TAMPA, FLA., JUNE 9, 2025 – The Sixth Annual USF Football Kickoff Luncheon presented by Tampa General Hospital will return to Armature Works (1910 N. Ola Ave.) in downtown Tampa on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

South Florida Football Head Coach Alex Golesh and the entire 2025 USF football team will officially welcome fans to the highly-anticipated 2025 season. In his third season, Golesh will lead a Bulls team coming off back-to-back bowl victories and returning many key players, including quarterback Byrum Brown and 2024 leading tackler Mac Harris.
 
Last year's event saw its largest crowd ever as more than 600 fans sold out the "The Gathering" venue at Armature Works, a 10,000-square foot space featuring two 9' X 16' LED video walls.
 
The luncheon will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tables seating eight may be purchased by the general public for $500. Tables may be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls or at this link. Individual seat tickets, if available, will go on sale in August.
 
The luncheon will once again be hosted by former Bull and Green Bay Packer linebacker Sam Barrington (2009-12) who will conduct a season preview conversation with Golesh. Coming off a thrilling five-overtime victory in the Hawai'i Bowl, the Bulls have been identified as a contender for the American Athletic Conference title in 2025 by preseason publications.
 
Fans will be seated with players and have the opportunity to meet the 2025 team, preview the team's 2025 stadium run-out video, enjoy photo opportunities with Rocky the Bull and USF spirit squads and rally to performances by the USF Herd of Thunder Band.
 
USF returns 12 starters in 2025 (six on offense and six on defense). Quarterback Byrum Brown, who passed for a program-record 3,292 yards and ran for 836 in 2023, returns alongside quarterback Bryce Archie, who started the last eight games in 2024 following an injury to Brown and led the Bulls to the Hawai'i Bowl victory. The Bulls also return four starters on the offensive line and wide receiver Keshaun Singleton, who broke out mid-season in 2024 posting two 100-yard games and 408 receiving yards in the final seven games.
 
On defense, USF returns its top tacklers from both the 2023 and 2024 seasons in linebackers Mac Harris and Jhalyn Shuler. Harris led the team with 82 tackles and 12 tackles for loss in 2024, while Shuler logged a team-best 97 stops to go with 8.5 tackles for loss in 2023. Three starters also return in the secondary led by safety Tavin Ward who led the team with three interceptions and finished second with 62 tackles in 2024.
 
USF opens the season on Thursday, Aug. 28 vs. Boise State in a 5:30 p.m. kickoff at Raymond James Stadium. That game will be televised nationwide on ESPN. USF will face possibly the toughest non-conference schedule in program history with three games slated against teams in The Athletics' "Way too Early Top 25", including at No. 11 Florida, at No. 15 Miami and vs. No. 21 Boise State.
 
Tickets:
Deposits for new 2025 USF football season tickets are being accepted now and may be placed by calling 1-800-GoBulls or visiting this LINK.
 
Follow us:
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF Football news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
 
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 28th season in 2024 with its second-straight bowl victory in the Hawai'i Bowl. Head coach Alex Golesh posted a program-best six-game turnaround and a Boca Raton Bowl victory in his first season in 2023. USF completed construction on a new $22 million Indoor Performance Facility in 2023 and a $340-million on-campus stadium and football operations center broke ground in the fall of 2024 and is slated for completion by 2027. The Bulls have posted 17 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections (including two consensus selections, the last coming in 2021), as well as 33 first-team all-conference honorees. USF has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft and the Bulls have made 12 bowl game appearances (going 8-4), posting a program-record six straight appearances from 2005-2010 and making four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18. USF posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016, while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 campaigns and reached as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press rankings during the 2007 season.