Men's basketball named team of the year.
 
 TAMPA, APRIL 21, 2026 – University of South Florida student-athletes celebrated the Bulls' outstanding performers and performances from the 2025-26 athletic year at the annual Stampede of Champions held Monday night at the Yuengling Center on campus.
 
The Hollywood-style awards ceremony was hosted by student-athletes Lola Hufnagel (Beach Volleyball), Kathy Garcia-Soto (softball), Iyanna Garvin (volleyball) and Greg Otten (football), and recognized the accomplishments of USF Athletics outstanding nominees and award winners throughout the year in 16 categories.
 
Women's volleyball standout Maria Clara Andrade was named the Female Athlete of the Year while men's basketball star Izaiyah Nelson earned Male Athlete of the Year honors.
 
Andrade helped lead Bulls volleyball back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. A two-time American Athletic Conference Player of the Year honoree, Andrade also earned AVCA All-American Honorable Mention and First Team All-Southeast Region recognition.
 
Nelson became the first player in American Conference history to be named Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in the same season as he led the Bulls to conference regular season and tournament titles and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2012.

After winning both American Conference regular season and tournament titles, earning the program's fourth NCAA Tournament appearance and tying a program-record with 25 wins, the men's basketball team was named Team of the Year.
 
The football team's 18-16 win at No. 13-ranked Florida was named Best Team Performance, while the men's track team's NCAA Championship run in the 4X400-meter relay earned the Best Individual Performance honor.
 
The Male Newcomer of the Year award went to men's basketball guard Joseph Pinion who set a program record with 111 made three-pointers and averaged 14.6 points per game. The Female Newcomer of the Year award went to women's soccer midfielder Yui Suetsugu, who started 20 games, played over 1,500 minutes and was third on the team with 12 shots on goal.
 
The Most Improved award went to men's golfer Wilhelm Ryding who earned all-conference honors and recorded a low round of 65 in his second season.
 
The softball team was honored with the Most Spirited award while lacrosse earned the Community Service Award.
 
Football linebacker Greg Otten earned the prestigious Lee Roy Selmon Award, while wide receiver Christian Helms was presented the Alexis Buchman Unsung Hero Award.
 
Track and Field earned the Coaching Staff of the Year award as the Bulls have now won five straight men's American Conference championships in indoor and outdoor track and field.

Stampede of Champions award winners were determined by votes from USF student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. The complete list of winners is below:
 
2026 STAMPEDE OF CHAMPIONS AWARD WINNERS
Lee Roy Selmon Award: Greg Otten, Football
Best Team Performance: Football win at No. 13 Florida
Team of The Year: Men's Basketball
Coaching Staff of The Year: Track and Field
Stafflete: Strength & Conditioning
Best Individual Performance: Men's 4X400-meter Relay NCAA Title
Female Athlete of The Year: Maria Clara Andrade, Volleyball
Male Athlete of The Year:  Izaiyah Nelson, Men's Basketball
Female Newcomer of The Year: Yui Suetsugu, Women's Soccer
Male Newcomer of The Year: Joseph Pinion, Men's Basketball
Alexis Buchman Unsung Hero: Christian Helms, Football
Team Community Award: Lacrosse
Most Spirited Award: Softball
Individual Community Award: Alice Webb, Women's Golf
Female Scholar Award: Marlo Hibler, Cross Country
Male Scholar Award: Mathis Haugen, Men's Soccer
Most Improved: Wilhelm Ryding, Men's Golf
USF Most Spirited: Softball Team

About USF Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 21 varsity teams, with 20 competing 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, founded in 1965, competed in its 60^thseason in 2025-26.
 
Nearly 500 student-athletes train and compete in the Tampa General Athletics District on the east end of USF's Tampa campus. The Bulls have won 157 conference titles across 17 sports, with 84 men's championships and 73 women's championships. Men's tennis and men's soccer lead with 20 titles each, while women's programs have been headlined by women's tennis (14) and volleyball (13). Since joining the American Athletic Conference in 2013, USF has secured 39 conference team titles.
 
Academically, USF student-athletes have achieved a program record of 21 consecutive semesters with a combined GPA of 3.0 or above as of spring 2025. Since 2015, more than 800 Bulls have earned their degrees.
 
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