Georgia State Panthers
| Georgia State Panthers | |
 |
|
| University | Georgia State University |
|---|---|
| Conference(s) | Colonial Athletic Association Sun Belt Conference (2013) |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletics director | Cheryl L. Levick |
| Location | Atlanta, GA |
| Varsity teams | 16 |
| Football stadium | Georgia Dome |
| Basketball arena | GSU Sports Arena |
| Baseball stadium | Georgia State University Baseball Complex |
| Mascot | Pounce the Blue Panther |
| Nickname | Panthers |
| Fight song | Fight Panthers, Panther Pride |
| Colors | Blue, White, and Red
|
| Homepage | GSU Panthers |
The Georgia State Panthers are the athletic teams of Georgia State University. Georgia State currently sponsors 17 NCAA Division I teams. Football and women's sand volleyball were added during the 2010-2011 school year. The Georgia State athletics programs compete in the CAA but will move to the Sun Belt Conference beginning 2013.[1]
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Athletic history [edit]
In 1963-64, Georgia State became a fully accredited NCAA Division I athletics program, giving scholarships for the first time to students to compete at the highest collegiate level possible.
In 1976-77, GSU became one of the six charter members of the Sun Belt Conference. After five seasons in that organization, Georgia State chose to break its affiliation with that conference. In 1984-85, Georgia State joined the Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) and competed with that group for 21 years, during which time the conference changed its name to the current Atlantic Sun Conference (A-Sun).
GSU began sponsoring women's varsity sports during the 1974-75 school year as basketball, soccer, volleyball and tennis competed at the NCAA Division I level. Women's cross country began the next year. The teams competed against programs throughout the Southeast, but were not affiliated with a conference.
Georgia State’s women’s teams joined the TAAC when it began sponsoring women's sports in 1991. Before that, they were members of the New South Women’s Athletic Conference (NSWAC), beginning in 1984-85.
Through automatic conference bids, 17 of the teams have reached the highest goals by competing in NCAA postseason in men's basketball, women's basketball, men's soccer, volleyball, men's cross country, women's cross country, softball, men's golf, women's golf, men's tennis, women's indoor track and women's outdoor track.
From 1997 through 2003, the Panthers men's basketball team was coached by Lefty Driesell, one of the winningest coaches in Division I history.
On July 1, 2005, the school left the Atlantic Sun Conference to join the Colonial Athletic Association.
In 2006, the Panthers won their first two conference championships as a member of the CAA, winning both in men's and women's golf.
Sports [edit]
GSU currently fields 17 varsity sports at the NCAA Division I level.
Football [edit]
The Panthers football team competes as part of the NCAA Division I FCS. In 2010 and 2011, it was classified as an independent, and joined the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) for the 2012 season. That season will be the Panthers' only one as a CAA football member, as it will begin a transition to Division I FBS in advance of GSU's 2013 return to the Sun Belt Conference. The Panthers will play a full Sun Belt schedule in 2013, but will not be eligible for bowl games until their FBS transition is completed in 2014.[1]
Georgia State plays its home games off-campus at the Georgia Dome. Presently the Panthers are led by head coach Bill Curry and began play as part of the 2010 college football season. The Panthers played their first football game at home (the Georgia Dome) on September 2, 2010 against Shorter University (Mid-South Conference) (NAIA). In front of a crowd of 30,237[2] the Panthers won the game 41-7.[3]
Men's Basketball [edit]
Women's Basketball [edit]
Softball [edit]
Baseball [edit]
Facilities [edit]
- The men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams compete on campus at the 4000 person capacity GSU Sports Arena
- The football team competes at the state owned Georgia Dome, an off campus facility located less than a mile from the central campus. The Georgia Dome has a capacity of 71,228, but is configured for most GSU home games with a maximum capacity of 28,155. Practice fields owned by the school are located south of the main campus over the downtown connector (interstate 75 85).
- The softball team competes at Bob Heck field, a school owned off campus facility located east of campus in Panthersville, Georgia.
- The baseball team competes at the Georgia State University Baseball Complex, a school owned off campus facility located east of campus in Panthersville, Georgia.
- The men's and women's soccer teams compete at the GSU Soccer Field, a school owned off campus facility located east of campus in Panthersville, Georgia.
- The men's and women's tennis teams compete at the Sharon Lester Tennis Center at Piedmont Park, a city owned park to the north of campus in the Midtown neighborhood
- The men's and women's golf teams compete at Eagles Landing Country Club, a 27 hole golf course in Stockbridge, Georgia.
- The sand volleyball team competes at the 340 person capacity Sand Volleyball Complex, located behind the GSU Sports Arena
Others [edit]
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Men's sports |
Women's sports |
References [edit]
- ^ a b "Georgia State to Join Sun Belt Conference" (Press release). Sun Belt Conference. April 9, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
- ^ "Bill Curry leads Georgia State to win". ESPN.com. September 3, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
- ^ "Penalties hamper Shorter in 41-7 loss to Georgia State". Shorter University. September 2, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
External links [edit]
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