St. Pete lands the American Conference Football Kickoff for the first time
The American Conference is bringing its annual Football Kickoff & Media Days to the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront on July 23–24 — a first for the Sunshine City.
St. Petersburg keeps adding events to its sports hosting résumé. The American Conference announced this week that it's bringing its annual Football Kickoff and Media Days to the Sunshine City for the very first time — and the setting fits.
The American Conference will hold its annual Kickoff and Media Days for the first time in St. Petersburg, Florida on Thursday and Friday, July 23–24, at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront.
That's a big deal for a city that's been steadily raising its profile as a destination for marquee college sports moments.
What's actually happening at the Kickoff
Think of it as college football's version of a preseason press day — but with fans invited.
The Sunshine City will host the American's signature preseason event for the first time, as all 14 head coaches and 28 student-athletes gather for two days of media interviews, behind-the-scenes content creation, and fan-friendly fun.
Friday's program will feature opening remarks from Commissioner Tim Pernetti, followed by press conferences with each of the league's 14 head coaches — and ESPN+ will provide live coverage of the Kickoff on July 24.
If you've ever wanted to get up close to a head coach or shake hands with a player before the pads go on,
the American will open the doors to fans for an enhanced Kickoff experience, with attendees enjoying unprecedented access to their favorite teams — including head coaches' press conferences, photo opportunities, and meet-and-greets.
Why St. Pete? Why now?
The conference had a strong 2025 season, and the momentum is real.
The American had a highly successful 2025 football season, sending nine teams to Bowl Season — highlighted by Tulane earning a berth in the College Football Playoff as the No. 11 seed, with teams recording bowl victories over opponents from the Big 12, ACC, Conference USA, and Mountain West. The American was one of only four conferences, joining the Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC, to have three teams finish with 11 wins during the 2025 season.
Picking St. Pete as the backdrop for that kind of momentum makes sense. The Hilton Bayfront has the waterfront hospitality footprint to host something at this scale, and downtown St. Pete is exactly the kind of place coaches and recruits talk about when they get back home. Good optics for the city. Good optics for the conference.
The USF angle locals care about
For Tampa Bay football fans, the obvious thread here is USF.
The South Florida football program will play its 30th season in 2026, coming off a 9–4 record in 2025 that earned a third straight bowl appearance and the program's first College Football Playoff ranking appearance.
Construction is currently in progress on an on-campus stadium and football operations center slated for completion by 2027
— so this is a program on the rise, hosting their own conference's preseason event practically in their backyard.
Having Media Days in St. Pete means USF's coaches and players are front and center in their home market. That's free visibility money can't easily buy.
Worth noting: Tampa is getting the SEC the same week
Here's the full picture for college football fans in the region.
The SEC Football Kickoff Media Days are set for July 20–23 at the JW Marriott and Tampa Marriott Water Street in Tampa — the first time the event has ever been held in Tampa, making it the fourth city outside Alabama to host SEC Football Media Days.
So in the span of about a week, Tampa Bay will host both the SEC and the American Conference football media days. That's a serious statement for a region that already punches above its weight on the sports calendar.
What this means for the neighborhoods nearby
I drove past the Hilton Bayfront recently and it struck me again how much that stretch of downtown St. Pete has evolved — Beach Drive, the Pier, the waterfront park system right outside the front doors. Events like this bring hotel nights, restaurant tabs, and foot traffic to the entire corridor.
For buyers who've been eyeing walkable downtown St. Pete neighborhoods like Old Northeast or Snell Isle, this is one more data point that the city's momentum as a sports and events destination is very much intact. That kind of sustained demand doesn't tend to soften property values — it does the opposite. If you're curious what that means for your specific zip code, the St. Petersburg home prices page for 2026 breaks it down further.
Mark your calendars: July 23–24 at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront. Full schedule details are expected in early July per the conference's announcement.
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