USF began a football program in 1997 . They played in Tampa Stadium for one season , then moved into newly built Raymond James Stadium the following year . The program competed as a NCAA Division I-AA independent during its first four seasons until 2001 , when the Bulls moved up to Division I-A . They joined Conference USA in 2003 , switched to the Big East Conference in 2005 , and became a charter member of the American Athletic Conference in 2013
Big East Conference
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
Sports in the Tampa Bay Area