It was a year of uproarious cheers and happy tears. There was green-and-gold unity, school pride almost like never before, and the promise of even better times ahead. There were confetti-filled celebrations. And there was hardware.

Lots and lots of championship hardware.

By the end of 2023-24, USF athletics established itself as a major factor in the American Athletic Conference. Its upward trajectory drew national notice. And its future never seemed more bright.

"I'm so proud of our student-athletes, our coaches, our staff and our fans,'' said Michael Kelly, USF's vice president for athletics. "I think our programs made so many incredible memories. I know I say it a lot, but it's so true: It's a great time to run with the Bulls.''

The Highlights

* Coach Alex Golesh's football team had the second-greatest turnaround season in the Football Bowl Subdivision (plus-six wins), finishing 7-6 and earning the program's first postseason appearance since 2018, downing Syracuse 45-0 at the Boca Raton Bowl for the largest shutout bowl victory in FBS history. The Bulls finished fifth in the AAC (after being picked for 13th in the preseason poll).

* Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim's men's basketball team (25-8) won the AAC regular-season championship and earned a spot in the National Invitation Tournament, while setting program records for overall wins and conference victories (16-2). The Bulls, who had a program-best 15-game winning streak, closed the regular season with three consecutive sellouts at the Yuengling Center.

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* Coach Erik Jenkins' track and field team captured the AAC indoor and outdoor championships, winning a total of 16 individual conference titles for the men and two for the women. The men had six individuals (and one relay team) to earn All-American status, while the women had one individual and two relay teams as All-Americans.

* For the first time ever, USF's men's and women's golf teams advanced to the NCAA Regionals in the same season. Coach Steve Bradley's men were AAC champions (and ninth at the regional), while Jake Peacock captured the individual league title. Coach Erika Brennan's women finished eighth at the regional and recorded the lowest scoring average (287.3) in program history. Four-year standout Melanie Green was named the AAC Women's Golfer of the Year.

* Coach Jolene Shepardson's volleyball team (22-12) won the AAC East Division title and had its first 20-victory season since 2018. The Bulls were selected to the National Invitation Volleyball Championships and won three rounds (all on the road) to reach the Fab 4 national semifinals.

* Coach Denise Schilte-Brown, in her 17th and final USF season before joining the new Super League Tampa Bay team, guided women's soccer to an AAC East Division title and a win against No. 21 Gonzaga, the program's first victory against a ranked opponent since 2019.

* Academically, USF student-athletes registered the two highest cumulative grade-point averages in the athletic department's history — 3.30 in the fall, 3.31 in the spring — while producing a USF-record 87-percent graduation rate.

"As I look around at everything that happened with all of our sports, it was a lot to celebrate,'' said Golesh, USF's first-year head-football coach who arrived after a record-setting tenure as Tennessee's offensive coordinator. "It does make you proud of the effort everyone is putting forth. It's one of the reasons I was attracted to USF in the first place — the alignment from the president's office to the board of trustees to the athletic director to all of the athletic programs. I see nothing but great things ahead for all of our USF programs.''

Golesh's football program has tremendous momentum, spurred by the first full season in the $22-million Indoor Performance Facility and the excitement surrounding the building of a $340-million, 35,000-seat on-campus stadium, which is scheduled to open for the 2027 season.

Last season's results, Golesh said, were coming attractions.

"Now we have real belief and real faith in something,'' Golesh said. "Seven wins is not the pinnacle of college football. But it's certainly a foundation. We will win championships in Tampa and we will win championships at South Florida. We'll get there when we're ready for that moment. I can't wait.

"When I stood there at the podium at the (preseason) conference media days and we were picked 13th and nobody had any questions because we were irrelevant … we have come a long way since then. I think we put the ACC (Syracuse's conference) on notice that we're relevant. We're going to continue to build and put the country on notice that we're going to be relevant.''

Redshirt freshman quarterback Byrum Brown, No. 8 nationally in total offense (315.5 yards per game), became the program's first 3,000-yard passer (3,289). Brown and Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU were the nation's only two players to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 800. Meanwhile, former walk-on Sean Atkins became the program's first 1,000-yard receiver (1,054) while catching 92 passes (another program record).

Two very positive trends: USF had the nation's No. 46-ranked recruiting class, according to Rivals. It was the highest ranking for all non-autonomous programs and the best at USF since 2014. The Bulls also had the highest average home attendance (37,944) since 2018 and enjoyed a 28-percent increase over 2022 (plus-8,294 fans per game), the second-best improvement in the FBS.

"Our fans were great,'' Golesh said. "We'll get to the point where our place is packed because we play a brand of football that is fun and exciting. Our place will be packed and rocking like it should be.''

Packed and rocking.

USF men's basketball knew that sensation very well.

With three consecutive sellout crowds to close the regular season — including an 85-72 win against Tulane on March 5, when fans could celebrate USF's outright AAC championship — the Bulls became one of Tampa Bay's hottest tickets. Abdur-Rahim saluted the tremendous student support, which was fueled by the SoFlo Rodeo student group.

"The SoFlo Rodeo is a true blessing to our program,'' Abdur-Rahim said. "When I'm coaching, I'm kind of in the zone. But it's hard not to hear our crowds. It was incredible. As Michael Kelly always says, 'We are Tampa Bay's Home for Hoops.' I love watching the NBA, but we are the high-level basketball team of Tampa Bay. And our games have exactly what you dream about when you want the passion, heart and competitiveness of college basketball at its highest level.''

Abdur-Rahim was named AAC Coach of the Year, while Chris Youngblood claimed the league's co-Player of the Year honors.

The Bulls began the season at 2-4 — with home defeats against Central Michigan and Maine — but turned the season in a positive direction by upsetting Florida State 88-72 in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic at Sunrise. Before that game, the Bulls were shooting 24-percent from 3-point range. The rest of the way, counting the win against FSU, the Bulls shot 42-percent from beyond the arc (a figure that would have led the nation in the full season). It was also USF's first win against an ACC team since 2007.

USF's 15-game AAC winning streak (including seven road victories) was jump-started by a dramatic 74-73 triumph at No. 10-ranked Memphis on Jan. 18. The Bulls, who rallied from a 20-point second-half deficit, defeated a ranked opponent for the first time since 2012.

By the time USF's run had completed, with a 70-65 home defeat against the VCU Rams in an NIT second-rounder, Abdur-Rahim was grateful for the remarkable season. It included 73.7-percent shooting from the free-throw line (second in program history), 36.7-percent shooting from 3-point range (the best in 22 years) and the first season since 2007-08 that featured more assists (491) than turnovers (356).

"To start the season, it's a group that nobody gave a chance to,'' Abdur-Rahim said. "They didn't even take enough time to figure out who was on our roster. They just picked us wherever they were going to pick us (ninth in the AAC preseason poll).

"But these players will get their championship rings … because they are champions. The journey is the gift, from where we started to where we finished. They stayed true to each other. The gift is they created lifelong bonds and great memories together. We set a standard. Now we'll be looking to raise that standard again.''

Jenkins has set a lofty standard for USF's track and field programs. A quantum leap was achieved with team men's titles during the AAC indoor and outdoor championships. Individually, the proliferation of top achievers were paced by sprinter Abdul-Rasheed Saminu and jumper Goodness Iredia.

Saminu, who had run a nation's-best 9.95 in the 100 meters during the outdoor regular season, was part of three AAC championships (100, 200 and the 4x100 relay), while earning two All-American distinctions at the NCAA Championships (third in the 200, fifth in the 100). Iredia was the AAC champion in the triple jump and long jump, while earning All-American status in the long jump (seventh at the NCAA Championships).

"We are a long way from where we were (taking over the program), but there's still a ways to go to be where we want to be,'' Jenkins said. "We want to find the right people who fit what we do as we build the culture and tradition of this program.

"It comes back to commitment. The first commitment was from Michael Kelly who gave me the opportunity to come here and has put the resources in place so we can do what we love. When you have that type of administrative support, it gives you the opportunity to achieve great things here at South Florida. And I think you can see how that has paid off in a number of sports.''

Volleyball is one of those sports. Shepardson was hired just before the onset of COVID. Following an abbreviated spring 2021 campaign and two losing seasons in the regular fall schedule, the Bulls caught fire last season, finishing third in the AAC, the program's best league showing in 21 years (USF tied for first in the 2002 Conference USA slate).

"We are moving in a great direction,'' said Shepardson, a former USF volleyball player. "I think you can sense where South Florida is headed as an athletic department and it is truly a wonderful time to be here. I'm grateful for the patience and belief Michael Kelly showed in me and our volleyball program. I truly believe the best days are ahead. Winning is really fun.''

Bradley and his USF men's golf team are great examples of that. The Bulls won their sixth AAC championship (tied for the most of any USF team) in the past 10 seasons, while increasing the total number of men's golf conference championships to 19 (the second-most for any sport at USF). It stung last season when USF men's golf didn't win a championship and failed to advance to the NCAA Regionals.

"We feel like winning the conference and getting to the regionals, that's where our program belongs,'' Bradley said. "Winning is never old hat. We have a great thing going. There's nothing like that moment when you lift the trophy together as a team. That's why you work so hard and those are the moments you'll always remember.''

From the lifting of championship hardware to confetti celebrations to national recognition, the 2023-24 school year was one to remember for USF athletics.

Bulls everywhere hope it's just the start.