Paulson Stadium

Last updated
Allen E. Paulson Stadium
The Prettiest Little Stadium in America
Our House
The House that Erk Built
Expanded Paulson Stadium.jpg
Paulson Stadium on September 25, 2014, where a then-record crowd of 24,535 saw Georgia Southern defeat Appalachian State
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Allen E. Paulson Stadium
Location in Georgia
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Allen E. Paulson Stadium
Location in the United States
Location207 Lanier Dr.
Statesboro, Georgia 30458
Coordinates 32°24′44″N81°46′59″W / 32.412161°N 81.783135°W / 32.412161; -81.783135
Owner Georgia Southern University
OperatorGeorgia Southern University
Executive suites26 private booster boxes, film deck and a two-level working press box.
Capacity 25,000
Record attendance26,483
SurfaceFieldTurf Vertex Prestige with CoolPlay
Construction
Broke ground1983
OpenedSeptember 29, 1984
Renovated2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014
Expanded2012, 2013, 2014
Construction costUS$4.7 million
($13.8 million in 2023 dollars [1] )
$10 million (2014 expansion)
Architect Heery-Fabrap, Inc.
Tenants
Georgia Southern Eagles (NCAA) (1984–present)
Website
https://www.gseagles.com

Allen E. Paulson Stadium at Evans Family Field is a 25,000-seat on-campus football stadium in Statesboro, Georgia. [2] It is home to the Georgia Southern Eagles football team and the focal point of Erk Russell Athletic Park.

Contents

Paulson Stadium was dedicated on September 29, 1984, with a 48–11 win over Liberty University. The game was a fitting end to four years of planning one of the finest I-AA facilities in America. [3] The phrase "Prettiest Little Stadium in America" was coined by former Coach Erk Russell. [4] The stadium has also come to be known as "Our House" to reflect the extreme home field advantage (Overall record of 193–41 and home playoff record of 33–3). [5]

History

The stadium is named for the late Allen E. Paulson, founder and owner of Gulfstream Aerospace, who donated more than $1 million toward construction of the facility. The late State Senator Glenn Bryant of Hinesville donated over $250,000 for the property. To recognize his gift, the playing surface of the stadium was named Glenn Bryant Field until 2024. The field was renamed to Evans Family Field ahead of the 2024 season after Brianna and RT Evans of Evans General Contractors donated $3 million dollars to the Georgia Southern Athletics, the single largest donation in university history. [6]

The first game in Paulson was originally scheduled for September 1, 1984, against the Florida A&M Rattlers, but construction delayed by wet weather forced this game to be played in Savannah. The first touchdown scored was a 36-yard run around the right side by quarterback Tracy Ham against Liberty Baptist on September 29, 1984.

Features

Paulson Stadium during the pregame show with the Southern Pride marching band. Paulson stadium.jpg
Paulson Stadium during the pregame show with the Southern Pride marching band.

26 climate-controlled private boxes, along with separate Eagle Club and President's Luxury Sky Suites, plus a 50-seat pressbox and film deck overlook the playing surface on the south side of the stadium. Prior to the start of the 2005 season, a brick façade was built along the walls of Paulson Stadium while the video scoreboard was also surrounded with a brick garden/façade. Built in 2006, the Gene Bishop Fieldhouse sits in the western open end of the natural bowl, replacing the Lupton Building, the stadium's original fieldhouse. The field level of the Bishop Fieldhouse includes team and officials dressing rooms, while the second-level houses a hospitality room and club-level seating. In the summer of 2007, the south concourse was improved with red brick walls on the concession stands and a paver sidewalk, and the stadium's parking area was also updated. The north concourse received similar renovations during the spring semester of 2008. Also following the death of legendary coach Erk Russell, a bust was added along the fence near the Gene Bishop Fieldhouse.

From the stadium's opening in 1984 until the end of the 2015 season, Paulson Stadium used a natural grass surface. On February 5, 2016, the university's athletic department announced that an artificial surface supplied by Shaw Sports Turf of Calhoun would be installed for the 2016 season. [7] In 2023, the playing field and adjacent newly constructed Anthony P. Tippins Family Training Facility were outfitted with new FieldTurf Vertex Prestige artificial turf with a CoolPlay top layer. [8]

Expansion

The stadium was scheduled to undergo a massive construction and expansion project beginning in the offseason of 2012. However, the start of the project was delayed until the 2013 offseason. [9] This expansion project increased Paulson Stadium's total capacity to 25,000 and moved all of Georgia Southern's football facilities to a state-of-the-art Football Operations Center onsite. At the time the plan was originally announced, the 57,000-square foot facility was intended to be first of class at the FCS level and rival many at the FBS level; at the time of completion, Georgia Southern was a transitional FBS member in the Sun Belt Conference. The Ted Smith Family Football Center consists of coaches' offices, team meeting rooms, locker rooms, rehabilitation rooms, weight room and the Georgia Southern Football Hall of Fame. The $10 million facility is the largest privately funded project in the history of Georgia Southern University. The northern mid-deck was completed in time for the Spring 2014 commencement ceremony while the Ted Smith Family Football Center was formally dedicated on August 16, 2014. [10]

Attendance records

Highest attendance at Paulson Stadium
RankAttendanceDateGame result
126,483Saturday, September 30, 2023Georgia Southern 38, Coastal Carolina 28
225,735Saturday, September 17, 2016Georgia Southern 23, UL-Monroe 21
325,725Saturday, December 16, 1989Georgia Southern 37, Stephen F. Austin 34
424,872Saturday, September 19, 2015Georgia Southern 48, The Citadel 13
524,535Thursday, September 25, 2014Georgia Southern 34, Appalachian State 14
624,078Saturday, November 11, 1989Georgia Southern 34, Chattanooga 13
723,551Saturday, October 17, 2015Georgia Southern 56, New Mexico State 26
823,520Saturday, September 12, 2015Georgia Southern 43, Western Michigan 17
923,474Thursday, October 27, 2016Georgia Southern 10, Appalachian State 34
1023,401Saturday, December 5, 2015Georgia Southern 7, Georgia State 34
1123,389Thursday, October 26, 2023Georgia Southern 44, Georgia State 27
1223,373Saturday, November 10, 2007Georgia Southern 22, Furman 24
1323,250Saturday, October 11, 2014GeorgiaSouthern 47, Idaho 24

Italics indicate games played as an FCS program (prior to the 2014 inaugural FBS season)

See also

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References

  1. ↑ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  2. ↑ Campus Tour: Paulson Stadium Archived 2008-07-26 at the Wayback Machine , Retrieved July 28, 2008
  3. ↑ Georgia Southern Football Media Guide, 2004. 9
  4. ↑ "Allen E. Paulson Stadium – Georgia Southern University Eagles Athletics". Georgiasoutherneagles.com. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  5. ↑ Georgia Southern Football Media Guide, 2004. 187
  6. ↑ "Paulson Stadium Field to be Re-Named After Generous Donation From Evans Family". Georgia Southern University Athletics. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  7. ↑ Horsley, Kristina. "Shaw Sports Turf Selected to Provide the New Field for Paulson Stadium". Georgia Southern Eagles. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  8. ↑ "New Turf Surface Installation Completed at Paulson Stadium". Georgia Southern University Athletics. 2023-07-03. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  9. ↑ Cannady, Del (June 5, 2013). "Georgia Southern breaks ground on stadium expansion". Savannah, Georgia: WTOC-TV . Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Football Operations Center Ribbon Cutting and Eagle Fan Fest Set for August 16th". GSEagles.com. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
Preceded by Host of the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship Game
1989–1991		Succeeded by
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