What former Eagle head coach Erk Russell described as “The Prettiest Little Stadium in America” has been transformed into one of the finest facilities of its kind. The mid-deck creates an architectural presence on the north side with the new 50,000-square-foot Ted Smith Family Football Center enclosing the east end zone.
The $10 million stadium expansion project was student fee funded with private donations making possible the Eagle Football team’s new building.
Winning is the one constant at Paulson Stadium where the Eagles have a stunning 214-49 home record (.814) and won 91.7 percent of their postseason games (33-3). That .817 winning percentage stands as the fourth-best amongst current FBS stadiums entering the 2024 season.
More than three million fans have witnessed that success in Statesboro, creating a game day atmosphere that attracts Eagle fans from across campus, throughout the Coastal Empire and southeast region.
Previous upgrades to the complex included renovation of the concourses and hospitality areas and the addition of a brick façade along the walls of Paulson Stadium prior to 2005.
Initially constructed at a cost of $4.7 million with just over 14,000 permanent seats and grass seating for thousands more, the addition of Paulson Stadium elevated the fledgeling program. The site for numerous nationally televised games, including the 1989 Hugo Bowl on ESPN, permanent light fixtures were installed for the 1994 season. Every home game is aired by the ESPN family of networks, either online or on a linear broadcast.
The stadium is named for the late Allen E. Paulson, former founder and chairman of Gulfstream Aerospace, who donated more than $1 million toward construction of the facility.
In 2007, Georgia Southern University renamed the area surrounding the Stadium “Erk Russell Athletic Park” to honor the former Eagle coach.
The addition of the Ted Smith Family Football Center brought the nucleus of Eagle Football to the south end of campus. This building features the team locker room, weight room, training room, equipment room, team room, meeting rooms and a lobby with all six FCS national championship trophies.
Following the 2015 season, the grass playing surface of what is now Evans Family Field was removed to make way for a brand-new turf surface. New LED lights were installed in 2020. The turf was replaced in 2023.
Construction on the Anthony P. Tippins Family Training Facility, a $12.5 million project, was completed next to the stadium in the summer of 2023.
A new, large Formetco video board was installed above the Smith Family Center for 2024. Additionally, a new ribbon board and a new sound system were installed that summer.
