STATESBORO – Georgia Southern will hold a Hoops Fan Fest Oct. 18, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in Hanner Fieldhouse.

Fans will have the chance to meet student-athletes and coaches from the men's and women's basketball teams. Admission and parking is free, and free t-shirts will be given to early-arriving fans while supplies last. Concessions will be open and giving away free popcorn while supplies last, and drinks will be available for purchase.

The men's team will start things off with a scrimmage, and the women's team will follow with a scrimmage. Both teams will be introduced, and there will be a 3-point shooting contest between a men's student-athlete and a women's student-athlete. Inflatables and autograph sessions with both squads will be on the floor following the 3-point contest.

Fans will be able to pick up 2017-18 schedule posters as well as purchase season tickets. Season tickets, which are good for both men's and women's home games, start as low as $90, and fans can save over $200 by purchasing season tickets. For basketball ticket information, visit GSEagles.com/tickets.

The women's team opens the season in an exhibition game against Fort Valley State Oct. 31, at 6:30 p.m. in Hanner Fieldhouse. The men's team opens the campaign with an exhibition game against Georgia College Nov. 1, in Hanner Fieldhouse, and tipoff is at 7 p.m.

The Eagle men have been one of the youngest teams in the country the last two years, and for the second year in a row, Georgia Southern returns 94 percent of its scoring and all five starters, including first-team All-Sun Belt selections Ike Smith and Tookie Brown. A number of college basketball publications are predicting Georgia Southern to be one of the top teams in the conference. 

The Georgia Southern women finished with a 13-17 overall record in 2016-17, but a 9-9 mark in the league gave the Eagles their first appearance in the Sun Belt Conference tournament. A team that ranked in the top of the league in fundamental categories such as free throw percentage and defense will look to put together their complete offense and defense plan leading up to the regular-season opener on November 10 at North Carolina A&T.

Mark your calendars for The Hoops Tip-Off Breakfast, which has become an annual tradition. It will be Oct. 25, in Hanner with doors opening at 7:30 a.m. Contact Dan Adams in the marketing department for more information (dadams@georgiasouthern.edu). 

Georgia Southern Athletics provides current information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, which is fully responsive across all mobile devices. Information on Eagle athletics can also be found through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics and Instagram.com/GSAthletics. To purchase tickets to Georgia Southern athletics events, visit GSEagles.com/tickets.

In order to expedite entry and provide a safe environment for all patrons and participants, Georgia Southern Athletics has implemented a Clear Bag Policy for all ticketed sporting events, effective Aug. 1, 2017. Fans can find the complete policy as well as an FAQ section at GSEagles.com/ClearBag.