2025-26 Year In Review: Notable Numbers
July 13, 2026 | General
TAMPA - The University of South Florida's 2026-27 athletic year is coming up quickly. USF football will be part of American Conference Media Days in St. Petersburg on July 23-24 with training camp soon to follow. The schedules for men's soccer, women's soccer and volleyball will begin in August.
There's much to anticipate.
But before then, let's take one last look at the event-filled 2025-26 athletic year, one of the most memorable in USF annals, with some consumable nuggets that cover all the bases:
NOTABLE NUMBERS
The numbers tell the story of a notable 2025-26 school year for USF Athletics.
2nd โ USF became the second women's lacrosse program in NCAA Division I history to win a conference title within its first two seasons of play (along with 2011 Florida). USF also reached a No. 13 RPI, the highest ranking ever for an NCAA Division I women's lacrosse program in its first or second year.
3 โ Number of consecutive bowl-game appearances for USF football.
3.38 โ Cumulative grade-point average for USF student-athletes during the 2025-26 school year. That ties a program record.
4 โ USF teams ranked in the nation's top 25 at some point during last season.
6 โ USF's American Conference championship teams in 2025-26 (men's basketball/regular season and tournament, softball/regular season and tournament, lacrosse/regular season and indoor men's track and field).
9 โ With the Sept. 6 victory at Gainesville, USF became the ninth Football Bowl Subdivision team in history to win games AT Florida, AT Florida State and AT Miami (joining Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Mississippi State, North Carolina and South Carolina).
9.75 โ The wind-aided 100-meter dash time of USF's Jaleel Croal to win the American Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. It was the third-fastest 100 meters time (all conditions) in collegiate track history.
10 โ Number of NCAA Regional appearances in the past 11 seasons (excluding the COVID-19 year) for USF men's golf under head coach Steve Bradley.
12th โ USF quarterback Byrum Brown became the 12th FBS player in history to have a season with 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing.
15 โ USF men's basketball had 15 games of 90 or more points. Only three NCAA Division I programs in state of Florida history (21 by 1969-70 Jacksonville, 19 by 1970-71 Jacksonville and 16 by 2025-26 Florida) had more.
20th โ USF softball ranked 20th nationally in attendance (1,047 fans per game). That figure led the American Conference and was second in the state to the University of Florida.
40.5 โ Average points per game scored by USF football, which ranked No. 5 in the FBS.
70.09 โ Stroke average for USF men's golfer Wilhelm Ryding, who had the second-best single-season stroke average in program history.
87.47 โ USF men's basketball averaged a program-record 87.47 points per game. It was the 16th-highest single-season scoring average for an NCAA Division I program in state of Florida history.
91 โ USF Athletics had a 91-percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR). That's a program record and the fifth straight year for a GSR more than 85.
181 โ Number of assists for USF women's basketball point guard Stefanie Ingram, who ranked 25th nationally. It was fourth all-time for a single season in program history.
.979 โ Fielding percentage for USF softball, which set a program record for defensive prowess.
1,606 โ Career kills for USF volleyball player Maria Clara Andrade, who ranked seventh among active NCAA Division I players and fourth in USF program history.
SENIOR SALUTE
Ten USF student-athletes who left an unmistakable legacy.
Maria Clara Andrade (Volleyball) โ She was the program's first two-time conference volleyball Player of the Year since USF Athletic Hall of Famer Erica Berggren (1995-96). Andrade, who helped USF to its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2002, also earned AVCA All-American honorable mention while being named first-team All-Southeast Region. Andrade, a native of Brazil who arrived at USF speaking not a word of English, matured into a joyfully aggressive player and a formidable force at the net. After playing for her home country's U23 National Team, she's pursuing a professional volleyball career.
Carla Brito (Women's Basketball) โ Brito, a four-year starter, finished with 1,147 career points and 943 rebounds. She's just the fourth USF women's player to achieve the 1,000-point, 900-rebound distinction. But her leadership and intangibles couldn't be quantified. After 25-year head coach Jose Fernandez departed for the WNBA, interim head coach Michele Woods-Baxter said Brito was an example-setter for her younger teammates, insisting on accountability and follow-through during the transition. Brito helped the Bulls to an overall 89-44 four-year record with regular-season and tournament titles in the American Conference, plus two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Jaleel Croal (Men's Track and Field) โ With 10 conference championships and four-time All-American status, Croal will be remembered as one of USF's premier track and field athletes. He was the Most Outstanding Performer at the 2025 American Conference Outdoor Championships after tripling as a gold medalist in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4x100 meter relay. At the 2026 conference meet, he won the 100 with a wind-aided 9.75 โ the third-fastest time ever (all conditions) for college track and field.
Kathy Garcia-Soto (Softball) โ After yet another remarkable season in the field, mostly at second base, Garcia-Soto became the first three-time winner of the American Conference's Defensive Player of the Year award while also earning the program's first-ever National Fastpitch Coaches Association/Rawlings Gold Glove. She's the only player in NCAA history with at least 115 assists and 115 putouts in three consecutive seasons. Garcia-Soto, catalyst of the best statistical defense in USF softball history (.979 fielding percentage), probably "stopped 40-percent of the runs that could have scored against us,'' according to head coach Ken Eriksen.
Mac Harris (Football) โ An engaging, electric presence at linebacker, Harris matured into the defensive leader for USF football. He led the Bulls in tackles as a junior, then finished second in 2025, while compiling 10 sacks over his final two seasons. As a six-year performer, Harris set the USF record for most games played (59). He had a 93-yard touchdown return, the longest interception in USF history, and five 2025 games with at least 10 tackles (including a career-high 15 at Navy). His mission became setting a positive standard and serving as the example for young players to carry on his hard-working tradition. Mission accomplished.
Leire Herraez Gallach (Women's Soccer) โ USF women's soccer has a long history of developing standout goalkeepers and Gallach proved to be one of the program's best. For her career, Gallach finished first in save percentage (.826), third in shutouts (19), fourth in goals-against-average (.728), fifth in goalkeeper minutes played (3,830) and 10th in saves (147). As a senior, Gallach led the American Conference in save percentage (.831) and had a season-high 20 stops against Charlotte in the conference tournament.
Izaiyah Nelson (Men's Basketball) โ A transfer from Arkansas State, Nelson left an unmistakable mark in his only USF season, becoming the first American Conference men's basketball player to capture the league's Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards in one season. He averaging 15.9 points and 9.6 rebounds while becoming only the third USF player to compile a 500-point, 300-rebound season. Following an 83-79 defeat against Louisville in an NCAA Tournament first-rounder, Nelson showed gratitude instead of frustration. He sprinted over to a green-and-gold section of USF fans and applauded their enthusiastic presence. But Nelson, a second-round selection who wound up with the Orlando Magic and USF's first NBA Draft pick since 2010, was the one who deserved to take a bow.
Joseph Pinion (Men's Basketball) โ Another transfer from Arkansas State, Pinion established himself as one of the nation's top 3-point shooters. Pinion finished with a USF-record 111 made 3-pointer. He and Wes Enis (107) became just the 12th Division I tandem to each have at least 100 made 3-pointers in a season since the 3-point arc was introduced in 1986-87. Pinion, who averaged 14.6 points and 3.9 rebounds, finished with a flourish in the NCAA Tournament defeat against Louisville, scoring 27 points with six assists, four steals and five made 3-pointers, nearly bringing his Bulls all the way back.
Jevin Relaford (Baseball) โ Among Relaford's many talents: He can solve a Rubik's Cube in under 30 seconds while blindfolded. Accordingly, his baseball skills were obvious to anyone in plain sight. After transferring from Division II Florida Southern College, Relaford was outstanding in his only USF season. He batted a team-high .337 with 31 stolen bases (tied for sixth in program history). He was a first-team American All-Conference selection and earned the league's Defensive Player of the Year award with his standout play at shortstop.
Kaitlyn Tartaglione (Lacrosse) โ A transfer from UConn, Tartaglione was intrigued by USF's start-up program and she contributed two American Conference all-league seasons as a midfielder. As a senior, she was the league's Midfielder of the Year and a unanimous first-team all-conference selection. Tartaglione, who had 23 goals as a senior, was part of a two-year run that produced a combined 25-10 record and the 2026 American Conference regular-season championship. She also became the first USF athlete selected to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game.
TOP HONORS
The scorecard: Four athletes (and two relay teams) with All-America recognition, three American Conference Players of the Year and 34 first-team all-league selections (or conference individual champions).
BASEBALL
American Conference
Defensive Player of the Year โ Jevin Relaford; First Team โ Jevin Relaford; Second Team โ Matt Rose, Lance Trippel; All-Freshman Team โ Jack Lutz, Dominic Pontbriant, Michael Senay.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
NABC All-Southeast
First Team โ Izaiah Nelson; Second Team โ Wes Enis.
American Conference
Player of the Year โ Izaiyah Nelson; Defensive Player of the Year โ Izaiyah Nelson; Newcomer of the Year โ Izaiyah Nelson; Coach of the Year โ Bryan Hodgson; First Team โ Wes Enis, Izaiyah Nelson; Third Team โ Joseph Pinion; All-Newcomer Team โ Wes Enis, Iziyah Nelson, Joseph Pinion.
American Conference Tournament
Most Outstanding Player โ Wes Enis; All-Tournament Team โ Wes Enis, Izaiyah Nelson.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
American Conference
Second Team โ Carla Brito; Third Team โ Edyn Battle, Stefanie Ingram; All-Newcomer Team โ Edyn Battle, Katie Davidson.
FOOTBALL
All-America
Sports Info Solutions (First Team) โ Mac Harris; Pro Football and Sports Network (Third Team) โ Mac Harris.
American Conference
First Team โ Mac Harris, DeShawn Rucker; Second Team โ Byrum Brown, Fred Gaskin, Nico Gramatica, Jhalyn Shuler; Third Team โ Cole Best, Josh Celiscar, Zane Herring; Honorable Mention โ Nykahi Davenport.
MEN'S GOLF
All-America
PING Honorable Mention All-America โ Wilhelm Ryding.
All-Region
PING Southeast All-Region Team โ Wilhelm Ryding.
American Conference
Player of the Year โ Wilhelm Ryding; All-Conference โ Wilhelm Ryding.
WOMEN'S GOLF
American Conference
All-Conference โ Tiphani Knight, Cherry Marley; Freshman of the Year โ Tiphani Knight.
LACROSSE
American Conference
Attacker of the Year โ Sofia Chepenik; Midfielder of the Year โ Kaitlyn Tartaglione; First Team โ Sofia Chepenik, Kaitlyn Tartaglione; Second Team โ Kali Cleary, Elise Grissett, Maddie Morris, Maggie Newton; Coaching Staff of the Year โ Mindy McCord and staff.
American Conference Tournament
All-Tournament Team โ Jena Binkis, Sofia Chepenik, Elise Grissett, Maggie Newton.
SAILING
SAISA
All-Conference โ (Skippers) Grace Jones, Ghislaine Van Empel, Kailey Warrior; (Crew) Catherine Brennan, Madisen Hamai, Melissa Jones.
MEN'S SOCCER
American Conference
Co-Goalkeeper of the Year โ Jaheim Wickham; First Team โ Fabio Bozesan, Pedro Faife; Second Team โ Brandon Nyagurungo, Jaheim Wickham. All-Freshman Team โ Nicolas Pietrantonio.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
USC-All Region
Second Team โ Gentiana Fetaj; Third Team โ Sadie Sider-Echenberg.
American Conference
First Team โ Gentiana Fetaj, Sadie Sider-Echenberg; Second Team โ Yui Suetsugu; All-Freshman Team โ Emily Lemke.
SOFTBALL
All-Region
First Team โ Anne Long.
American Conference
Pitcher of the Year โ Anne Long; Defensive Player of the Year โ Kathy Garcia-Soto; First Team โ Alex Wilkes; Second Team โ Alexa Galligani; All-Freshman Team โ Toryn Fulton.
American Conference Tournament
Most Outstanding Player โ Anne Long; All-Tournament Team โ Olivia Elliott, Kathy Garcia-Soto, Anne Long, Jamia Nelson, Alex Wilkes.
MEN'S TENNIS
American Conference
First Team Singles โ Hugo Car.
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
American Conference Indoor Champions
60-Meter Dash โ Jaleel Croal; 200-Meter Dash โ Jaleel Croal; 400-Meter Dash โ Alexavier Monfries; Pole Vault โ Nikodem Pochopien.
Long Jump โ Alesandro Cardoso-Williams.
American Conference Outdoor Champions
4x100-Meter Relay โ Shomari Pettigrew, Jaleel Croal, Alexavier Monfries, Cayden Broadnax; 1,500-Meter Run โ Karim Belmahdi; 400-Meter Dash โ Nathan Metelus; 100-Meter Dash โ Jaleel Croal.
Outdoor All-America
Second Team โ 4x400 Relay (Kelsey Singleton, Alexavier Monfries, Markel Jones, Nathan Metelus); Second Team โ 4x100 Relay (Shomari Pettigrew, Jaleel Croal, Alexavier Monfries, Nathan Metelus); Honorable Mention โ Jaleel Croal (200 meters).
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
American Conference Outdoor Champion
Pole Vault โ Ella Dolce
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Conference USA
Second Team โ Julie Panko.
VOLLEYBALL
All-America
AVCA All-America (Honorable Mention) โ Maria Clara Andrade.
All-Region
First Team โ Maria Clara Andrade.
American Conference
Player of the Year โ Maria Clara Andrade; First Team โ Maria Clara Andrade; Second Team โ Laila Ivey, Raegan Richardson.
American Conference Tournament
All-Tournament Team โ Maria Clara Andrade.
MAGIC MOMENTS
Here are special occasions that resonated for Bulls Nation.
USF women's basketball had a challenging schedule (to say the least) after facing UCLA, South Carolina and UConn โ the nation's top-three ranked preseason teams that all wound up in the Women's Final Four. For the second straight season, the Bulls also faced Duke. And for the second straight season, USF defeated the Blue Devils. On Nov. 20 at the Yuengling Center, it was USF beating Duke 85-72. Those same Blue Devils (27-9) won the ACC Tournament title and reached the NCAA Tournament region final while finishing No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll.
When place-kicker Nico Gramatica punched in a final-play chip-shot 20-yard field-goal attempt on Sept. 6, giving USF football an epic 18-16 victory against the No. 13-ranked Florida Gators at the Swamp, it touched off a wild celebration of players and fans. It was arguably the biggest win in the program's 29-season history โ beating an in-state standard-bearer, a brand-name program from the SEC in one of college football's most intimidating venues โ and it was made possible by USF's clutch play down the stretch. The final drive's tipping point was Alvon Isaac's catch-and-run for 29 yards, positioning the Bulls for a monumental game-winner.
Confetti was flying everywhere on March 8 at the Yuengling Center to celebrate the American Conference regular-season championship for USF men's basketball, its second title in three seasons. But seven days later in Birmingham, Ala., the stakes were raised and USF delivered again. The No. 1-seeded Bulls defeated the No. 2 Wichita State Shockers 70-55, marking the first time for USF men's basketball to win the regular-season and league tournament titles (and its first league tournament title since the 1990 Sun Belt Conference event, also in Birmingham). It also meant an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, where the Bulls went dancing for only the fourth time in the program's 55-season history.
USF softball automatically advanced to the NCAA Tournament by winning the American Conference championship event in back-to-back seasons. This year, the Bulls began in the semifinals and needed to win two games, in which they allowed a total of one run and four hits. "It has mostly been unbelievable โ pitching like crazy, catching everything, running balls down, turning double plays to get out of innings,'' head coach Ken Eriksen said. "You win by outscoring the other team, right? Well, if you can prevent runs and stop the other team from scoring and not give them any extra outs, that's a major, major plus.''
The two-year-old USF lacrosse program skipped the crawling stage and went into a full sprint by winning the American Conference regular-season championship. Even though the Bulls were defeated in the league tournament championship game and were inexplicably not selected as an NCAA Tournament at-large team (despite a No. 14 RPI), there were the eye-opening factors of a regular-season title and an unbeaten record within the American. "From the start, we were recruiting players to win championships as soon as we could, but it usually takes more time than this,'' head coach Mindy McCord said. "What we've done, I guess, is a little bit out of the ordinary.''
GREAT EFFORTS
Here are some USF individual performances that stood above the rest.
On April 12, USF softball pitcher Anne Long had a 14-inning shutout in a 1-0 victory against Florida Atlantic. Repeating: It was a 14-inning shutout (and Long said she was ready to come out for a potential 15th inning). It included 218 pitches and 13 strikeouts. She constantly worked out of extra-inning trouble, getting a bases-loaded strikeout in the 10th inning, a 13th-inning escape with runners at second and third, then a strikeout-strikeout-pop out sequence in the 14th, when FAU began with a double off the center-field wall. USF won it in the 14th, when Kathy Garcia-Soto led off with a double, advanced to third on a sacrifice fly, then scored when the throw skipped past FAU's third baseman. Bulls head coach Ken Eriksen said Long's "execution of every pitch was phenomenal โฆ I mean, really phenomenal'' and described the overall effort as "pitching mastery.''
USF men's basketball guard Wes Enis was best-known for his long-range shooting. On Jan. 4, he had 10 made 3-pointers against UAB, setting a program single-game record. Six days later, he matched that total at Tulsa. Overall, he had a stunning 107 treys. But the most impressive feat for Enis? It was on defense. Enis, selected the Most Outstanding Player of the American Conference Tournament, was in lockdown mode. In the semifinals, Enis limited Charlotte's Dezayne Mingo to eight points on 3-for-12 shooting (after Mingo lit up UAB with 35 points in the quarterfinals). In the championship game, Enis held Wichita State's Kenyon Giles to five points (on 2-for-11 shooting). Giles, who had regular-season games of 22 and 24 points against the Bulls, went long stretches of the game without even touching the ball.
USF lacrosse's Sofia Chepenik, the American Conference's Attacker of the Year, came up big at the season's most critical moment. Chepenik tied a program-record by scoring a career-best six goals on April 25 in a 12-9 victory at Vanderbilt. USF clinched the league's regular-season championship and vanquished the Commodores, who were in a do-or-die situation to make the league's four-team championship tournament. Trailing by one at halftime, Chepenik converted a pair of man-up goals in the opening three minutes of the third quarter, giving USF a lead it wouldn't lose.
You could write sonnets about the voluminous accomplishments of quarterback Byrum Brown during his time with USF football. He holds 21 program records, so how do you choose one game over another? But during a standalone ESPN Thursday night telecast, a 55-23 victory against UTSA, Brown outdid himself. He became the first quarterback in 30 years โ from the Football Bowl Subdivision or NFL โ with 200 yards passing, 100 yards rushing and a 90-percent completion rate. That's an enormous pool of a few thousand quarterbacks. For the record, Brown was 14-for-15 with 239 yards passing, along with 109 yards rushing. And he accomplished that in just 29 minutes before retiring to the sideline with USF holding a formidable lead.
USF men's golfer Wilhelm Ryding was the American Conference Golfer of the Year and fell one stroke short of qualifying for the NCAA Championships as an individual. But his best tournament was the Florida Gators Invitational in Gainesville. Ryding had a 54-hole total of 203 โ only three golfers have scored better in USF program history โ and a second-round 65 that helped him to second-place individually with the Bulls finishing fourth as a team in a hyper-competitive field.
QUOTABLE
"I think USF is the story of college football so far this season. I have been so impressed with every aspect.''
โ SEC Network broadcaster Paul Finebaum after USF football opened the 2025 with upsets of No. 25 Boise State and No. 13 Florida.
"This isn't a fairytale ending for our family. This is a fairytale beginning. I was born to be a Bull.''
โ Rob Higgins on Sept. 22, the day he was formally introduced as USF's CEO of Athletics.
"My eyes filled with water and my heart was beating so fast. I got chills. It was a moment I will never forget, a great moment in my life.''
โ Volleyball's Maria Clara Andrade after learning that USF had earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, the program's first appearance since 2002, when head coach Jolene Shepardson played for the Bulls.
"If you don't like our style of play, you don't like basketball. As players, we dream about playing this style. Other teams probably don't like preparing for us because we're looking to run you into the ground.''
โ USF men's basketball player Izaiyah Nelson on the Bulls' frantically effective pace of play.
"You're at USF because you've got great players and the potential to uncap what the program is really capable of. I'd hate to be going to a place where the potential is capped. With what we have here โ the on-campus stadium, the program's performance, the players in the state and the support from our administration โ I just think the sky's the limit. I'm definitely in the right place.''
โ Brian Hartline after being named the seventh head coach in USF football history.
"I credit USF with producing a great game-day atmosphere. It was awesome. Their student turnout, the energy in the building, the way they put on their game night was like no other in the league. As coaches, we want to coach in that and players want to play in that environment.''
โ Charlotte men's basketball coach Aaron Fearne after the 49ers visited USF's Yuengling Center.
"All the numbers are great. But the reason this team is winning is because our players care about winning more than any other statistic.''
โ USF men's basketball guard Wes Enis on the Bulls taking an 11-game winning streak into the program's fourth NCAA Tournament appearance.
"This is a destination. This is not a stepping stone. We're here. We're here for the long term. We're going to win. And we're going to win now.''
โ USF women's basketball head coach Kristy Curry after being hired away from Alabama.
"Amazing coaches like Amir Abdur-Rahim and Bryan Hodgson brought a great spotlight to this program and to this university. That light is about to get a whole lot brighter. You ain't seen nothing yet. Bulls fans, buckle up!''
โ Chris Mack on the day he was formally introduced as head coach for USF men's basketball.
"This never gets old. The name (of the opponent) doesn't matter. We're going to do what we do.''
โ USF softball's Kathy Garcia-Soto after the Bulls won their second straight American Conference Tournament to earn a second straight appearance at the NCAA Tournament.
"At the beginning of the year, this is what you prepare for โฆ and at the end of the year, this is where you want to be. We don't really worry about anybody else. We take care of business within our own lane and stay focused on doing the things we can control. You see people with a certain name on their shirt, but that doesn't mean they can't get beat. So we go in with the idea of representing ourselves and USF at the highest level of this sport.''
โ USF track and field coach Erik Jenkins, who took two relay teams and a 200-meter sprinter to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and had all of them earn some form of All-America status.
"There are still people who are asking me, 'Is this stadium really going to happen?' I just say, 'Drive by and see for yourself.' I'm hoping for absolute craziness, the student body coming out, tailgating all over the place. More people will come onto our campus and experience everything USF has to offer, even more than football. It's going to change this institution forever.''
โ Lelo Prado, USF's Senior Deputy Director of Athletics.
"All gas. No brakes.''
โ Rob Higgins, often.
LOOKING AHEAD
Some things to anticipate for the 2026-27 athletic year.
It's the 30th anniversary season for USF football and its final campaign inside Raymond James Stadium as the Bulls prepare for the 2027 debut of the program's on-campus stadium and football operations center.
The American Conference will begin a two-year run of holding its men's and women's basketball tournaments at USF's Yuengling Center.
Five new head coaches are in place for the 2026-27 school year โ Kristy Curry (women's basketball), Brian Hartline (football), George Kiefer (men's soccer), Jo Kremer (beach volleyball) and Chris Mack (men's basketball). Of course, Kiefer is a familiar face, having also spent 2002-16 as USF's men's soccer head coach.
USF beach volleyball, which just finished its inaugural season, will open its new six-court, lighted on-campus facility. It includes a large digital scoreboard and a state-of-the-art sound system. It will be ready for the program's second season in winter/spring 2027.
