Three USF officials including President Judy Genshaft recently sent a two-page letter to Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby indicating why the school would be an ideal Big 12 candidate.
The letter, obtained Thursday afternoon by the Tampa Bay Times, highlights USF's increasing academic prominence nationally, growing alumni base locally (160,000 in the Tampa Bay region) and internationally, overall area population and media-market size, and collective athletic competitiveness.
Athletic director Mark Harlan and Board of Trustees chairman Brian Lamb also signed the letter, dated July 29.
"We believe our values of commitment toour student athletes, engagement in the community, academic achievement, creativity, and integrity align with the Big 12's strong foundation of competitive excellence," the letter states.