In one of the first deals of its kind in the country, University of South Florida Athletics will team up with Publix to feature its logo on the field at Raymond James Stadium during home football games, taking advantage of a new NCAA rule passed this summer.
"We are continuing to make South Florida a model athletic department for modern times, and on-field commercial logos give us a unique opportunity to further provide for our student-athletes and athletic programs,"
said USF's Vice President for Athletics, Michael Kelly. "Publix is a nationally recognized brand that has local ties and has been around for nearly a century. We are excited to team up with Publix for this historic sponsorship."
The Publix logo will appear on the field for Bulls games at Raymond James Stadium, also home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for all games this fall possible under National Football League (NFL) policy. It will adorn the field in both the northwest and southeast corners of the stadium, near the 35-yard lines, and will be visible to regional and national audiences.
"We are excited to support USF's student athletes,"
said Hannah Herring, Publix media relations manager. "This sponsorship further solidifies our connection to our community, and we wish the Bulls a great upcoming season."
In June, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) granted approval for on-field commercial advertising at football games for the first time ever. The effort is one to generate additional revenues for athletic programs. Programs may choose to have one larger logo at the 50-yard line or two smaller ones anywhere on the field.
The collaboration was facilitated by Vinik Sports Group (VSG), the Tampa, Fla. based multimedia rights holder for South Florida Athletics.
The 2024 USF Football Season presented by Tampa General Hospital kicks off tomorrow at Raymond James Stadium against Bethune-Cookman at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and can be heard locally on the USF Radio Network 102.5 FM and 102.5-HD2. It is the first meeting between the two football programs. The Bulls enter the season coming off their biggest turnaround in program history and a 45-0 rout of Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl last year.
Get your tickets today!
Call 1-800-GO-BULLS (1-800-462-8557) or email
BullsTickets@usf.edu to claim your 2024 season or single-game tickets. You can also download the USF Bulls app on the Android or Apple stores to purchase tickets and parking. Visit USFBullsTix.com for more information.
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For the latest updates on South Florida Athletics, visit GoUSFBulls.com. Follow South Florida Athletics on Facebook (facebook.com/USFAthletics), Instagram (@USFAthletics), X (@USFAthletics), LinkedIn (
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About Publix
Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with more than 255,000 associates, currently operates 1,377 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky. For 27 consecutive years, the company has been recognized by Fortune as a great place to work. In addition, Publix's dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized among the top in the grocery business. For more information, visit the company's newsroom at corporate.publix.com/newsroom.
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 21 varsity men's and women's teams that compete in 13 different sports, 20 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference, including the recent additions of women's lacrosse and women's beach volleyball. The Bulls' athletic program began in 1965 and will be in its 59th season in 2024-25. Nearly 500 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Fla. USF has garnered 16 national championships in varsity sports (the latest in 2022-23 in the NCAA indoor and outdoor high jump) and owns 149 conference titles won in 16 sports in department history, led by 20 each for men's tennis and men's soccer. USF has claimed 80 men's conference championships and 69 women's titles, led by 14 in women's tennis and 12 in volleyball, and owns 32 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, including four in 2023-24. USF student-athletes have posted a combined annual grade-point average over 3.0 for a program record of 19 straight semesters as of spring 2024. USF has had over 700 student-athletes earn their degree since 2016-17.
Follow USF Athletics on Twitter (@USFAthletics) and Facebook for all the latest information concerning the USF Athletic program.