By When Rob Higgins returned to his alma mater as the University of South Florida’s first Vice President for Athletics and CEO of Athletics, he challenged Bulls Nation to think bigger.
His vision was ambitious: elevate expectations, invest in every sport, unite the university behind a common purpose, and position USF among the nation’s premier athletic departments.
“All gas and no brakes” became the motto for everything in the athletic department.
Less than a year later, that vision is no longer just a blueprint for the future. It is producing results.
The 2025-26 athletic year was one of the finest in the University of South Florida’s history.
In baseball, football, softball, and men’s and women’s basketball, the Bulls compiled an impressive 130-63 overall record, good for a .673 winning percentage—the eighth-best mark in school history and best in the AAC for 2025-26.
In the Power Five conferences, only seven schools had a better win percentage than USF.
Those schools were Duke, UCLA, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas Tech, Alabama, Texas, and Virginia.
More importantly, success wasn’t confined to one or two programs. It became a department-wide standard, with conference championships, NCAA Tournament appearances, bowl success, and national recognition spread across multiple sports.
That broad-based excellence reflects the culture Higgins has worked to build since taking over the department.
His impact extends far beyond wins and losses.
Perhaps no project better symbolizes Higgins’ vision than the construction of USF’s transformational on-campus football stadium.
For nearly three decades, the Bulls played home games away from campus.
Under Higgins’ leadership, a dream generations of USF supporters hoped to see has finally become a reality.
The stadium represents much more than a new venue. It will transform recruiting, enhance the student-athlete experience, strengthen campus life, and provide a lasting home-field advantage for one of the university’s flagship programs.
At the same time, Higgins has energized fundraising efforts, bringing together alums, donors, business leaders, and fans behind a shared vision for the future.
Those investments are helping modernize facilities, expand student-athlete resources, improve recruiting, and position USF to compete in an increasingly competitive era of college athletics shaped by conference realignment, NIL, and the transfer portal.
The results on the field quickly followed.
Men’s basketball enjoyed a dream season under first-year head coach Bryan Hodgson.
The Bulls finished 26-8, captured both the American Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships, and earned the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2012.
It was the type of breakthrough Higgins envisioned when he hired Hodgson to restore one of USF’s flagship programs.
Football continued its steady ascent under Alex Golesh, finishing 7-6 while earning a second consecutive bowl appearance and bowl victory. As excitement builds toward the opening of the new stadium, the Bulls continue to establish themselves as one of the conference’s rising programs.
Baseball also began a promising new chapter under first-year head coach Mitch Hannahs. The Bulls posted a 32-21 record, just missing the American Athletic Conference Tournament.
Softball delivered one of the finest seasons in school history, compiling a 44-17 record while going 21-6 in conference play. The Bulls captured the AAC Tournament championship before advancing to the NCAA Fayetteville Regional final, reaffirming their place among the nation’s top programs.
Women’s lacrosse continued its meteoric rise in only its second Division I season. The Bulls finished 12-5 overall, posted a perfect 6-0 conference record, captured the program’s first American Athletic Conference regular-season championship, and reached the conference tournament championship game. Few emerging programs in the country enjoyed a faster ascent.
Women’s soccer added another successful chapter to its tradition of excellence, finishing 11-4-5 and once again earning an NCAA Tournament berth.
The department’s success stretched well beyond those headline programs.
Men’s golf qualified for NCAA Regional competition, track and field produced NCAA Championship qualifiers and All-Americans, and tennis, volleyball, cross country, and several Olympic sports all contributed to one of the deepest and most balanced athletic years in school history.
While championships define success, Higgins has also prioritized building a first-class experience for every student-athlete. Investments in academics, nutrition, sports medicine, leadership development, and mental health resources demonstrate a commitment to developing champions both on the field and in the classroom.
Just as significant has been Higgins’ ability to elevate USF’s national profile. His experience leading major sporting events and cultivating relationships throughout college athletics has strengthened the university’s reputation during one of the most transformative periods in NCAA history.
As conference realignment continues to reshape the collegiate landscape, USF is increasingly viewed as an institution positioned for long-term growth.
Perhaps Higgins’ greatest accomplishment, however, cannot be measured by trophies or winning percentages.
He has restored belief.
Across the athletic department, there is renewed confidence among coaches, student-athletes, alums, donors, and fans that USF can compete with anyone. Success is no longer viewed as an occasional breakthrough; it has become the expectation.
The remarkable accomplishments of the 2025-26 season represent more than a collection of victories. They are evidence of a department united behind a clear vision, strengthened by strategic leadership, and committed to sustained excellence.
With an on-campus stadium taking shape, record fundraising, championship-caliber programs, nationally respected coaches, and one of the best all-around athletic years in school history, the first year of the Rob Higgins era has demonstrated that USF Athletics is no longer simply building toward a brighter future.
It is already becoming one of the nation’s rising athletic departments, and the foundation Higgins has established suggests the Bulls’ best years are still ahead.
