Janelle Irwin Taylor
The University of South Florida (USF) has named Rob Higgins as its first-ever “CEO of Athletics,” a new position created to oversee the school’s burgeoning sports program that just days ago enjoyed an unexpected victory over the more established football program at the University of Florida.
USF selected Higgins after a national search.
Higgins has served as executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission since 2004, where he successfully positioned the region as one of the nation’s premier destinations in sports and entertainment, including hosting two Super Bowls, a College Football Playoff National Championship and several other high-profile events.
Higgins is a former USF Athletics staff member.
“In this new era of college athletics, not only is the role about providing a top-tier experience for our student-athletes across all sports, it now requires a business approach to build a competitive enterprise, grow revenue, embrace innovation, lead through change and position our university — and the Tampa Bay region — on the national stage,” USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford said.
“Rob Higgins has proven during his time with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission that he isn’t afraid to dream big. He’ll bring that same ambition to USF and we’re excited to welcome him back home to lead our next chapter.”
Higgins served as the President and CEO of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee in 2021 and was on the Bid and Operations Committee that hosted Super Bowl XLIII in 2009.
Higgins oversaw or participated in attracting numerous other high-profile events throughout his tenure with the Commission, including the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four on four occasions, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament three times, the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in hockey three times, the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship twice, the NHL All-Star Weekend, the NHL Stadium Series and WrestleMania 37.
“Rob is a terrific example of the impact our alumni make every day. Through his tireless efforts over the past two decades, Rob has helped elevate Tampa Bay through hosting events that generate economic impact for our communities, attract thousands of visitors to the area and grow the region’s brand to audiences across the world,” said USF President Rhea Law.
“We’re proud of all his success and look forward to everything he will accomplish as our CEO of USF Athletics.”
In addition to his accomplishments with the Sports Commission, Higgins was named to the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Power 100 each of the last five years. He was also selected for Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” and the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s “30 Under 30” list. The Tampa Bay Times named him one of the top 10 difference makers in Tampa Bay and Huffington Post listed him as one of the top 30 sports marketers in the world.
“I’ve been fortunate to know Rob Higgins for many years, and I’ve seen the passion he has for the University of South Florida and the Tampa Bay region,” said USF Board of Trustees Vice Chair Mike Griffin. “As a university and as a community, we have great momentum. USF is rising in research, rankings and reputation. Especially as we prepare to open our transformational on-campus stadium in the coming years, Bulls Nation is more engaged and energized than ever. At this pivotal time in USF Athletics history, Rob is the right person to lead us into a new era.”
Higgins’ USF roots run deep. He attended his first men’s basketball game at USF at just 8 years old, later becoming a ball kid for the team. After graduating from the school many years later, Higgins began working as a staff member for USF Athletics.
He was inducted into USF’s Zimmerman School of Advertising Hall of Fame in 2015, and in May 2025, he received the Distinguished Citizen Award at the USF Commencement.
“I never imagined that an opportunity to volunteer as a young boy at USF basketball games would take me down a path to a career of over 20 years serving at the Tampa Bay Sports Commission and now the opportunity to return to my alma mater as the first CEO of Athletics,” Higgins said. “Clichés are often rooted in some truth, but this truly is a dream come true. I could not be more honored to take on this responsibility and could not be more excited to get started.”
