USF snags NCAA at-large bid
Despite finishing sixth in the Big East Red Division and missing out on the conferences postseason tournament, the USF mens soccer team earned an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament and will host a tournament game for the second straight year.
Its a great reward for the team. Weve battled through a lot this season, sometimes with three or four guys out, and the group kept staying with each other, head coach George Kiefer said. I think theyre very deserving of the reward and we look forward to our first game.
The Bulls return to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth consecutive season and will play a familiar opponent in their 2012 tournament opener.
USF will open the tournament at home against Florida Gulf Coast, a team that the Bulls beat 3-0 on Sept. 25 at Corbett Soccer Stadium.
Weve already played them before, but that means nothing, senior Kyle Nicholls said. Its a fresh tournament game and were putting that game aside because theyre a very good team.
The at-large bid came despite a slow finish to the regular season for the team. USF was 2-3-3 following the win over Florida Gulf Coast and ended the season with a loss to DePaul in the only conference win for the Blue Devils, finishing the season 8-5-4, 2-3-3.
USF was aided by early wins over ranked opponents in Tulsa, SMU and wins over perennial contenders Michigan and St. Johns, along with finishing No. 26 in final RPI rankings.
The Bulls play Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday at 7:15 p.m.
More Stories
OPINION: USF coaches need to be more than game-day leaders
In his first year at USF, baseball head coach Mitch Hannahs brought an old-school approach to the program. He stayed off social media and had minimal interactions with fans, except during press conferences and games. And toward the end of the season, Hannahs began to decline interviews with The Oracle — both for himself and […]
USF prepares for more scholarships, revenue opportunities after NIL settlement
As universities began directly paying athletes on Tuesday as part of the House v. NCAA settlement, increased scholarships and revenue opportunities will become the norm under the landmark NIL ruling. Former USF Athletic Director Michael Kelly told The Oracle that the settlement also paves the way for another opportunity for USF to be invited to […]
USF’s Fowler Avenue ‘isn’t going anywhere’ despite NIL changes
Corey Staniscia didn’t need a court ruling to see where college sports were headed. Long before a federal judge approved the House v. NCAA settlement on June 6, Staniscia saw what was coming — a future where schools, not just collectives, could pay athletes directly. So, as the CEO and co-founder of the Fowler Avenue […]
USF support program helps international student-athletes thrive
For Mathis Haugen, a USF international student-athlete from Norway, his journey started with a leap of faith. Haugen said he planned to take a gap year after high school and then apply to college. But when USF recruited him in fall 2021, everything changed. Now a senior, the men’s soccer defender had never visited the […]
USF men’s basketball rounds up roster with latest commits
USF men’s basketball officially has a full house, finalizing its revamped roster with all 15 scholarship spots now filled. New head coach Bryan Hodgson has wasted no time building a new roster. After Hodgson was hired in March, he began his tenure by securing three high school recruits and five players out of the transfer […]
USF beach volleyball balances summer training away from campus
In the summertime, while some USF students are having fun in the sun, athletes don’t stop their training. USF beach volleyball players Morgan Anderson and Sasha Pasloski know all too well what goes into a Division I athlete’s summer routine. Although the Bulls won’t play their inaugural season until the spring, they have been preparing […]