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.
Larry Hunter was an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head basketball coach at Wittenberg University from 1976 to 1989, Ohio University from 1989 to 2001, and Western Carolina University from 2005 to 2018, compiling a career college basketball coaching record of 702–453. As head coach of the Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team from 1989 to 2001, he had a record of 204–148. His Bobcats teams made one NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament appearance in 1994, an NIT appearance in 1995, and won the Preseason NIT in 1994. Despite his winning record and being second on Ohios' all-time wins list with only two losing seasons, he was fired in 2001. Hunter also played at Ohio University from 1970 to 1971.
Thad Michael Matta is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team. From 2004 to 2017, Matta led the Ohio State Buckeyes to five Big Ten Conference regular season championships, four Big Ten tournament titles, two Final Four appearances, and the 2008 NIT Championship. He is the winningest coach in Ohio State history.
Kenneth Lee "Doc" Sadler is an American college basketball coach. He was the head men's basketball coach at the University of Southern Mississippi, a position he held from 2014 through the 2018-19 season. Sadler served as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) from 2004 to 2006 and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from 2006 to 2012.
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 to1992 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 State Panthers football team is the college football program for Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. The Panthers football team was founded in 2010 and competes at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Panthers currently play at Center Parc Stadium, about ten minutes from GSU's downtown campus.
The Mercer Bears are the athletic teams of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, United States. Mercer is the only private university in Georgia with an NCAA Division I athletic program and fields teams in eight men's and nine women's sports. The university competes in the Southern Conference for most sports. In 2013, the football team competed in the Pioneer Football League.
J. I. Clements Stadium is a baseball venue located in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. It is home to the Georgia Southern University Eagles college baseball team of the Division I Sun Belt Conference. It has a capacity of 3,000 spectators and opened in 2005.
The 2013–14 Florida State Seminoles men's basketball team, variously Florida State or FSU, represented Florida State University during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Florida State competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Seminoles were led by twelfth year head coach Leonard Hamilton and played their home games at the Donald L. Tucker Center on the university's Tallahassee, Florida campus. They are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Mark Byington is an American basketball coach and former college basketball player. He is the head men's basketball coach at James Madison University.
The 2015 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Willie Fritz and played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia. This season was the Eagles second season in the Sun Belt Conference and the first season for full bowl eligibility. The Eagles finished the regular season 8–4, 6–2 in Sun Belt play to finish in third place. In the Eagles' first ever bowl appearance, the Eagles defeated Bowling Green, 58–27, in the GoDaddy Bowl.
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 2019–20 Georgia Southern Eagles men's basketball team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Eagles, led by seventh-year head coach Mark Byington, played their home games at Hanner Fieldhouse in Statesboro, Georgia as members of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 20–13, 12–8 in Sun Belt play to finish in a tie for fourth place. They were the No. 5 seed in the Sun Belt tournament, where they defeated Louisiana and Georgia State. However, the tournament was later cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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 2020–21 Georgia Southern Eagles men's basketball team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Eagles, led by first-year head coach Brian Burg, played their home games at Hanner Fieldhouse in Statesboro, Georgia as members of the Sun Belt Conference. With the creation of divisions to cut down on travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they played in the East Division.
The 1991–92 Georgia Southern Eagles men's basketball team represented Georgia Southern University during the 1991–92 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Eagles, led by 10th-year head coach Frank Kerns, played their home games at Hanner Fieldhouse in Statesboro, Georgia as members of the Trans America Athletic Conference. The team won the regular season conference title and the TAAC tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As the No. 15 seed in the Southeast region, the Eagles lost in the opening round to Oklahoma State, 100–73, to finish with a 25–6 record.
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 1982–83 Georgia Southern Eagles men's basketball team represented Georgia Southern University during the 1982–83 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Eagles, led by first year head coach Frank Kerns, played their home games at Hanner Fieldhouse in Statesboro, Georgia as members of the Trans America Athletic Conference. The team finished third in the regular season conference standings and won the TAAC tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament – the first appearance in program history. As one of two No. 12 seeds in the Mideast region, the Eagles lost in the Play-in round to Robert Morris, 64–54 to finish with a 18–12 record.
The 1986–87 Georgia Southern Eagles men's basketball team represented Georgia Southern University during the 1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Eagles, led by fifth year head coach Frank Kerns, played their home games at Hanner Fieldhouse in Statesboro, Georgia as members of the Trans America Athletic Conference. The team finished fourth in the regular season conference standings and won the TAAC tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As No. 15 seed in the East region, the Eagles lost in the opening round to No. 2 seed and eventual National runner-up Syracuse, 79–73, to finish with a 20–11 record.
The 2022–23 Georgia Southern Eagles men's basketball team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Eagles, led by second-year head coach Brian Burg, played their home games at Hanner Fieldhouse in Statesboro, Georgia as members of the Sun Belt Conference.
