Bulls' scheduled opponents completed for the 2015-2017 football seasons (see schedules at bottom)
TAMPA, DEC. 18, 2014 – USF's American Athletic Conference football opponents have been set for the next four seasons as the conference announced the schedule format for the 2015 through 2018 seasons.
Conference teams were designated home and away opponents and non-plays over the next four seasons. Dates of games will be announced by the conference at a later date. USF's scheduled opponents for the 2015 through 2017 seasons are now set, with the Bulls playing six regular season home games in 2015 and seven in each of the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
The American will expand to 12 teams in 2015 with the addition of Navy. The conference will divide into East and West divisions with USF a part of the East Division that includes intrastate rival UCF, Cincinnati, UConn, East Carolina and Temple. The West Division will consist of Houston, Memphis, Navy, SMU, Tulane and Tulsa.
Starting in 2015, American Conference teams will play each of the five other teams in their division and three teams from the other division yearly, ensuring each school will play every conference opponent at home and on the road at least once in a four-year cycle. Division winners, as determined by conference record, will meet in a championship game to be played at the home site of one of the division winners.
For the first two years of division play (2015 & 2016), USF will face Memphis, Navy and SMU from the West Division. The following two-year period (2017 & 2018) will see the Bulls face Houston, Tulsa and Tulane from the West Division.
In 2015, the Bulls will have home conference contests vs. Cincinnati, Memphis, SMU and Temple. Those games will be joined by non-conference clashes vs. Florida A&M (Sept. 5) and Syracuse (Oct. 10) among six home games. USF will travel to UCF, UConn, East Carolina and Navy during the conference season and play non-conference road games at Maryland (Sept. 19) and Florida State (Sept. 26).
In 2016, the conference home and away opponents will be reversed with the Bulls taking on UCF, UConn, East Carolina and Navy in Raymond James Stadium as well as non-conference contests vs. Towson (Sept. 3), Northern Illinois (Sept. 10) and Florida State (Sept. 24) in seven home games. USF will travel to Cincinnati, Memphis, SMU and Temple in conference play and to Syracuse (Sept. 17) among five road games.
USF's 2017 home slate will include conference games vs. Cincinnati, Houston, Temple and Tulsa and non-conference contests vs. Stony Brook (Sept. 2), Illinois (Sept. 9) and Wisconsin (Sept. 16) in seven home games. The Bulls will face UCF, UConn, East Carolina and Tulane in conference road games and a non-conference road trip to Northern Illinois (Sept. 23).
The Bulls 2018 home slate currently includes a non-conference contest vs. Elon (Sept. 1) and conference games vs. UCF, UConn, East Carolina and Tulane. USF has a non-conference road game on tap at Illinois (Sept. 15) and will face conference road contests at Cincinnati, Houston, Temple and Tulsa.
USF returns 14 starters (6 offense, 7 defense and 1 specialist) for Taggart's third season at the helm. The Bulls will return their top five tacklers (9 the top 12 overall) and 73 percent of their tackles on defense. USF returns 100 percent of its rushing and passing yardage from 2014, including 1,000-yard rusher Marlon Mack, and 50 percent of its receptions and receiving yards.
The USF Football program completed its 18th season and 15th at the FBS level. The Bulls have made six bowl appearances, including every season between 2005-10, and have four bowl game victories. USF has produced 14 All-America selections, 23 NFL Draft picks and reached the No. 2 ranking in the Associated Press Poll in 2007.
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2015 USF FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Home: Cincinnati, Memphis, SMU, Temple; Non-Con: Florida A&M, Syracuse
Away: UCF, UConn, East Carolina, Navy; Non-Con: Maryland, Florida State
Do No Play: Houston, Tulane, Tulsa
2016 USF FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Home: UCF, UConn, East Carolina, Navy; Non-Con: Towson, N. Illinois, Florida State
Away: Cincinnati, Memphis, SMU, Temple; Non-Con: Syracuse
Do No Play: Houston, Tulane, Tulsa
2017 USF FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Home: Cincinnati, Houston, Temple, Tulsa; Non-Con: Stony Brook, Illinois, Wisconsin
Away: UCF, UConn, East Carolina, Tulane; Non-Con: N. Illinois
Do No Play: Memphis, Navy, SMU
2018 USF FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Home: UCF, UConn, East Carolina, Tulane; Non-Con: Elon
Away: Cincinnati, Houston, Temple, Tulsa; Non-Con: Illinois
Do No Play: Memphis, Navy, SMU
