USF news roundup: Homecoming delayed, basketball teams get respect

This was supposed to be a week of celebration at USF, with traditional Homecoming festivities capped off by Saturday’s football game against UAB and the official groundbreaking for the on-campus stadium.

Well, one of three isn’t bad.

The football game is still on, but the upheaval wrought by Hurricane Milton prompted USF officials to push the groundbreaking and homecoming back to November 8 before the Bulls’ game with Navy.

The new stadium is scheduled to be ready for the 2027 season.

USF basketball gets respect

At the recent American Athletic Conference Media Days event in Irving, Texas, the USF women were named the preseason favorites to win the Conference title.

Redshirt senior forward Romi Levy was also selected as the AAC Preseason Player of the Year, sharing the honor with Tommisha Lampkin of North Texas. Levy was the AAC Newcomer of the Year last season.

Sophomore guard Vittoria Blasigh and graduate student guard Mama Dembele were chosen to the second team.

The men’s team was picked to finish third. The Bulls are the defending AAC regular-season champions, coming off a school-record 25-win season.

Defending AAC Tournament champion UAB was the preseason favorite, followed by Memphis.

Sophomore Jaylen Reid was named to the AAC Preseason Second Team.  He was selected to the 2023-24 AAC All-Freshman Team and was named the Freshman of the Week twice.

Volleyball team is on a roll

The USF volleyball team knocked off AAC rival Tulsa in a five-set nailbiter to improve to 6-0 in the conference, tied for first place with Rice.

Rice visits the Bulls on Wednesday, October 16, at The Corral with sole possession of first place on the line.

This is USF’s best start in league play since 2002, when the Bulls were in Conference USA. The Bulls started 12-0 that year.

Since falling to 24th-ranked Dayton on September 21, USF has defeated Charlotte, East Carolina, Temple, Memphis, Wichita State, and Tulsa.

Since a disappointing 5-0 loss to Florida State in the opening game, the women’s soccer team shook that off and is playing well.

They have been 8-1-3 since that game, including 3-1-2 in the conference. That’s good for third place in the AAC, behind Rice and Memphis.

Senior Night is October 17 against Temple, and then the Bulls will be on the road for the final three games of the regular season against North Texas, UTSA, and Tulsa.

The conference tournament is November 4-10 at Lakewood Ranch.