Georgia State Panthers
| Georgia State Panthers | |
 | |
| University | Georgia State University |
|---|---|
| Conference(s) | Colonial Athletic Association |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletics director | Cheryl L. Levick |
| Location | Atlanta, GA |
| Varsity teams | 16 |
| Football stadium | Georgia Dome |
| Basketball arena | GSU Sports Arena |
| 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.Georgia State University competes with 16 teams in an athletics program at the highest level of NCAA competition (Division I). Football and women's sand volleyball were added during the 2010-2011 school year. The football team is competing as an independent team in NCAA Division I FCS from 2010 until 2012, when they will join the CAA in football.
Georgia State moved into the 12-member Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) on July 1, 2005. The CAA receives automatic bids to all NCAA Championship Tournaments. Georgia State has already won four CAA Championships in its first three years.
Athletic history
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, the athletics program became a member of the Sun Belt Conference. After five seasons in that organization, Georgia State chose to break their affiliation with that conference. In 1984-85, Georgia State joined the Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) and competed with that group for 21 years. In July 2001 the conference changed its named to the Atlantic Sun Conference (A-Sun).
Women's sports blossomed into the program 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.
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.
Until 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.
In March 2007, after two consecutive 20 loss seasons in men's basketball, Georgia State fired head coach and former Driesell assistant coach Michael Perry, and hired former Ole Miss coach Rod Barnes.
In February 2011, after 4 more consecutive 20 loss losing seasons in men's basketball (the first three being 20 loss seasons), Georgia State fired head coach Rod Barnes, replacing him with assistant coach Paul Graham as the interim coach.
Sports
GSU currently fields 16 varsity sports at the NCAA Division I level.
Football
Men's Basketball
Men's Soccer
Facilities
Others
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
References
External links
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Georgia_State_Panthers&oldid=458892592#Men.27s_Soccer
