won conference championships.
USF has won nine all-sport conference titles as a program, however theSun Belt Conference is the only conference USF has competed in to offer such a competition while USF was a member (1976–77 until 1990–91). The Bulls won theSun Belt Cup in the following seasons: 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, and 1989–90.[25]
TheUniversity of South Florida Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 2009 to recognize and perpetuate the memory of student athletes, teams, coaches and administrators who have made demonstrably outstanding and significant contributions to the success, tradition and heritage of USF Athletics, and who demonstrate the character and values that define the highest principles of sport. Induction in the University of South Florida Athletic Hall of Fame is the highest honor afforded by the USF Athletic Department.[6]
Athletic DirectorMark Harlan refused to induct new members into the Hall of Fame during his tenure from 2014 to 2018, butMichael Kelly reinstated the Hall in 2019 after taking over as AD. As of the 2024 class, the Hall features 50 members including athletic directorsDick Bowers andLee Roy Selmon, coachBobby Paschal, and athletesCharlie Bradley,George Selvie, andCourtney Williams.[6]
The Hall of Fame is located within theLee Roy Selmon Athletics Center on USF's Tampa campus.[6]
20 USF alumni have participated as athletes in theOlympic Games, representing 13 countries in 9 sports. 19 of these athletes competed in theSummer Olympics and one competed in theWinter Olympics. Every Summer Olympics since 1988 besides 1996 have featured at least one Bull.[117][150]
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Dorothee Deuring – Women's shooting,1988[147]
Kristen Peterson – Women's shooting,1988,1992[117]Peter Durben – Men's shooting,1992[117]
Llewelyn Bredwood – Men's track and field,[a]2000[117]Kemel Thompson – Men's track and field,[b]2000,2004[117]
Siri Nordby – Women's soccer,2008[151]Damu Cherry – Women's track and field,[c]2008[117]
Dayana Octavien – Women's track and field,[d]2008[132]
Sasha Springer-Jones – Women's track and field,[e]2008[117]Amanda Evora – Women's figure skating,[f]2010[117]Paige Railey – Women's sailing,2012,2016,2020[153]
Olivia Chance – Women's soccer,2020[154]
Christiane Endler – Women's soccer,2020[154]
Demi Stokes – Women's soccer,2020[154]
Évelyne Viens – Women's soccer,2020,2024[155]
Zahira Allers-Liburd – Women's track and field,[g]2024[156]Romaine Beckford – Men's track and field,[h]2024[157]Katie Kitching – Women's soccer,2024[156]
Bethy Mununga – Women's basketball,2024[156]
Abdul-Rasheed Saminu – Men's track and field,[i]2024[156]In 2020, Évelyne Viens became the first USF alum to win anOlympic medal as an athlete in any sport whenCanada's women's soccer team won gold. However, multiple USF alumni coached medal winning teams and individuals in the Olympics prior to this, includingKen Eriksen andEd Baird.
USF's main rival is theUniversity of Central FloridaKnights, who are located 98 miles northeast in unincorporated Orange County nearOrlando.[158] The first meeting between the rivals was a men's basketball game in 1972, where the South Florida Golden Brahmans beat the Florida Tech Knights of the Pegasus 115–96.[159] The close geographic proximity and the schools being founded around the same time (South Florida in 1956 and Central Florida in 1963) made the two naturally become rivals. The Bulls and Knights became conference foes for the first time in 2013, when UCF joined the American Athletic Conference. The rivalry gets its name fromInterstate 4, which runs through both Tampa and Orlando.[160]
The rivalry was officially recognized by both USF and UCF on September 21, 2016, when they announced an official trophy series between all 14 sports that both schools sponsor.[161] Each sport is worth six total points, and sports where the teams meet head to head multiple times in the regular season will have the six points divided by the number of games played for a total of 84 possible points with 43 points needed to clinch the trophy. In the event of a tie in the overall competition, the athletic program that scores higher in the annual NCAA Graduation Success Rate will be awarded one extra point and crowned as the champion for that season. In the unlikely event that this is also tied, the series ends as a tie for that season and the previous winner retains the trophy.[162] The competition was put on hold after UCF left the American Athletic Conference in 2023.[163]
The winner each year took possession of a large trophy shaped like anInterstate road sign, which will be displayed on their campus for the following year. One side of the trophy reads "Tampa" and features the USF logo while the other reads "Orlando" and features the UCF logo. The winner of the annual Thanksgiving weekend football clash received a similarly shaped "War On I-4" trophy.[162]
USF also has a men's soccer derby with the crosstownNCAA Division II memberUniversity of TampaSpartans. The rivalry (known as theMayor's Cup before 2005) is named after theoriginal Tampa Bay Rowdies who were the first professional sports franchise in Tampa. The winner of the annual exhibition match receives the trophy the now defunct Rowdies won inSoccer Bowl '75. The Bulls lead the all-time series26–11–3.[164]
The Bulls and Spartans also play occasional exhibition games in other sports, particularly baseball and men's basketball, but not on a regular basis like with men's soccer.[86]
USF has had several rivals in the past that it no longer plays often. As members of the Sun Belt Conference from 1976 to 1991 their main rivals were Jacksonville and South Alabama and they had a lesser rivalry with Charlotte which continued when both schools joined the Metro Conference in 1991 and Conference USA in 1995. During their time in the Big East, the Bulls had minor rivalries with Louisville, Cincinnati, and West Virginia.[165]
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Since 1995, the university has shined green lights as opposed to the usual white lights on its iconic water tower the night following a victory by any of the Bulls sports teams to let the campus and surrounding area know of the win.[166] The school also lights the water tower green for special events like homecoming week and commencement ceremonies.[167]
USF's fight song is theGolden Brahman March, named after the original mascot. USF is somewhat unique among colleges in that it has both a fight song and a victory song,March Victorious. The Golden Brahman March is played at the end of every Bulls home game along withUSF's Alma Mater, but March Victorious is only played at the end of games that USF wins.[168]
USF's hand sign is "Horns Up", similar to Texas's "Hook 'em Horns". The signal is used as good luck during field goals, extra points, free throws, and as general school spirit.[15]
The student sections for Bulls home games are known as the So Flo Rodeo. The first few rows of the student section for football and some men's and women's basketball games are reserved for the most passionate students, the Beef Studs, who paint their bodies green and gold for the games.[57]
A newer tradition for USF teams is the addition of "Slime Green" alternate jerseys for games against rival Central Florida, which utilize a much brighter neon green and yellow compared to the Bulls usual dark green and gold. This tradition began with a men's basketball game in 2020 and has since spread to all other sports in theWar on I-4.[169]
In 2017, USF became the second university in the nation to have its own 24-hour digital radio station after launching theBulls Unlimited channel onTuneIn.[46] Bulls Unlimited and its sister station Bulls Unlimited 2 carry live game coverage of most sports, highlights, shows, and historical game replays and are available for free worldwide.[46]
Under the current American Conference TV deal beginning in 2019, all home games and in-conference away games in baseball, men's and women's basketball, football, lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, and volleyball are shown on one of the variousESPN networks or streamed live onESPN+.[170] Beach volleyball games are also available on ESPN+ through Conference USA's media rights deal.[171] Football, men's basketball, and some women's basketball radio broadcasts can be heard in theTampa Bay area andSouthwest Florida on flagship stationWRBQ 104.7 FM.[172] Additionally, Spanish-language radio broadcasts for football games can be heard onWYUU 106.9 FM.[172] These radio broadcasts are also available on Bulls Unlimited worldwide.[46]
USF receives about $7 million annually through the conference TV deal, which runs until the 2031–32 season.[170]
TheUSF Athletic District is the home for every USF varsity sport besides sailing and is located on the east side of campus, primarily along Bull Run Drive and Genshaft Drive.[42] The district includes theLee Roy Selmon Athletic Center (the athletic department's headquarters),Corbett Stadium (lacrosse and soccer), theFrank Morsani Football Practice Complex, thePam & Les Muma Basketball Practice Center, theYuengling Center (basketball),The Claw (golf), theUSF Baseball Stadium, theUSF Softball Stadium, theUSF Track and Field Stadium,The Corral (volleyball), and theUSF Varsity Tennis Courts.[42]
Opened in 2004, theLee Roy Selmon Athletic Center is the main hub for USF Athletics.[173] In 2012, the facility was dedicated to the lateLee Roy Selmon, aPro Football Hall of Fame member and former director of USF athletics.[174] Selmon is considered by many to be the "Father of USF Football".[174] The 104,000 square foot facility houses all USF sports teams except for men's and women's basketball, sailing, and volleyball.[173] The building features a large strength and conditioning center, a sports medicine clinic, the USF Athletic Hall of Fame, and an Academic Enrichment Center complete with a computer study lab, a library, study lounges, and academic counseling.[173]
Formerly known as the USF Sun Dome, theYuengling Center on the Tampa campus is the home facility of the men's and women's basketball teams and the women's volleyball team. The first event held in the facility was a basketball game in 1980.[175] Since the opening of the arena, it has been the site for USF commencement ceremonies, orientation sessions, and other major university and community events.[176][177] The venue is also one of the top concert spots in the Tampa Bay region, having hosted musicians likeElton John,Florence and the Machine,Frank Sinatra,Heart,Sting, and more.[178] The arena becameLEED Silver certified in 2014.[45]
The USF football team plays atRaymond James Stadium, home to theNFL'sTampa Bay Buccaneers. USF is one of only five FBS teams to play their home games in a current NFL stadium (the others being Miami, Temple, Pitt, and UNLV). Raymond James Stadium is located 13 miles away from the Tampa campus. The stadium has a capacity of more than 75,000 fans including a 12,000 seat student section in the north end zone, making it the largest stadium and largest student section in the American Conference when at full capacity, but seating for most games is limited to the 100 and 200 levels which brings the capacity down to around 45,000.[179]
On April 29, 2025, the University of South Florida Board of Trustees approved an updated stadium budget totaling $348.5 million, revising earlier plans in order to include enhancements such as expanded academic spaces, locker room upgrades, and future expansion readiness. Groundbreaking for USF’s first on-campus football stadium took place in late 2023, with new clearance efforts initiating in May 2025. The facility is slated to host its first games in fall 2027.[180]
TheHerd of Thunder, often called HOT or the Pride of the Bay, is the marching band of the South Florida Bulls. It was founded in 1998 and first performed in 1999, two years after USF fielded its first football team.[181] The pep band, Rumble, has existed since the 1970s and plays at all men's and women's basketball games plus some soccer and volleyball games.
The Herd of Thunder's Winter Guard consistently places in the top of the annualWinter Guard International World Championships, taking home the silver medal in the Independent Open category in 2012 and the bronze medal in the Independent A category in 2006.[182]
USF's mascot isRocky the Bull (also spelled Rocky D. Bull), an anthropomorphic bull who dresses in USF gear.[183] Rocky is seen at every USF home game and meet for all sports and wears the jersey of whatever sport is being played.
Rocky won theCapital One Mascot Challenge in 2013, being voted as the best college mascot in the country.[184] The win earned USF $20,000 toward the mascot program.[184]
The USF cheerleading program consists of two teams: a competitive co-ed team and a competitive all-girl squad, which compete at the Universal Cheerleaders Association College Nationals and perform at USF sporting events.[185][186] Both the all-girl squad and co-ed team continually rank among the top competitive college squads in the nation. The co-ed team won three consecutiveUCA Division I-A national championships in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and gameday in 2025.[187][188][185] The all-girl squad won the national championship for the gameday event in 2023 and 2024, the Division I-A title in 2024, the 2025 USA Grand Championship, and the 2025 All-Girl World Cup.[189][190][191] USF is one of only three schools which have won Division I-A championships in both the co-ed and all-girl categories and the only school to win all-girl championships for gameday and traditional in the same year.[192]
The USF Sun Dolls are an all-girl dance team that perform at all home USF football and basketball games, in addition to competing in the annualUniversal Dance Association College Nationals.[193]
USF offers over 40 different club sports to students, which compete against club teams from other universities.[194][195] With the exception of the all-girl and co-ed cheerleading squads, all club sports are funded through USF's Student Government Association rather than the athletic department. Some of the most notable club sports include:
USF'sTwenty20 cricket club team immediately found great success after being established in 2009.[196] Between their inaugural year and 2016, the Bulls made sevenAmerican College Cricket semifinals and five national championship games, capped off by winning national championships in 2014 and 2016.[197][198] The Bulls returned to the ACC semifinals in 2017 and 2018 as well.[199] Beginning in 2019, they moved from American College Cricket to the National Collegiate Cricket Association.[200]
USF has both a Men's and Women's Flag Football Club, both of which compete in theNational Intramural and Recreational Sports Association. The men's team won the NIRSA National Championship in 1994 and 2001.[201]
The Ice Bulls club team were founded in 1989 and play in theSouthern Collegiate Hockey Conference of the College Hockey Federation. They have made Nationals of their previous league, theAmerican Collegiate Hockey Association, five times, and most recently won the SCHC championship in 2020 to qualify for Nationals for a sixth time, but the ACHA canceled the National Tournament due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[202][203] The Ice Bulls play their home games at AdventHealth Center Ice inWesley Chapel, Florida and all home games are free to the public.[204]
The USF co-ed karate club team competes in the National Collegiate Karate Association. They won NCKA National Championships in 1994 and 1995.[205]
USF offers lacrosse teams for both men and women. The men's team was originally founded in 1971 and re-founded in 2000 after being defunct for most of the 1990s. The early teams were poorly equipped until coach Bronson Thayer convinced New York Yankees owner and Tampa residentGeorge Steinbrenner to help fund the team.[206] The team has won three state championships: 1978 (after a perfect season), 1984, and 1989. Today the team plays in theSouthEastern Lacrosse Conference in theMen's Collegiate Lacrosse Association.[207]
The women's lacrosse team competes in the Southeastern Women's Lacrosse League.[208]
Paintball is one of the most popular club teams at USF. They compete as a co-ed team in the National Collegiate Paintball Association. They have won twoNCPA national championships: 2017 and 2018.[209]
The USF men's rugby club was founded in 1969. USF playsrugby in the South Independent Conference against local rivals such as Central Florida and Florida State. The Bulls were the USA Rugby South champions and national semifinalists in 2009 and 2011, respectively.[210]
USF also has a women's rugby club, which was established in 1992 and plays in theFlorida Rugby Union.[211]
The co-ed USF Wakeboarding Club competes in the American Wakeboard Association, a division ofUSA Water Ski. They won the 2011 AWA National Championship.[212]
Non-varsity club teams, which are not sponsored by the USF Athletic Department (other than the cheer team), have won 17 national championships and one world championship.
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