Investment will name the USF Athletics District and the Tampa General Hospital Center for Athletic Excellence which will feature key space for clinical behavioral health services
Sept. 7, 2023
The University of South Florida (USF) and Tampa General Hospital (TGH) announced today a $25 million gift from TGH to name the Center for Athletic Excellence, an operations facility that will be included as part of USF’s new on-campus stadium project and will feature dedicated clinical space for TGH. The gift will also name the university’s athletics district.
“We are incredibly grateful to Tampa General Hospital for this historic gift and for their phenomenal partnership with USF that goes back decades,” said USF President Rhea Law. “This investment in our students, our university and our community will have far-reaching positive impacts for generations to come.”
The Tampa General Hospital Center for Athletic Excellence will be located adjacent to the stadium and feature clinical space, where TGH will provide behavioral health services, including assessments, treatment, therapies, career mentoring and more. The clinical space will benefit from research conducted in partnership with USF Health, and the services offered at the new location will be uniquely geared to support the needs of both the USF community and the broader Tampa Bay region.
“As one of the nation’s leading academic and research health systems, we are committed to strengthening our community,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. “We recognize the growing demand for behavioral health services in our region, and particularly around the USF campus. That’s why we’re doubling down on our partnership with the University of South Florida to expand access to care and support.”
This new investment from TGH, the largest gift ever to USF Athletics, deepens the partnership of two industry leaders. TGH and USF have supported one another for more than 50 years.
“USF’s trajectory was already stellar, especially after our recent invitation to join the Association of American Universities, and it is even higher today,” said USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford. “For TGH, a national leader in health care and pillar of our community, to show this commitment to our university is truly special.”
The Tampa General Hospital Center for Athletic Excellence will also provide space to support USF’s talented student-athletes and serve as the daily home for the football and women’s lacrosse teams. It will feature state-of-the-art locker rooms, sports medicine and treatment spaces, strength and conditioning rooms, coaches’ offices, training rooms, nutrition spaces and hydrotherapy pools for optimal performance and recovery.
The new on-campus stadium was approved by the USF Board of Trustees in June 2023 and is expected to open in 2026. USF Foundation CEO Jay Stroman and Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly serve as the project’s planning committee co-chairs.
“This is another great day to be a Bull,” said Stroman and Kelly. “The new on-campus stadium and its Center for Athletic Excellence will elevate the landscape of our entire Tampa General Hospital Athletics District. We are grateful to John Couris and his entire TGH team for their significant investment in USF’s ascension to new heights of excellence in academics, health care and athletics.”