What did USF know about New College campus takeover? Emails show key involvement
When University of South Florida officials broke ground on new Sarasota-Manatee campus facilities, they knew New College of Florida could soon take possession, according to emails reviewed by the Bradenton Herald.
Records show USF officials have been working on a plan for the liberal arts school to take the university’s Sarasota-Manatee campus since early 2025. Gov. Ron DeSantis included an identical proposal in the state 2026-2027 budget that would force USF to transfer the facilities at its Sarasota-Manatee campus to New College.
But according to records obtained by the Bradenton Herald and a statement from USF, the Florida Board of Governors asked USF and New College to look into “synergies” in 2024.
“USF and New College of Florida were asked by the Florida Board of Governors in September 2024 to explore possibilities for expanding our partnership or identifying additional synergies between our institutions,” Althea Johnson, USF’s senior director of media relations said in an emailed statement.
New College could acquire USFSM campus
“As part of that process, in 2025 USF prepared for a scenario in which state leaders might conclude that it is in the best interest of the State of Florida to transfer facilities and physical assets from USF Sarasota-Manatee to New College,” Johnson continued.
The USFSM campus has continued to grow despite rumblings of the New College takeover plan, including a $6.5 million STEM facility that broke ground in November.
The deal also requires New College to take on the USFSM’s debt for a recently-opened dormitory. Atala Hall, a $43.9 million project that opened in 2024, is a six-story building that is a mix of residence halls and campus facilities.
Despite the hall being part of USFSM, New College already uses nearly 75% of the 200 beds in Atala Hall, paying about $1.6 million per year to rent the rooms.
Past and present leaders of USF have publicly criticized the plan, while USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford declined to take a stance on the issue during a December Board of Trustees meeting. Instead, he said a final decision is “out of the university’s control.”
Emails show USF officials knew of campus plan
“This is a policy matter that’s going to be discussed, debated and worked through over the coming months of the legislative session,” Weatherford said at the meeting. “We don’t control the outcome of that discussion.”
But emails obtained via a public records request show Weatherford had known about the plan for nearly a year.
On Feb. 20, 2025, USF Vice President for Government Relations Mark Walsh emailed Weatherford and Rhea Law, former president of USF, with a draft bill. That bill would later appear in DeSantis’s 2026-2027 budget proposal for the 2026 legislative session, rather than the 2025 session.
“I put the attached together as a precautionary measure in the event that we need language quickly during the upcoming session. It endeavors to address what would be our chief concerns, namely the retention of all USF students and employees should they desire to stay with us, the release of the USF BOT from any debt obligations associated with the campus, and an orderly teach-out process. Retaining the campus’ past and future funding is another top priority, but the draft bill language doesn’t directly address that issue as it would be a legislative appropriations issue handled in the GAA development process,” Walsh said in the email.
“I am good. I say we send it to New College today,” Weatherford responded.
The email also included a list of items that would need to be addressed before the USFSM transfer to New College.
First, it says USF students and employees will have the option to remain with USF, and USFSM students would be able to continue using the non-residential facilities at the campus until those students graduate.
Another aspect of the deal would require New College to take on the financial liability of USF’s debt from building Atala Hall.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Florida lawmakers have not filed a bill to enact the campus takeover plan. The legislative session is set to end March 13.
