The Tampa Bay Sun Football Club, the new USL Super League first-division franchise, announced today its Front-of-Kit partnership and Official Health Care Provider in advance of the inaugural season.
Tampa General Hospital (TGH) and the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida have teamed up with the new club, and TGH will be the prominent Front-of-Kit partner and Exclusive Academic Health System for the region’s first professional women’s soccer team. The TGH logo will take center stage on both the home and away kits for the Tampa Bay Sun Football Club, and Tampa General will serve as the Official Presenting Partner for the 2024/25 Inaugural Season.
“We’re excited to be part of Tampa Bay Sun’s historic first season,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. “It’s an ideal match of two world-class teams – Tampa General and the Tampa Bay Sun. Through community outreach, player events and media platforms, we’ll collaborate with the Tampa Bay Sun to promote health and wellness across West Central Florida. Working together, we’re putting Tampa Bay on the map as a premier destination for great sports and exceptional health care.”
USF Health will serve as the exclusive health care provider for the team. USF Health physicians and clinical staff will provide care and treatments for the players, including athletic training, team physician services, mental health services, registered dietitian services, physical therapy and patient navigation.
Together, TGH and USF Health form the region’s only academic health system, integrating clinical care, teaching and research to deliver the best possible outcomes, including cutting-edge technologies, therapies and treatments.
“Our collaboration with the Tampa Bay Sun Football Club is a testament to our dedication to sports medicine and community health,” said Eric Coris, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and head team physician for USF Athletic Medicine. “We are committed to ensuring these athletes receive world-class medical care, enabling them to perform at their peak while fostering overall health and well-being. This partnership allows us to extend our expertise and resources to support the team and our region.”
The highly anticipated kits are now available for pre-order at TampaBaySunFC.com/SHOP. The first shipments will arrive in August, just in time for the team’s home opener against Dallas Trinity FC on August 18th at the stunning Riverfront Stadium.
“In establishing a world-class professional soccer club, it’s imperative that Tampa Bay Sun partners with a best-in-class health care provider for our professional athletes,” says President and General Counsel for Tampa Bay Sun FC, Christina Unkel. “Today, we mark a significant milestone in our Club’s history as we welcome TGH and USF Health into the Sun’s ecosystem. Our partnership is about delivering peak athletic performance and uplifting our community’s health and education, a testament to our commitment to the region.”
The inaugural kits draw inspiration from the Tampa Bay community and a love for the beautiful game. They reflect local architecture, the cultural beauty of the city, and the most powerful force of nature – The Sun. The Away-Yellow nods to the warm sun and the happy and optimistic community that makes Tampa Bay thrive. The Home-Navy represents the warm waters in Tampa Bay.
“Our partnership with TGH and USF Health aligns perfectly with our vision,” says Kiernan Prechtl-Schindler, Director of Corporate Partnerships for Tampa Bay Sun FC. “Together, we are elevating women’s sports in the region while providing premium access to healthcare and wellness.”
As part of the partnership, TGH and USF Health will also be integrated across community initiatives, healthcare coverage, and treatment facilities for the athletes and sporting staff at the new team training facility located in Ybor City, Florida.
Tampa General Hospital, a 981-bed, not-for-profit, academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region’s only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-24 Best Hospitals, with six specialties ranking among the top 50 best hospital programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic health system’s commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – in the top 100 nationally in the 2023 America’s Best Employers for Women and top 25 in Florida in the 2023 America’s Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2021, provided a net community benefit of approximately $240.3 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation’s busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida.It also is home to the Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH, the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital’s footprint includes TGH North which is comprised of three hospitals and several outpatient locations in Citrus and Hernando counties, 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Outpatient Center, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.
ABOUT USF HEALTH
USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, and USF Health’s multispecialty physicians group. The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report’s national university rankings than USF. For more information, visit health.usf.edu
ABOUT TAMPA BAY SUN FOOTBALL CLUB
Tampa Bay Sun FC is the first professional women’s soccer team set to kick off in Tampa, Florida in August 2024. The Sun will light up the pitch, playing their home games in a stunning newly-renovated riverfront stadium situated along Hillsborough River in Downtown Tampa. Joining the USL Super League’s historic inaugural season, the Tampa Bay Sun FC is one of eight initial markets paving the way for a national expansion of first-division professional women’s soccer. With a shared vision to become a global leader in the sport, both on and off the field, paves the way for increased opportunities for talented female athletes across the country, fostering growth and empowerment within local communities. For more information please visit: TampaBaySunFC.com