Georgia State University Athletics History

The Georgia State University (GSU) Panthers represent the university's intercollegiate athletic teams. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Georgia State's athletic programs compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), specifically within the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). As a charter member, GSU participates in the Sun Belt Conference.

Early Athletics Program

Georgia State achieved full accreditation as an NCAA Division I athletics program in 1963, marking the introduction of scholarships for college athletics at the highest competitive level. Before adopting the "Panthers" nickname in 1963, GSU teams were known as the "Owls" from 1940 to 1947, reflecting the institution's original title of "Georgia Evening College." Between 1947 and 1963, the teams were called "Ramblers," although the reason for this change remains unclear. Women's sports were integrated into the program in the 1974-75 academic year, featuring basketball, soccer, volleyball, and tennis, all competing at the Division I level. The following year saw the addition of women's cross country. These women's teams initially competed against programs across the Southeast without conference affiliation. In 1976-77, the athletics program joined the Sun Belt Conference.

Conference Affiliations

Georgia State's athletic history includes membership in several conferences. The university's men's teams were part of the Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) from 1983 to 2005, a 21-year period before transitioning to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). The women's teams joined the TAAC/A-Sun in 1991. After eight years in the CAA, Georgia State officially became a full member of the Sun Belt Conference on July 1, 2013. Football achieved full FBS membership in 2014, just five years after its establishment.

Facilities

Initially, the athletics department was based in the GSU Sports Arena. However, the limited space in downtown Atlanta necessitated the use of various locations around the metropolitan area for different sports. A complex in Panthersville, approximately 7 miles from the central campus and not easily accessible via campus transportation, housed a baseball field, soccer pitch, softball field, and intramural fields.

A significant shift occurred with the Atlanta Braves' relocation from Turner Field to SunTrust Park. This move presented an opportunity for the Panther athletic programs to consolidate closer to the central campus. Georgia State, in partnership with Carter, an Atlanta real estate company, successfully bid for the stadium and surrounding land, acquiring the entire 68-acre site (including the stadium) for $30 million.

Between the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Turner Field was transformed into Center Parc Stadium, a football-specific venue with an initial capacity of 25,000, with plans for future expansion to 33,000. The stadium also houses the athletics department (relocated from the GSU Sports Arena) and the School of Hospitality.

The acquisition included surrounding parking lots, including the site of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, where the Atlanta Braves played upon their arrival in Atlanta and where Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home run record.

Football: Since the 2017 season, Center Parc Stadium has served as the home stadium for the Panthers. Previously known as Georgia State Stadium from 2017-2020, it represents the third iteration of a venue originally constructed for the 1996 Olympics and Paralympics as Centennial Olympic Stadium. It was later reconfigured into Turner Field for Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves, opening in that form in 1997. Following the Braves' move to Truist Park after the 2016 season, GSU acquired Turner Field and adjacent property for a major campus expansion project. In its football configuration, Center Parc Stadium seats slightly more than 24,000, with potential for future expansion to 33,000. Before the move to Center Parc Stadium, the Panthers played at the Georgia Dome, an off-campus facility located less than a mile from the central campus. The Georgia Dome, which was demolished in 2017 upon the completion of Mercedes-Benz Stadium nearby, had a football capacity of 71,228, but seating for most GSU home games was set at 28,155 unless overflow was needed.
Baseball: The Georgia State University Baseball Complex, a school-owned off-campus facility located east of campus in Panthersville, Georgia, is the current home of the baseball program.
Future Development: As part of the Turner Field purchase, the university also acquired the former site of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Plans included rebuilding a baseball stadium within the footprint of the old stadium, which was demolished after the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Rivalries

Georgia State maintains Sun Belt rivalries with all of the East Division schools, including Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Troy, and South Alabama.

Georgia Southern

While Georgia State's football program is relatively young, rivalries have developed on the basketball court, particularly with Georgia Southern. Both institutions were members of the Atlantic Sun Conference (formerly the TAAC, now the ASUN) between 1983 and 1992. As of the 2015-16 season, the two teams had played each other 51 times, with Georgia Southern holding a 34-17 series lead.

The shared abbreviation "GSU" has become a point of contention between the two schools, with both fan bases claiming to be the "real GSU." The football rivalry gained momentum following the appointment of former Appalachian State (a major Georgia Southern rival) athletic director Charlie Cobb to the same position at GSU. During Cobb's introductory press conference, he revealed that Georgia Southern's athletic director, Tom Kleinlein, had told him, "welcome, now the war is on." The two teams first met on the gridiron during the 2014 football season at the Georgia Dome.

Read also: The Dynasty of Excellence

In October 2015, Georgia State and Georgia Southern announced the creation of a rivalry series encompassing all sports played between the two schools. Each match-up is worth a point, except for football (worth two points) and baseball and softball, where points are awarded based on the series winner. In competitions where all competing teams are ranked, the higher-ranked team earns the point. Bonus points are awarded for contests during conference tournaments, with an additional bonus point given if the competition results in one of the schools winning an automatic bid to a national tournament. The previous year's trophy is presented during halftime at the two schools' football game.

South Alabama

Both Georgia State and South Alabama established their football programs around the same time, with South Alabama's inaugural season in 2009 and Georgia State's in 2010. South Alabama, undefeated at the time, faced Georgia State on October 30, 2010. South Alabama won 34-39, keeping South Alabama’s perfect record intact. Georgia State designated their home game against South Alabama as their homecoming game. Despite South Alabama's later loss, Georgia State's 1-5 record made South Alabama the favorites. However, a false start penalty negated an apparent game-winning interception by Mark Hogan with 8 seconds remaining. In 2015, South Alabama, with a 5-4 record, visited the Georgia Dome, seeking a victory to secure bowl eligibility. Georgia State won the game 24-10.

Football Program

The Georgia State Panthers football team represents the university in college football. Founded in 2010, the program competes at the NCAA Division I FBS level as a member of the Sun Belt Conference.

Inception and Early Years

In November 2006, a university-commissioned study concluded that Georgia State was well-positioned to establish a competitive football team, citing the university's location and resources. The university officially began exploring the possibility of adding football on November 1, 2007, and launched the program on April 17, 2008.

Groundbreaking for a downtown practice facility at 188 Martin Luther King Drive occurred on November 20, 2008. The facility was later expanded to include a 100-yard artificial turf field and a 50-yard natural turf field. On February 25, 2009, Cheryl Levick was appointed as athletic director.

Read also: Choosing Your UGA Major

The Panthers spent the 2009 season practicing at an NFL facility in downtown Atlanta, ahead of their inaugural season in 2010.

2010 Season

Georgia State signed its second recruiting class on February 3, 2010. On September 2, 2010, Georgia State won its first football game, a home opener against the Shorter Hawks, 41-7. Parris Lee scored the first touchdown in program history. The game at the Georgia Dome was attended by 30,237 people, including Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young. Later in the season, on November 18, Georgia State faced defending FBS national champion and No. 10-ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, losing 63-7.

Bill Curry Era (2010-2012)

Bill Curry was the program's first head coach and played a crucial role in building the foundation for Georgia State football. Hired by former athletic director Mary McElroy, Curry also served as interim athletic director during the search for a new AD. During his tenure, Curry oversaw the program's growth from an idea to a fully-fledged Division I - FCS team and the beginning of the transition from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as the school moved from the Colonial Athletic Association to the Sun Belt Conference. While Curry established new practice facilities and offices, his teams achieved limited success on the field, finishing with a 6-5 record in their first season, followed by 3-8 and 1-10 records in the subsequent seasons. The 2012 season was Curry's last, as he announced his retirement. The Panthers struggled with inconsistencies and injuries, finishing his final season (and only year in the CAA) with a 1-10 record. Due to their reclassifying status as they prepared to move to FBS football in the Sun Belt Conference, the Panthers were ineligible for a postseason berth.

Trent Miles Era (2013-2016)

On November 30, 2012, Trent Miles, former Indiana State head coach, was named the new Georgia State head coach. Miles inherited a program that had won only four games in its previous two seasons and was transitioning to FBS after only three seasons of existence. With Miles' arrival came the Panthers' first complete uniform change since the program's inception. The original uniform consisted of a blue home jersey with "Panthers" across the chest and a white away jersey with "Georgia State" across the chest.

Initially, an anthracite-colored helmet with "Panthers" written across the sides was unveiled in April 2013 but faced criticism from fans. Ultimately, Miles unveiled altered uniforms with up to 12 possible variations, including a blue home jersey with white numbers and lettering and a white away jersey with blue numbers and lettering. Both uniforms featured numbering on the sleeves and player names on the back.

During his tenure, Miles oversaw the transition from FCS to FBS and the increase in scholarships available to the team. In the transition year, the Panthers finished with a 0-12 record. The following year saw only one win, but the 2015 season ended with a 6-7 record, 5-3 in the Sun Belt, and a loss in the Panthers' first bowl game, the Cure Bowl. With a final record of 6-7, Miles mirrored the turnaround he had achieved at Indiana State, with both teams winning no games in their first season, one game in their second, and six games in their third.

Shawn Elliott Era (2017-2024)

The Panthers finished 7-5 in 2017, beginning the season with a loss to FCS opponent Tennessee State and a shutout loss to Penn State.

On Feb 15, 2024, Shawn Elliott resigned his position as head coach of Georgia State to become an assistant coach at South Carolina due to family reasons. The same day Mike Sirignano, the program's strength coach, was named as the program's interim head coach.

Dell McGee Era (2024-Present)

On February 23, 2024, Dell McGee was named head football coach.

Georgia Grown Bowl

Georgia Southern and Georgia State have only competed against each other in football since 2014. The rivalry got an official upgrade in 2024. The game was named the “Georgia Grown Bowl” to celebrate the state’s agriculture industry. Now, the winner each year takes home a trophy called the Commissioner’s Cup. In the very first Georgia Grown Bowl, Helton’s Eagles won convincingly 38-21.

Mascots and Logos

The nickname "Panthers" has been used for all Georgia State teams since 1963, following a student vote. An official mascot, Urbie, a crimson panther, first appeared in 1989. In 1993, Urbie was replaced by an early version of the current mascot, Pounce, a blue panther. The primary athletics logo features the newest iteration of Pounce.

tags: #georgia #state #university #athletics #history