The University of South Florida continues taking steps toward building a football stadium on the eastern end of the Tampa campus.
Beforehand, however, the school must move the Sycamore Fields intramural facility that now spreads across the 27-acre stadium site.
To help in that effort, the USF Board of Trustees on Monday approved more than $6.1 million in new funding for a pair of projects.
Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Condon asked the board for an additional $3.6 million for building a new recreation area at a research park on the southwest side of campus. The total request is now at $8.1 million, with funds coming from the fixed capital outlay budget.
"This request covers the fields, lighting, nets, fencing, dugouts and restrooms. Our plan is to have these fields completed on around Thanksgiving of this year to enable access and use for the spring 2025 semester," Condon said.
Sycamore Fields includes four multipurpose fields, two softball fields and a restroom facility on the eastern end of the campus. Its future home will be a research park on the southwest side of campus.
The trustees also signed off on more than $2.5 million for a parking lot and fitness trail near the new recreation fields.
The university is scheduled to select a construction company to build the stadium and negotiate terms with the firm by the end of April.
The proposed $340 million, 35,000-seat stadium is scheduled for completion in time for the 2027 season. The Sycamore Field site was selected in 2022 for a variety of reasons, including proximity to current Athletics buildings and student housing.
