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I’m so excited to be back for my second semester with the @usforacle as a multimedia correspondent!
Despite a rainy start to the USF Men’s Soccer season, I’m thrilled with how these photos came out! If you want to keep up with me and my journey, give me a follow!

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For USF men’s soccer midfielder Luka Zujovic, the 2026 FIFA World Cup came home this summer, but without the country his family still calls home.

Visiting Serbia has remained a tradition for Zujovic, who spends parts of his summers in Serbia, where he first developed his feel for the ball.

“When I used to come to Serbia every summer, I used to play out on the street,” the sophomore midfielder said. “It just came naturally, just through consistent playing.”

Serbia narrowly missed qualifying for the World Cup, finishing third in UEFA Group K— one point shy of a berth at the World Cup.

The World Cup, a global competition played every four years, is taking place across 16 North American cities, according to FIFA.

And for the first time, 48 nations are competing — up from the 32-team field that defined the previous five tournaments — making this the largest edition of the tournament ever held.

And while millions of Americans are experiencing the World Cup as a national event, many of USF’s international players are watching through different lenses as they follow countries from around the world.

That diversity has become part of the Bulls’ locker room — bringing together players from across the world whose experiences with the game stretch far beyond Tampa.

But men’s soccer head coach George Kiefer said the tournament gives the Bulls more than something to watch. It gives them ideas to bring back into their own preparation on the pitch.

“The World Cup always brings new trends to the game,” Kiefer said. “We’ll see more teams with three backs, four backs. How creative will they be on restarts? You can always pull things from a World Cup.”

✍️ by Godlove Nkembo (@godlove_nkembo)
🎨 by Isabella Cruz (@izzy_cruz13)

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What started as an online Discord server at USF in 2020 has grown into one of the most active collegiate esports programs in the country.

USF Esports, now in its sixth year, has evolved from a small online gaming community into a program with 13 competitive clubs, a state tournament and a physical lab at the Tampa campus.

Discord is a free communication platform widely used in the gaming community that allows users to voice call, video call and text, according to the platform.

Esports coordinator Andrew Ross said the program’s foundation was built before it ever had a physical space.

“We didn’t invent the gaming culture here — it was already here,” Ross said. “We just wanted to have the official program be an avenue that they could continue to do what they loved and they were passionate about, but do it in a way that was supported by the university.”

The program spent its first four years operating entirely online — running tournaments, intramurals and watch parties through its Discord server.

But that changed in fall 2024, when the 2,700-square-foot Esports Living Lab, equipped with 42 computers, four console stations, a private gaming suite and a broadcast room for live events, opened inside the Campus Recreation Center.

Ross said the lab’s opening and success have always been more than just gaming — and offers students a place to learn, grow and develop skills inside and outside of esports.

"Really showing the campus that this space is for everyone, I think, is the most important thing."

✍️ by Hong Phong Le (@lhpbabyy)
📸 by Dylan Sabol (@sabol_photography)
🎨 by Thomas Marrs (@tom_marrs_photo)

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USF announced Jo Kremer will be the head coach of the Bulls’ Beach Volleyball program for its second season on Saturday.

The move came 15 days after former head coach Pri Piantadosi-Lima resigned for personal reasons.

Kremer, 30, has spent 11 years in collegiate beach volleyball, ranging from her time as a player with the University of Southern California to coaching at the University of California, Los Angeles and Tulane University.

Now, she takes the helm as head coach at USF after three seasons as an assistant coach at Stanford University.

USF’s beach volleyball program was announced in 2022 and came to fruition in 2026, with the Bulls posting a 21-15 record under Piantadosi-Lima.

Now, as new facilities are developed for the Bulls’ upcoming season, Kremer said her vision for the program aligned with athletics.

“I share their vision for the future of USF Athletics, especially their belief in women’s sports and their commitment to the student-athlete experience,” Kremer said in the announcement. “I am extremely excited about the roster and look forward to supporting these unbelievable young women on and off the sand.”

✍️ by Tobey Blair (@tobeywblair)
📸 USF Athletics
🎨 by Isabella Cruz (@izzy_cruz13)
📲 Click the link in bio to read more.

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The Florida Board of Governors Task Force on Intercollegiate Athletics discussed new rules and regulations for college sports in an April 30 meeting at the USF Morsani College of Medicine.

The task force — composed of athletic directors, university trustees, student athletes and state officials — was created in March to examine how the state can stay competitive in sports markets while protecting athletes and universities amid the name, image and likeness era.

Ken Jones, the task force chair, said the meeting was meant to open a dialogue on possible solutions for the state’s collegiate sports NIL market as it grows into a multibillion-dollar industry.

“What began as an effort to create fairness for student-athletes has evolved into a system that is dynamic, and as I mentioned, also fragmented, very inconsistent and very increasingly difficult to govern,” Jones said.

The NCAA first allowed athletes to profit from NIL in 2021 following the Supreme Court’s NCAA v Alston ruling, opening the door for endorsement deals, sponsorships and collectives.

Throughout the meeting, speakers discussed possible solutions for collegiate sports systems, including modeling agent certification rules, athlete trust funds and collective bargaining frameworks after professional leagues.

Jones said college athletics should prepare athletes for careers after sports, not solely for immediate earnings.

“College athletics does not exist without an educational system underneath it,” he said.

✍ by Mithil Vyas (@mithil.vyas)
📸 & 🎨 by Dylan Sabol (@dylansabol)

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USF’s on-campus stadium is one of the most ambitious developments in university history. But, concerns over unstable ground have followed the development from the start.

USF Emergency Management reported the formation of two potential sinkholes at Sycamore Fields in October 2024, weeks before USF broke ground on the same site for its planned $407 million stadium project.

One formation was reported to be three feet wide and two feet long, while the other was reported to be three feet wide and one foot long, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Subsidence Incident Reports map.

The sinkholes did not cause any structural damage, but led to practice delays for USF intramural teams, according to The Oracle.

Still, the discovery of the sinkhole formations and surrounding unstable soil prompted developers to pump thousands of cubic yards of grout into the earth to fortify the stadium’s construction.

✍️ by Noah Vinsky
📸 by Mithil Vyas (@mithil.vyas)
🎨 by Dylan Sabol (@dylansabol)

📲Click the link in bio to read more.

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Former football coach Alex Golesh left USF one day after the regular season ended, following a nine-win campaign that marked the program’s most wins in nearly a decade.

Months later, men’s basketball coach Bryan Hodgson left three days after the Bulls’ NCAA Tournament loss and season that tied the program record for wins.

The exits came at different times, yet followed the same pattern — coaches in mid-level conferences that leave for higher-paying jobs at bigger programs.

And in programs outside the power conferences, that kind of success can attract attention that is difficult to sustain.

Golesh and Hodgson’s departures could spur the belief that USF can now develop winning programs, but struggles to keep the coaches behind them.

Those exits bring the issue into focus — of USF rejecting the stepping-stone label it currently has, even as it works to move beyond it.

And for Athletics CEO Rob Higgins, the phrase is the wrong way to frame it.

Higgins said the department is focused on changing that perception through hiring proven coaches, investment in its future and long-term planning.

“I think we’re ultra-focused on changing that narrative,” he said. “USF deserves to be a destination and not a pit stop.”

✍️ by Mithil Vyas (@mithil.vyas)
📸 & 🎨 by Dylan Sabol (@sabol_photography)
 📲 Click the link in bio to read more.

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As the late-afternoon sun settled over Corbett Stadium on Sunday during USF football’s annual spring game, the scene carried the feel of both a preview and a promise.

Across the field, steel beams and the rising structure of the upcoming on-campus stadium framed what the program will soon call home. On the field, under a lightly clouded Tampa sky, the Bulls offered a glimpse of what might fill it.

A crowd of 3,878 — including 234 students — filtered in hours before the 3:30 p.m. kickoff, settling into aluminum bleachers that baked in the heat.

Music pulsed between snaps, vendors lined the concourse and when the gates opened, clusters of fans, alumni and students alike moved quickly, angling for shade and sightlines.

And what unfolded during the game was less about a final score and more about orientation — a first public look at a roster reshaped by transfers in the shadow of their future home.

On the field, the Bulls’ offense faced the defense with rotating units, and an emphasis on evaluation over outcome — a point head coach Brian Hartline stressed afterward.

“[We did] a good job of assessing what we did well,” Hartline said. “We got to continue that, and then we have to enhance the things that we didn’t do well.

Quarterbacks Michael Van Buren and Luke Kromenhoek rotated through drives, each showing flashes yet also missing throws in equal measure.

Hartline said the starting job remains undecided, but he praised both Van Buren and Kromenhoek for steady play.

“It’ll be a quarterback battle for a while,” he said. “I’m encouraged with the way they’re competing.”

✍️ by Mithil Vyas (@mithil.vyas)
📸 by Jeanelle Henderson (@azaliasphotos) & Violet Vasquez Pimentel (@shots.byviolet)
🎨 by Rachell Ross (@rachell__ross)
 📲 Click the link in bio to read more and check out our gallery.

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Fowler Avenue, USF’s name, image and likeness collective, ceased operations on April 3 after four years of helping fund and support student-athletes.

Corey Staniscia, Fowler Avenue’s co-founder and CEO, said the organization was created in 2022 to support USF athletes with financial literacy training, tax guidance and business support as NIL reshaped college sports.

NIL allowed college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness after a 2021 ruling, enabling endorsement deals and other commercial opportunities, according to ESPN.

“From day one, Fowler Avenue’s mission has been simple: invest in and protect USF’s athletes and help them go pro in sport and in life,” Staniscia said in a press release.

Prior to the settlement taking effect, collectives acted as a third-party between donor-driven funds and the university for its student-athletes NIL opportunities, according to On3.

The decision to shut down Fowler Avenue, Staniscia said, was reached jointly with USF after weeks of discussion about what role, if any, the collective would play after the settlement.

“We just didn’t see that there’s a proper path forward,” he said.

Athletics CEO Rob Higgins said that, despite its end, Fowler Avenue was a key part of the athletic department’s transition through the early years of NIL.

“The generosity and passion of its members have directly translated into genuine opportunities for our student-athletes,” Higgins said in a statement. “Not just on the field or court, but in their lives and careers beyond sport.”

USF’s shuttering of its NIL collective reflects the impact of revenue sharing on college sports, as schools now pay athletes under the House settlement, replacing donor-funded collectives with institutional budgets.

“This industry is changing daily, if not weekly and monthly,” Staniscia said. “There’s so many different things that are moving and different mechanics that are going on.”

✍️ by Mithil Vyas (@mithil.vyas)
🎨 by Thomas Marrs (@tom_marrs_photo) & Rachell Ross (@rachell__ross)
 📲 Click the link in bio to read more.

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Students shuffled in line behind the north entrance of the Marshall Student Center on Tuesday, braving the unseasonably chilly April temperatures and sporadic rainfall.

But it wasn’t free food or a celebrity appearance they were waiting for. It was the chance to sign a 10,000-pound steel beam that will be used to construct USF’s on-campus stadium.

USF’s on-campus stadium, which is being constructed on the former Sycamore Fields, is slated to open by fall 2027. It will be home to the football and women’s lacrosse teams.

The $348.5-million stadium will have a capacity of around 35,000 and will feature an open-air concourse, an east-west design to maximize shade and a designated tailgating space.

The stadium construction may be conducted behind chain-link fences and security checkpoints for now. But during this year’s USF Week, students gained an opportunity to leave their mark on one of the most anticipated developments in university history.

The 43-foot beam will be placed within the student section, an 8,000-seat wing sloping above the stadium’s west endzone.

✍️ Story: Noah Vinsky (@noah.reports)
🎤 Anchor/Video: Thomas Marrs (@tom_marrs_photo)
🎧 Editing/Production: Cole Abruzzese (@c.a._photography_) & Izzy Cruz (@izzy_cruz13)

📲 Click the link in bio to read more.

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USF men’s basketball coach Chris Mack will make $1.4 million in his first season with the Bulls — a $300,000 jump from his salary with the College of Charleston.

Mack, 56, inked a five-year, $8.3 million contract with USF, according to records obtained by The Oracle.

He will receive $500,000 from base pay, paired with $900,000 in supplemental compensation contingent upon promotional and media obligations.

But beyond annual pay, Mack’s deal reflects a shift in USF’s approach to retention.

His contract features a larger buyout than former coach Bryan Hodgson’s and the addition of a retention bonus to keep him in Tampa long term.

✍️ by Mithil Vyas (@mithil.vyas)
📸 by Dylan Sabol (@dylansabol)
🎨 by Rachell Ross (@rachell__ross)

📲 Click the link in our bio to read more.

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Newly hired USF women’s basketball coach Kristy Curry will earn $750,000 in her first season with the Bulls.

Curry signed a five-year, $4 million contract with USF through 2031, according to records obtained by The Oracle.

Her deal includes a $500,000 base salary and $250,000 in supplemental compensation tied to promotional and media obligations.

In 2025, Curry had signed a five-year, $3.5 million contract extension with Alabama that would have run through 2030, according to 247Sports.

That deal increased her salary to $700,000 annually — which is less than what she will make in her first season at South Florida.

Curry’s compensation at USF will increase by $25,000 annually, pushing her total pay to $850,000 by the end of the contract.

Curry’s salary will be an increase in pay over former women’s basketball coach Jose Fernandez’s 2023 six-year contract.

His pay also started at $750,000 in 2023, but would’ve been capped at $800,000 annually from 2026 to 2029 — which is $50,000 less than what Curry can reach.

Fernandez left for the WNBA’s Dallas Wings before the 2025-26 season, replacing Chris Koclanes, who was fired after a league-worst 10-34 season.

The contract reflects more than just a pay increase for Curry, as her deal outlines increased staff funding and a new revenue-sharing element tied to student-athletes getting paid.

✍️ by Brady Maffei (@bradymaffei)
📸 by Hayley Reed (@hreed__22)
🎨 by Rachell Ross (@rachell__ross)

📲 Click the link in bio to read more.

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