The green and gold returned to Raymond James Stadium Saturday as the University of South Florida Bulls kicked off their 30th football season and their final one at the venue they've called home since 1998.WATCH: USF Bulls kick off historic 30th season with eyes on new stadium USF Bulls kick off historic 30th season with eyes on new stadiumFor fans like Suzanne Ward, the moment was bittersweet."It's just as exciting as it was the first game at the Sombrero," Ward said, referring to the team's original home at what was then Houlihan's Stadium. "I've been here through it all 30 years. It's been ups, it's been downs, but I've been here through it all."Ward isn't just a casual fan. When she moved to Oregon 23 years ago, she kept her season tickets and flew back for games."When I went, I said, I'm not giving away my tickets because they're going to be worth something one day," she explained. "So I'm constantly coming back and meeting new people... It's just a wonderful experience."A New Era BeginsThis season marks more than just three decades of Bulls football. It's a transition year the last at Raymond James before the team moves into its brand-new on-campus stadium in 2027."We're ready to say goodbye and then move on to our own stadium," Ward said. "I guess we can't even imagine. I mean, we see pictures, but until you're there, you really don't know."For alumnus Tom DeCarlo (class of 2007), the move represents something fans have been dreaming about for years."I would love nothing more than to be on campus and do this," DeCarlo said while grilling burgers, bratwurst, and sausage with his tailgating crew a tradition they've maintained since 2001. "We love doing all of this here at Raymond James. It's a fantastic home, but it's a temporary home, right? What we really want is the alums want to be on campus. We want to be there with the students. We want to be there with the excitement, the energy."DeCarlo has seen nearly every game since the early 2000s, turning game day into a full family affair."Been to every single game. My son has actually been to every single game since he was 17 days old," he said.Hope for Coach Brian HartlineFans are also excited about head coach Brian Hartline, who is leading the Bulls through this historic season."We're loving Hartline. We're wanting somebody to be the leader. I think he's the guy," DeCarlo said. "Love the product that he's going to put out on the field. Can't wait to see it."Robert Eaton, who has followed the Bulls since the Jim Leavitt era, shares that optimism."I'm interested to see how the new coach is gonna look. I really am," Eaton said. "With the new coach coming in, I think we're gonna be OK."Eaton was tailgating Saturday with a buddy, cooking burgers and soaking in the pregame atmosphere. His connection to USF runs through his daughter, who graduated about five or six years ago and now lives in Massachusetts."At the time I was like, yeah, USF, oh well, you know, but I love her to death," Eaton said with a laugh. "She's married, military. Told her I was coming to the Bulls game and she goes, 'Oh!'"Building a LegacyAs the Bulls prepare to move to their permanent on-campus home, longtime fans like Ward know the program is still building the kind of multigenerational traditions seen at older schools."That's what's most amazing about going to away games is you see generations of families, three and four generations of the family going to the games," she said. "We're a young school, we're a young football team, so we've got to build that up. But that's what you want the whole family going to the games and being a part of the experience."Ward already has her seats picked out and paid for at the new stadium.As for Saturday's season opener? Her expectations were clear."We got to win. I want a good win. I want more than the line," she said.DeCarlo summed up the sentiment shared by thousands of Bulls fans Saturday afternoon:"Go Bulls, go Hartline, Go USF." ...read more read less