It’s official.
The deal to transfer control of the University of South Florida’s Manatee-Sarasota campus to New College of Florida has been baked into the state budget for 2026-27.
The final version of the budget – all 550 pages – was released to state lawmakers at 11:41 a.m. on May 26, starting the clock on the state’s required 72-hour “cooling off” period before they can vote on it.
They’re set to convene again on May 29.
Among other things, New College will take over more than 30 acres, including residence halls and a lab that’s now being built, records show.
New College President Richard Corcoran has said USF Sarasota-Manatee is “move-in ready,” and will provide the school with much needed dormitory space.
“Florida’s higher education system is strongest when institutions work together with clarity of purpose, fiscal responsibility, and a shared commitment to students,” he said in a statement posted on X by the college on May 26.
New College, he added, “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.”
Earlier in the day, Will Weatherford, chair of the University of South Florida Board of Trustees, said he, too, backed the move.
“USF has been engaged in discussions on this issue with New College, the Board of Governors, Chancellor Ray Rodrigues, the Florida Legislature and Governor’s Office since September 2024 when the BOG asked us to work together on a path forward for our two institutions,” he posted on X.
“From our latest conversations, it is clear to me that this is in the best interests of USF, New College and our state. The property transfer makes practical sense with the state’s focus on efficiency, the growth of New College and the proximity of the campuses,” he went on.
Weatherford added, however, that it was “equally important that @USouthFlorida keeps all the recurring resources from that campus. This allows a smooth transition for our students, faculty and staff at the Sarasota campus and it allows USF to invest in other growth initiatives at the University.”
He concluded: “I am confident we will be able to protect our exceptional students, faculty and staff, which has been our priority. While we may no longer have the same physical footprint we do now, I know that USF can maintain a meaningful presence in the Sarasota-Manatee” area.
Campus transfer meant to boost New College
In early 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis used his appointment power to install a slate of conservative activists and allies on the New College board of trustees, giving them effective control over the traditionally progressive public liberal arts school.
Those new trustees quickly fired the sitting president, abolished programs like gender studies, and began reshaping curriculum and campus culture in line with the governor’s “Hillsdale of the South” vision, referring to the small, private, Christian-influenced college in Michigan known for its conservative intellectual culture.
As previously reported, however, the New College transformation has not been smooth.
With Corcoran earning close to $1.2 million in compensation leading the 900-student school, New College far outspends Florida’s other public universities.
At the same time, its outcomes for graduates is the worst, according to a report last year by the Florida task force called the Department of Government Efficiency.
New College spent almost $500,000 to produce a degree, three times what the nearest Florida public university did.
And New College spent seven times what USF did to yield a graduate with a degree, DOGE found.
New College has been recruiting athletes, especially baseball players, as part of its push to hike enrollment and tamp down the school’s former countercultural reputation. But its takeover of USF Sarasota-Manatee’s campus gives it what it needs – land, buildings and an ability to grow.
This story contains previous reporting by John Kennedy of the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Capital Bureau.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New College set to absorb USF Manatee-Sarasota campus
Reporting by Jim Rosica, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
