The Georgia Southern Eagles are the athletic team(s) of Georgia Southern University (GS). The Eagles compete in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and are members of the NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference. Prior to joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2014, the Eagles were members of the Trans America Athletic Conference and the Southern Conference (SoCon). During their time at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS/I-AA) level, the Eagles have won six national championships.
Allen E. Paulson Stadium is a 25,000-seat on-campus football stadium in Statesboro, Georgia. It is home to the Georgia Southern Eagles football team and the focal point of Erk Russell Athletic Park.
The Georgia Southern Eagles football program represents Georgia Southern University in football as part of the Sun Belt Conference. The current head coach is Clay Helton. The Eagles have won six FCS (I-AA) national championships and have produced two Walter Payton Award winners. Georgia Southern first continuously fielded a football team in 1924, but play was suspended for World War II and did not return until 1981. The Eagles competed as an FCS independent from 1984 to 1992 and as a member of the Southern Conference from 1993 to 2013, winning 10 SoCon championships. In 2014, Georgia Southern moved to the FBS level and joined the Sun Belt Conference, winning the conference championship outright in its first year. Georgia Southern's main Sun Belt rivals are Appalachian State and Georgia State.
The Georgia Southern Eagles volleyball program was established in 1985. The team is currently led by head coach Chad Callihan. The Eagles compete in the Sun Belt Conference. Georgia Southern University does not have a men's team.
The 2011 Georgia Southern Eagles team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Eagles were led by second-year head coach Jeff Monken and played their home games at Paulson Stadium. They are a member of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 11–3, 7–1 in Southern Conference play, winning the conference championship outright. They received the conference's automatic bid into the FCS playoffs where they defeated Old Dominion in the second round and Maine in the quarterfinals before falling to North Dakota State in the semifinals.
The 2013 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Jeff Monken and played their home games at Paulson Stadium. They were a member of the Southern Conference. This was Georgia Southern's final year in the Southern Conference and the FCS. They joined the FBS and the Sun Belt Conference for the 2014 season. They finished the season 7–4, 4–4 in SoCon play to finish in a four-way tie for fourth place.
The 2014 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by first-year head coach Willie Fritz and played their home games at Paulson Stadium. They were first year members of the Sun Belt Conference. In their second year of the FCS to FBS transition, the Eagles were eligible for the conference championship; however, they were not bowl-eligible.
The 2010 Georgia Southern Eagles team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Eagles were led by first-year head coach Jeff Monken and played their home games at Paulson Stadium. They are a member of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 10–5, 5–3 in Southern Conference play.
The 2009 Georgia Southern Eagles team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Eagles were led by third-year head coach Chris Hatcher, who was fired following the conclusion of the season, and played their home games at Paulson Stadium. They were a member of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 5–6, 4–4 in Southern Conference play.
The 1997 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by first-year head coach Paul Johnson, the Eagles compiled an overall record of 10–3 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, winning the SoCon title. Georgia Southern advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where they beat Florida A&M in the first round before losing to Delaware in the quarterfinals. The Eagles played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia.
The 2000 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 2000 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Paul Johnson, the Eagles compiled an overall record of 13–2 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, winning the SoCon title. Georgia Southern advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where they defeated McNeese State in the first round, Hofstra in the quarterfinals, Delaware in the semifinals, and Montana Grizzlies in the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game, winning the program's second consecutive and sixth overall NCAA Division I-AA title. The Eagles played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia.
The 2016 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Eagles played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia, and competed in the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by first-year head coach Tyson Summers. They finished the season 5–7, 4–4 in Sun Belt play to finish in sixth place.
The 1995 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1995 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by Tim Stowers in his sixth and final season as head coach, the Eagles compiled an overall record of 9–4 with a conference mark of 5–3, trying for third place in the SoCon. Georgia Southern advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where they beat Troy State in the first round before falling to eventual national champion Montana in the quarterfinals. The Eagles played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia.
The 2017 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Eagles played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia, and competed in the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by coach Chad Lunsford following the mid-season firing of second-year head coach Tyson Summers. They finished the season 2–10, 2–6 in Sun Belt play to finish in a tie for tenth place.
The 2020 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Eagles played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia, and competed in the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by third-year head coach Chad Lunsford.
The 2021 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Eagles played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia, and competed in the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by third-year head coach Chad Lunsford until he was dismissed mid-season following his third consecutive loss within the first four games of the season. Cornerbacks coach Kevin Whitley was tapped to serve as interim coach until a new head coach was hired by the university. Whitley was in his third year as cornerbacks coach and previously played for Georgia Southern as a four year starter from 1988 to 1991, helping to win two national titles for the Eagles. On November 2, 2021, Clay Helton, former head coach of the USC Trojans, was hired to become the next head coach for Georgia Southern, starting in the 2022 season.
The 2022 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University during the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Eagles played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia, and competed in the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. The team was coached by Clay Helton, former head coach of the USC Trojans. Helton was hired on November 2, 2021, and this was his first season in Statesboro.
The 2022 Camellia Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 27, 2022, at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. The ninth annual Camellia Bowl, the game featured the Georgia Southern Eagles from the Sun Belt Conference and the Buffalo Bulls from the Mid-American Conference. The game began at 11:02 a.m. CST and was aired on ESPN. It was one of the 2022–23 bowl games concluding the 2022 FBS football season. Buffalo defeated Georgia Southern, 23–21, to claim their third consecutive bowl victory.
The 2023 Georgia Southern Eagles football team will represent Georgia Southern University during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Eagles play their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia, and competed in the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. The team is coached by second-year Head Coach Clay Helton.
