USF bolsters nonconference schedule for Chris Mack's first season

The South Florida Bulls were one of the best mid-major teams in America last season.

USF is looking to sustain that status as Chris Mack takes the reins for his first season in Tampa Bay.

Now that all 15 of USF’s roster spots are filled, Mack and his staff have moved on to the next step in cementing the Bulls as one of the nation’s top mid-major basketball programs: building a nonconference schedule that challenges the team early while providing multiple opportunities for quality wins that can boost its metrics.

Over the past few weeks, USF has secured numerous games to round out its nonconference slate.

Here is a look at those opponents:

DePaul (Nov. 5)

USF opens the season with a true road game for the first time since 2009, when it played at SMU. The Bulls and Blue Demons have an extensive history as conference rivals. The teams competed together in Conference USA from 1995 to 2005 and in the Big East from 2005 to 2013.

This will be the first meeting between the teams since the 2019 College Basketball Invitational, when USF defeated DePaul twice in a three-game series.

Not only do the programs share history, but Mack and DePaul head coach Chris Holtmann are familiar with each other as well. The two faced off as conference rivals from 2014 to 2017, when Mack coached Xavier and Holtmann coached Butler. Mack went 5-3 against Holtmann during that stretch.

The Blue Demons are 30-36 under Holtmann in two seasons. The teams will meet again in Tampa in 2027.

Saint Joseph’s (Nov. 13)

The teams will meet at the Veterans Classic in Annapolis, Maryland. It will be just the third meeting between the programs, with the most recent coming in 2022 when USF defeated the Hawks 75-62.

Saint Joseph’s is one of the more historically decorated mid-major programs in the country, with 21 NCAA Tournament appearances. Its most recent appearance came in 2016.

The Hawks had a strong season under first-year head coach Steven Donahue, finishing 24-12. They were eliminated by VCU in the Atlantic 10 Conference semifinals.

Dayton (Dec. 12)

The Bulls will travel to UD Arena in December to face another decorated mid-major program.

It will be the first meeting between the schools. Dayton has made 19 NCAA Tournament appearances, most recently in 2024.

The Flyers are 197-95 in nine seasons under head coach Anthony Grant. They reached the NIT quarterfinals last season after losing to VCU in the Atlantic 10 championship game.

The teams will meet in Tampa in 2027.

Kennesaw State (Dec. 19)

Game 2 of the Love Wins Classic, which honors the late Amir Abdur-Rahim, will be played in Tampa this year.

Last season, the teams met at the KSU Convocation Center, where USF earned a 108-89 victory.

The Owls are led by Antoine Pettway, who has impressed in three seasons as a head coach. Last season, Kennesaw State finished 21-14 and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since Abdur-Rahim led the program there in 2023.

Charleston (TBD)

USF will hit the road to face Mack’s former team.

The schools met last season in Tampa, with Mack’s Cougars falling to Amir Abdur-Rahim’s Bulls 81-75.

Now Mack will lead the Bulls against new Charleston head coach John Groce, who spent the previous five seasons at Akron and led the Zips to three NCAA Tournament appearances.

Saint Louis (TBD)

The Bulls will face the Billikens on a neutral floor as part of a special American Athletic Conference-Atlantic 10 challenge.

Saint Louis was one of the country’s best teams during the regular season, going 27-4 and finishing with a school-record 29 victories.

The Billikens earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament before being eliminated by eventual national champion Michigan in the Round of 32.

Saint Louis head coach Josh Schertz is 48-21 in two seasons.

West Florida (TBD)

The Bulls will round out their home schedule with a matchup against West Florida.

The teams have not met since 1976, and USF holds a 4-3 advantage in the series.

West Florida will join the ASUN Conference and make the transition to Division I this fall.

Last season, USF played 13 nonconference games. With only seven games currently scheduled, the remainder of the Bulls' nonconference slate will be filled out in the coming weeks and months.