<Tr> <Th> Marching band </Th> <Td> Herd of Thunder </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> GoUSFBulls.com </Td> </Tr> <P> The South Florida Bulls football team represents the University of South Florida in the sport of American football . The Bulls started playing in 1997 and currently compete in the American Athletic Conference (The American) of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The team plays its home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida . </P> <P> In 1997, Jim Leavitt, previously the defensive coordinator at Kansas State, was hired as the team's first head coach . Their first team meeting was held under a shade tree, as the school had no proper football facilities on campus . In 2001, after competing for four years as a Division I - AA (now Division I FCS) independent, the Bulls moved to Division I-A (now Division I FBS), where they remained independent . They joined Conference USA in 2003, but only stayed until 2005, when they became a member of the Big East Conference (now the American Athletic Conference). On December 31, 2005, USF lost to NC State in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, the team's first bowl appearance . On December 23, 2006, USF won its first bowl game, the inaugural Papajohns.com Bowl, with a victory over former Conference USA rival, East Carolina . Leavitt would lead the Bulls to 5 straight bowl games from 2005 - 2009, earning a 3 - 2 record . </P>

How long has south florida had a football team