DeSantis proposes New College takeover of USF Sarasota-Manatee campus
A proposal in Gov. Ron DeSantis’s budget could force the University of South Florida to surrender its Sarasota-Manatee campus to the New College of Florida in 2026.
The takeover would come as USFSM is growing its campus with multi-million-dollar investments — including its first on-campus dormitory and a $6.5 million STEM facility — while DeSantis and New College officials continue to gather new land for nearby New College.
DeSantis recently announced his “Floridians First” $117 billion 2026-27 state budget, which includes a draft bill recommending that New College absorb all of USFSM’s buildings.
There are 11 buildings on USFSM’s 32-acre campus, including a new six-story, 100,000-square-foot residence hall and student center. The university branch offers programs in several different colleges, including business, education and arts and sciences. According to WUSF, the Sarasota-Manatee campus has about 2,000 students and 300 faculty and staff.
The absorption plan follows previous DeSantis initiatives to expand New College, including a recent push to take the Ringling Museum of Art from Florida State University. The new proposed bill is expected to be considered during the upcoming legislative session.
“This is a policy matter that’s going to be discussed, debated and worked through over the coming months of the legislative session,” USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford said at a meeting on Thursday. “We don’t control the outcome of that discussion.”
In response to a request for comment, the Governor’s Press Office shared only a 2-minute clip of Weatherford’s comments at the Board of Trustees meeting.
USF has about 50,000 students across its university system spanning three campuses — the main campus in Tampa, along with smaller campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee.
A spokesperson for New College declined to comment on the governor’s proposal.
USFSM next target in New College’s expansion
The bill outlines that “permanent and immovable” property on the USFSM campus would be transferred to New College by July 1, 2026.
However, any intellectual property at the campus — like computers, funds, records and educational and research equipment — would stay with USF.
As for students enrolled at USFSM, those who were admitted ahead of the bill’s effective date “must receive the highest priority for space utilization…until those students have been provided the opportunity to graduate from USF within a reasonable period of time, not to exceed four full academic years,” the draft bill states.
The threat of losing its buildings to New College comes as USFSM is in the midst of its own expansion aimed at increasing high-quality academic instruction and offering on-campus student housing for the first time in its nearly 20-year history.
In November, the campus broke ground on a $6.5 million STEM lab, with 7,000 square feet of “state-of-the-art laboratories,” set to open in Fall 2027, according to a news release.
“As we look ahead, we remain committed to ensuring that every dollar invested in this campus translates into measurable outcomes, better-prepared graduates, stronger partnerships and a more resilient regional economy,” Interim Regional Chancellor Brett Kemker said in November.
New College expansion efforts continue
The USFSM proposal isn’t the first time DeSantis and New College officials have attempted to expand the school’s footprint.
After DeSantis appointed Richard Corcoran as president of New College in 2023 as part of a conservative makeover of the liberal arts college, Manatee County Government gave New College nine acres of the historic Powel Crosley Estate north of the campus.
The college also tried to permanently acquire 31 acres from the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in 2024, but the $11.5 million plan was denied by the Federal Aviation Authority, Suncoast Searchlight previously reported.
A recently-published master plan for New College outlines a larger vision to expand the campus, including new student housing, a greenhouse, new gymnasium, pickleball courts and a new “Freedom Institute” that includes seminar rooms and conference halls.
New College has a long history with the USF university system, as outlined in the master plan.
In 1975, a couple of years after New College began classes in 1964, the college merged with USF due to “financial necessities.” The merger led to some infrastructure advancement and administrative changes for New College, but the two institutions eventually split in 2001 when New College became independent.
According to USF, the Sarasota-Manatee campus opened to students in 2006.
USF official reacts to DeSantis proposal
At a USF board of trustees meeting last week, Weatherford, a former Republican lawmaker and Speaker of the House, did not take a stance on the proposal, emphasizing that the bill is in the hands of state leaders.
“It’s not something we dictate or control, and won’t be necessarily opining on every day as it ebbs and flows over the coming weeks and months,” Weatherford said.
“Our priority, and what we do control as a university, is how we treat and protect our students, our faculty and our staff,” Weatherford continued. “And I want it to be heard loud and clear that students of USF are our students, and whatever commitments we’ve made to them, we will fulfill.”
This story was originally published December 17, 2025 at 5:50 AM with the headline "DeSantis proposes New College takeover of USF Sarasota-Manatee campus."
