Happy New Year from Michael Kelly

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To Our USF Family & Tampa Bay Community,

The new year is upon us, but before we ring in 2025, I want to take a moment to reflect on an extraordinary year for USF Athletics. Together, we experienced championships, historic success in the classroom, and the beginning of a bold, new era for our university.  

Last week, we wrapped up our fall sports season when our football team brought home a thrilling five-overtime win over San Jose State in the Hawai'i Bowl! This secured back-to-back bowl wins for the Bulls and continues our strong momentum at USF Athletics.

It was also a special game for senior wide receiver Sean Atkins, a former walk-on player who etched himself into USF football history during the win. He became USF's all-time leading receiver with 2,167 yards.  

Beyond the gridiron, 2024 has been filled with championship moments and historic milestones.

• Men's basketball captured their first-ever American Athletic Conference regular season conference title.
• Men's track and field swept both indoor and outdoor American championships.
• Men's golf captured the program's sixth American conference championship.
• Volleyball won their first-ever regular-season American title and their first conference title since 2002.
• All Girl Cheer won a pair of national titles during the Universal Cheerleading Association (UCA) College Nationals.
• Volleyball, softball, men's basketball, and women's basketball won games against top-10 opponents.

On the same day we broke ground on our on-campus stadium, we also celebrated the induction of the 2024 USF Athletics Hall of Fame class, honoring those who laid the foundation for our rich tradition of excellence. Eddie Cardieri (baseball coach, 1986-2006), Jeff Cunningham (men's soccer, 1994-1997), Matt Grothe (football, 2004-2009), and Chase Koepka (men's golf, 2012-2016) were honored during a dinner celebration in front of family and friends in November. 

Their achievements inspire us as we continue to build for the future, including the highly anticipated construction of our new $340 million on-campus stadium. This transformative project is a landmark for USF Athletics and a beacon of pride for the entire Bulls family.

Our success extends far beyond competition. Our student-athletes continue to excel academically in the classroom, maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher for 20 consecutive semesters. They also posted record numbers in the latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) report. USF Athletics achieved a record average percentage of graduates, including five teams with a 100-percent GSR. Their commitment to excellence in academics and athletics reflects the core values of our university.

As we look ahead to 2025, I encourage you to support our spring sports. We are excited for our women's lacrosse team to make its debut on Feb. 7 under the Friday night lights against Kennesaw State.

Tickets for lacrosse, baseball, and softball are now available, and we can't wait to see you and Bulls fans packing the stands to cheer on our teams! We currently offer an early bird deal for lacrosse home games and a double-play pass for baseball and softball home games. Those prices go up in the new year, so I hope you will take advantage of this great opportunity now to see the Bulls play at home.

Starting tomorrow, Dec. 31, our men's basketball team will open conference play against East Carolina at the Yuengling Center at 3 p.m. On Jan. 1, our women's basketball team hosts Charlotte at 7 p.m. I invite you to end 2024 and start 2025 with the Bulls during this exciting time!

Your energy and passion drive everything we accomplish together, including our recent nod as one of Front Office Sports' "Best College Athletic Departments." Thank you for being an integral part of our journey.  

On behalf of my family and everyone in USF Athletics, I wish you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a new year filled with happiness, health, and continued success.   With Bull Pride,Michael Kelly Vice President for Athletics University of South Florida