Indoor Performance Facility a "Game-Changer" The Bulls Are Watching Happen In Real Time
By Joey Johnston
When USF football coach Jeff Scott was recently jogging around campus, he stopped to take a photo of the new $22-million Indoor Performance Facility that is being constructed adjacent to the Bulls' practice fields.
He sent the photo to his old boss, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.
Swinney quickly texted back with two words:
Game-changer.
"When we did our indoor (facility) at Clemson, that was our big game-changer,'' Scott said. "Whether it was practice, camps, recruiting or events, it made such a difference.
"The really nice thing is my office overlooks the facility. The players will come in (to the office) and check it out from that angle. It's really something to see and it's going up fast. It's just a blessing.''
It's also a tangible daily reminder of USF's football progress.
Whether they are sprinting onto the field, stretching or taking a break between plays, Bulls players are constantly in the shadow of their future.
"That was the vision when I got here as a freshman,'' Bulls center Brad Cecil said. "It's so amazing to see it getting closer and closer each day. It's super important for our program and the entire university.''
Scott expects his team to be using the IPF this fall. The most obvious benefit: USF football practice will no longer be postponed or cancelled by lightning or torrential rainstorms. All USF sports will be using the IPF to share in those benefits.
"I'm just grateful for it,'' Bulls linebacker Antonio Grier said. "We did that ceremony (in September) with all the shovels and construction hats and that was exciting. Then there was a long time when you didn't see anything other than that green tarp wrapped around the fence. We were all like, 'What are they doing?'
"They were setting the foundation. Little by little, piece by piece, using the strongest metal that they can us, it's coming together. Ten years from now, it's going to be fun to come back and see where this program and this university is going to be.''
With the recommendation of a location for USF's proposed on-campus stadium — opening in 2026 or 2027 if projections hold — current players and recruits alike can feel the energy.
"It's very motivating if you come on the USF campus as a whole,'' Bulls running back Jaren Mangham said. "It's just a new beginning for us. A new identity is being built around the new Indoor Performance Facility, a whole new culture. We all love where the program is headed right now.''
– #GoBulls –
