Fifth Annual USF Football Kickoff Luncheon Announces Sellout

Head Coach Alex Golesh, 2024 USF football team highlight Aug. 22 event at Armature Works

TAMPA, AUG. 20, 2024 – Anticipation for the 2024 USF Football Season presented by Tampa General Hospital continues to swell as the Fifth Annual USF Football Kickoff Luncheon has sold out with a crowd of more than 600 expected for the Thursday (Aug. 22) event at Armature Works (1910 N. Ola Ave.) in downtown Tampa on Thursday, Aug. 22.

The kickoff event, which began in 2019 and has been held every non-COVID year since, will welcome its largest crowd ever as it returns to The Gathering space at Armature Works, a 10,000-square foot venue featuring two 9′ X 16′ LED video walls. The luncheon runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

South Florida Football Head Coach Alex Golesh and the entire 2024 USF football team will officially welcome fans to a 2024 season packed with excitement and high expectations for a Bulls team that has seen players named to nine national award watch lists, including quarterback Byrum Brown named to a program record-tying five.

“There is no better time to run with the Bulls,” Vice President for Athletics Michael Kelly said. “We have tremendous momentum coming off Coach Golesh’s first season. The 2024 campaign is going to be exciting as we host Miami and big conference clashes with Memphis and Navy among our six home dates in Raymond James Stadium, and look forward to a rematch with Alabama in Tuscaloosa. We are on track to open a beautiful on-campus stadium and football operations center in 2027, and the enthusiasm and excitement of Bulls fans is palpable. We look forward to seeing Bulls Nation at the Kickoff Luncheon.”

The event will once again be hosted by former Bull and Green Bay Packer linebacker Sam Barrington (2009-12) who will conduct a season preview conversation with Golesh. Coming off the biggest turnaround in program history and a 45-0 rout of Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl, the Bulls were picked fourth in the AAC Preseason Media Poll.

Fans will also hear from USF President Rhea Law, Vice President for Athletics Michael Kelly , and current Bulls Mike Lofton and Jason Vaughn . Fans will be seated with players and have the opportunity to meet the 2024 team, preview the teams 2024 stadium run out video, enjoy photo opportunities with Rocky the Bull and USF spirit squads and rally to performances by the USF Herd of Thunder Band.

USF returns 19 starters in 2024 (nine on offense, eight on defense, and two specialists) from a team that set 12 team and 16 individual program records while going 7-6. The Bulls return record-setting starting quarterback Brown, 85 percent of their rushing yards, 84 percent of their receiving yards and four primary starters on the offensive line. On defense, USF returns nine of its top 11 tacklers led by Shuler, who logged a team-best 97 stops to go with 8.5 tackles for loss in 2023.

USF opens the season on Saturday, Aug. 31 in Raymond James Stadium when the Bulls take on Bethune-Cookman in a 7:00 p.m. kick on ESPN+. The Bulls also have non-conference dates at Alabama (Sept. 7/7 pm/ESPN), at Southern Miss (Sept. 14/7 pm/ESPN+) and vs. Miami (Sept. 21).

New season tickets for the 2024 USF football season at Raymond James Stadium are on sale now. Secure your seats by calling or texting 1-800-GoBulls or by visiting USFBULLSTIX.com . All tickets are once again dynamically priced for each game based on demand and are subject to change. Tickets can be purchased online at USFBullsTix.com , by calling/texting 1-800-GoBulls or using the direct links below.

Single Game Tickets

2024 Season Tickets: www.USFBullsTix.com

Group tickets (10+): Call 1-800-GoBulls

Future schedules can be viewed HERE

ABOUT USF FOOTBALL The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 27th season in 2023 with a program-best six-game turnaround and Boca Raton Bowl victory under first-year head coach Alex Golesh. USF completed construction on a new $22 million Indoor Performance Facility in 2023 and a $340-million on-campus stadium and football operations center is slated for completion by 2027. The Bulls have posted 16 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections (including two consensus selections, the last coming in 2021), as well as 32 first-team all-conference honorees. USF has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft and the Bulls have made 11 bowl game appearances (going 7-4), posting a program-record six straight appearances from 2005-2010 and making four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18. USF posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016, while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 campaigns and reached as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press rankings during the 2007 season.

Follow @USFFootball on Twitter for all the latest information concerning the USF Football program.

– #GoBulls –