Florida lawmakers reach deal to transfer USF Sarasota-Manatee to New College
Florida lawmakers reached a deal over the weekend that, if finalized, will transfer the University of South Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee campus to New College.
Gov. Ron DeSantis included the draft bill in a proposed budget released in December. The bill stalled in the legislative session, but lawmakers reintroduced a modified version during a special session to finish the state budget.
If approved, the bill would require USF to transfer the Sarasota-Manatee campus buildings to New College starting in July. This includes the recent addition of a $44 million residence hall and a $6.5 million STEM facility that broke ground last year.
It would also require New College to assume all of USFSM’s debts by the end of this year, including the costs of the recent expansions. Additionally, the deal would give current USFSM students priority access to classroom space and educational services for up to four years after their initial enrollment.
Those caveats were not nearly enough to quiet the strong community backlash to the proposal, including opposition from some lawmakers.
“Our local businesses rely on this pipeline of talent to grow and thrive,” state Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, told WUSF last week in his first public comment on the issue. “The proposal to transfer (USFSM) would unravel all the good work our community has done to create opportunity for high school students, veterans, nurses, teachers, technology engineers and insurance professionals, among others.”
But others, including USF leadership, praised the move. Will Weatherford, a former state lawmaker who recently served as chairman of USF’s Board of Trustees and helped negotiate the deal, said the transfer is in the “best interest” of both schools.
“The property transfer makes practical sense with the state’s focus on efficiency, the growth of New College and the proximity of the campuses,” Weatherford wrote in a social media post.
“I am confident we will be able to protect our exceptional students, faculty and staff, which has been our priority,” Weatherford said.
Lawmakers push forward with USFSM transfer
State leaders have pushed for USFSM’s transfer to New College since early last year, and possibly before.
Records showed that the Florida Board of Governors asked the two institutions to look into “synergies” in 2024, the Bradenton Herald previously reported.
In 2025, school leaders began reviewing language for the draft bill that would transfer USF’s assets. Emails show Weatherford and other USF leaders put together language for the 2025 legislative session, but the proposal did not gain traction at the time.
The repeated attempts to transfer USFSM to New College have come with little opportunity for public input or oversight. Lawmakers’ latest move to complete the deal over the holiday weekend drew a fresh wave of criticism from opponents.
“...We are reeling from one of the most irresponsible acts against higher education we have witnessed from Tallahassee in a generation,” said Nancy Parrish, president of Citizens to Protect the Ringling & USF Sarasota-Manatee, in a news release.
“Our legislators took a thriving public, regional university campus that serves working families, local business, and veterans, and literally destroyed it. They handed its campus, along with tens of millions of dollars in debt, to an institution that cannot even cover its own operating expenses,” the statement continued.
Schools react to transfer proposal
When reached for comment on Tuesday, a spokesperson for NCF directed the Bradenton Herald to a post on the college’s X account with a statement from NCF President Richard Corcoran.
“As the end of the special legislation approaches, the potential transition represents a thoughtful and forward-looking opportunity to expand New College’s capacity while preserving continuity for the Sarasota-Manatee community, its students, faculty, and staff,” Corcoran said in the post.
“New College is prepared to steward this transition with care and intentionality as we continue building a nationally distinctive public liberal arts institution focused on academic excellence, civic discourse, innovation, and student opportunity,” the statement continued. “We look forward to working closely with regional leaders, faculty, staff, and community partners to ensure a positive long-term decision for the region, for the State University System, and for the future of higher education in Florida.”
USF President Moez Limayem addressed the news in a message shared on the university’s website.
“During the budget negotiation process, the Legislature agreed to adopt the governor’s proposal to transfer facilities on the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to New College of Florida while USF will retain more than $22 million in recurring operating funds currently associated with that campus,” Limayem’s statement said. “Keeping those operating dollars is critical because it allows us to retain all our faculty and staff and teach-out all current students whose home campus is Sarasota-Manatee.”
“I fully recognize that this agreement creates significant uncertainty and anxiety for our dedicated, outstanding faculty, staff and students,” the statement continued. “My focus remains the same as it has always been: To take care of our people, to communicate with transparency and to support the workforce needs of the Sarasota-Manatee community.”
Lawmakers are scheduled to take a final vote on the state budget, including the transfer proposal, on Friday.
This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 5:50 AM.
