USF Men's Basketball Announces Home-And-Home Series with DePaul
May 19, 2026 | Men's Basketball
Bulls to play in Chicago in 2026, Blue Demons return game in Tampa in 2027
TAMPA, MAY 19, 2026 – South Florida Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Mack today announced the Bulls will play a home-and-home series vs. DePaul starting in the 2026-27 season.
The first announced opponent on the Bulls' 2026-27 schedule, South Florida will travel to Chicago to take on the Blue Demons on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 10,387-seat Wintrust Arena.
The Blue Demons will return the game at the Yuengling Center in Tampa in early November in the 2027-28 season. The date for that game will be finalized around the Bulls' 2027 home football schedule, which will be the first played in the new on-campus football stadium being constructed near the Yuengling Center.
A member of the Big East Conference, DePaul has earned 22 NCAA Tournament bids and made two NCAA Final Four appearances (the last in 1979) while winning more than 1,500 games in program history. The Blue Demons posted a 16-16 record (8-12 Big East) last season.
The Bulls and Blue Demons, which previously shared conference affiliation in Conference USA (1995-2005) and the Big East (2005-13), have met 30 times in a close series that DePaul leads 16-14. The teams last met in 2019 in a three-game College Basketball Invitational championship series in which South Florida claimed the 2019 CBI title. The Bulls won two of three games in the series, claiming a 63-61 victory in the first game in Tampa and a 77-65 victory in the final game in Chicago. DePaul took the middle game in Chicago in overtime, 100-96.
The Bulls welcomed 15 new players in Mack's first season at the helm as South Florida returned no players from the 2025-26 squad that went 25-9, reached the NCAA tournament and won an American Conference title (claiming both the regular season and tournament crowns) for the second time in three years. The Bulls reloaded with 12 transfer portal additions and three high school signees. The portal class features four players with a composite rating of .9100 or higher and a four-star rating, according to 247Sports. The Bulls' average transfer rating of 89.00 ranks third among Group of 6 programs, while the overall class ranked among the top 10 nationally among the Group of 6 according to 247Sports.
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About USF Men's Basketball
South Florida men's basketball named Chris Mack as the program's 13th head coach on March 25, 2026. Mack came to Tampa after a pair of 20-win seasons at the College of Charleston. With more than 300 career wins, he brought a career winning percentage of nearly 68 percent to South Florida, including 12 20-win seasons and nine NCAA Tournament appearances. He led both Xavier and Louisville to the NCAA Tournament and made four Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight with Xavier.
The program, entering its 56th season in 2026-27, won American Conference regular-season championships in 2024 and 2026 and claimed the conference tournament title in 2026. The Bulls have made 14 postseason appearances, including four NCAA Tournaments (the last in 2026), nine NITs, and a CBI championship in 2019. Three former Bulls players – Chucky Atkins, Charlie Bradley, and Rodenko Dobras – have had their jerseys retired and are members of the USF Athletic Hall of Fame, while two coaches – Amir Abdur-Rahim (2023-24) and Bobby Paschal (1986-96) – join them in the Hall of Fame.
The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus.
TAMPA, MAY 19, 2026 – South Florida Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Mack today announced the Bulls will play a home-and-home series vs. DePaul starting in the 2026-27 season.
The first announced opponent on the Bulls' 2026-27 schedule, South Florida will travel to Chicago to take on the Blue Demons on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 10,387-seat Wintrust Arena.
The Blue Demons will return the game at the Yuengling Center in Tampa in early November in the 2027-28 season. The date for that game will be finalized around the Bulls' 2027 home football schedule, which will be the first played in the new on-campus football stadium being constructed near the Yuengling Center.
A member of the Big East Conference, DePaul has earned 22 NCAA Tournament bids and made two NCAA Final Four appearances (the last in 1979) while winning more than 1,500 games in program history. The Blue Demons posted a 16-16 record (8-12 Big East) last season.
The Bulls and Blue Demons, which previously shared conference affiliation in Conference USA (1995-2005) and the Big East (2005-13), have met 30 times in a close series that DePaul leads 16-14. The teams last met in 2019 in a three-game College Basketball Invitational championship series in which South Florida claimed the 2019 CBI title. The Bulls won two of three games in the series, claiming a 63-61 victory in the first game in Tampa and a 77-65 victory in the final game in Chicago. DePaul took the middle game in Chicago in overtime, 100-96.
The Bulls welcomed 15 new players in Mack's first season at the helm as South Florida returned no players from the 2025-26 squad that went 25-9, reached the NCAA tournament and won an American Conference title (claiming both the regular season and tournament crowns) for the second time in three years. The Bulls reloaded with 12 transfer portal additions and three high school signees. The portal class features four players with a composite rating of .9100 or higher and a four-star rating, according to 247Sports. The Bulls' average transfer rating of 89.00 ranks third among Group of 6 programs, while the overall class ranked among the top 10 nationally among the Group of 6 according to 247Sports.
Follow us:
Follow South Florida men's basketball on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
About USF Men's Basketball
South Florida men's basketball named Chris Mack as the program's 13th head coach on March 25, 2026. Mack came to Tampa after a pair of 20-win seasons at the College of Charleston. With more than 300 career wins, he brought a career winning percentage of nearly 68 percent to South Florida, including 12 20-win seasons and nine NCAA Tournament appearances. He led both Xavier and Louisville to the NCAA Tournament and made four Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight with Xavier.
The program, entering its 56th season in 2026-27, won American Conference regular-season championships in 2024 and 2026 and claimed the conference tournament title in 2026. The Bulls have made 14 postseason appearances, including four NCAA Tournaments (the last in 2026), nine NITs, and a CBI championship in 2019. Three former Bulls players – Chucky Atkins, Charlie Bradley, and Rodenko Dobras – have had their jerseys retired and are members of the USF Athletic Hall of Fame, while two coaches – Amir Abdur-Rahim (2023-24) and Bobby Paschal (1986-96) – join them in the Hall of Fame.
The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus.
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