The University of South Florida men’s basketball team will begin the 2024-25 campaign with a neutral-site matchup against Florida on Nov. 4 at the Jacksonville Sports Foundation Invitational. The Bulls and Gators will play at VyStar Veterans Arena in Jacksonville.
Game time, television designation, and ticket details will be announced in the coming weeks. Fans interested in ticket presale access, as well as receiving additional event news, can register at arena.jaxevents.com.
It was a historic season for the South Florida Bulls in 2023-24 as the program finished with a school-record 25 wins and claimed its first conference regular season title in program history in head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim’s first season with the program. The Bulls return three players who started at least 13 games last season, including Kobe Knox, who started all 33 games, and Jayden Reid, who was named to the AAC All-Freshman Team.
November’s matchup will be the 25th all-time meeting between the two programs. Florida holds a 19-5 advantage in the series. The last meeting was on December 18, 2021.
Founded in May of 2024, the Jacksonville Sports Foundation’s mission is to elevate Jacksonville into a vibrant hub for sports tourism. Intersport, a Chicago-based agency with an expertise in event development and creation, has partnered with the Jacksonville Sports Foundation with the goal of bringing impactful events that help raise the status of the city as a sports tourism destination.
“The Jacksonville Sports Foundation is thrilled to bring these two Florida basketball powerhouses to Florida’s Championship City this November. This game is a great way to kick off the college basketball season, and we are excited for the opportunity to host this high-caliber sporting event here in our City at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena,” said Michael Corrigan, President, Jacksonville Sports Foundation.
“Intersport has a demonstrated history of building legacy sporting events, including immensely popular events like the Fort Myers Tip-Off, which will be entering its seventh year this season, among others,” said Mark Starsiak. “We have cemented ourselves as a leader in creating meaningful and impactful events, and we look forward to an exciting in-state matchup and helping the Jacksonville Sports Foundation build a tentpole event in their city to tip off the college basketball season.”
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF men’s basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
The South Florida men’s basketball team is led by Amir Abdur-Rahim, who was named the 11th head coach in program history on March 29, 2023. In his first season at South Florida, Abdur-Rahim was a unanimous choice for American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Abdur-Rahim has led USF to a 25-8 (16-2, AAC) record and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament as the Bulls claimed the program’s first-ever regular season conference title with a two-game cushion. USF’s win total marks a nine-win improvement over 2022-23, among the top 20 improvements in the nation in 2023-24, and just the sixth 20-win season in program history. The Bulls’ 25 wins set the program record, which bested the 24 wins set in 2018-19.
USF earned its first-ever Top 25 ranking in men’s basketball during the season, reaching as high as No. 24 in the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Polls. The Bulls’ 16 wins in conference play are the most in program history and USF held the longest win streak in the nation, posting 15 straight victories in conference play to register the program’s longest-ever win streak.
USF has retired three numbers in its history: Chucky Atkins (12), Charlie Bradley (30), and Radenko Dobras (31). The Bulls have earned three NCAA tournament bids, appeared in the NIT eight times, and won the 2019 College Basketball Invitational.
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com. Season tickets for the 2023-24 USF men’s basketball slate are on sale now. To purchase season tickets, click here.
