The University of South Florida has taken the next step toward building an on-campus football stadium.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that USF has signed a $14.8 million design- build agreement with construction company Barton Malow.
The latest update from the university, released March 7, reiterated last year's announcement that the school would work with Barton Malow and architectural design firm Populous.
It added that the stadium, which officials previously said could cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build, could be completed by 2026.
The scope of the plan, along with a final cost — which the trustees will have to sign off on — won’t come until after the design phase finishes. Previous rejected proposals came in between $300-350 million.
The Barton Malow contract, obtained by the Times through a public records request, also lays out the structure of the stadium, which will have five levels and seat 35,000.
The Times reports that because USF has only authorized the design phase of the project, it can walk away without penalty if it doesn't approve of the final cost or design plan.
USF has stated the stadium will be built on the east side of the Tampa campus, a location known as Sycamore Fields.
A tweet by USF football announced that the first game scheduled for 2026 will be at home on Sept. 5 against Florida International University
The Times report says that if the stadium is not ready by then, USF will receive $2 million for every missed game.
Until the stadium's completion, the Bulls are expected to renew their contract with Raymond James Stadium that expired after last season.
