The Journey Continues as Georgia Southern Breaks Ground on Major Projects
6/5/2013 9:47:00 PM | Football
VIDEO: Groundbreaking Ceremony
VIDEO: Interview with President Brooks Keel
VIDEO: Tom Kleinlein, Director of Athletics" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzDhldA7YRs" target="_blank">Interview with Director of Athletics Tom Kleinlein
VIDEO: Interview with Coach Jeff Monken
STATESBORO, Ga.– Throughout the ages, rain imagery has signified the receiving of blessings. If the weather at today's groundbreaking of the Football Operations Center and Paulson Stadium Expansion was any indication, blessings will be in abundant supply for Georgia Southern. While the rain clouds that rolled in before the start of the ceremony were extremely effective, nothing could dampen the mood for today's event.
University President Brooks Keel welcomed the crowd gathered to commemorate today's historical moment, connecting it to the origins of the Eagle Football program. President Keel provided insight into the early discussions that led to the vision of the new Football operations center and stadium expansion. Student Government Association Vice President for Finance Ellen Hogan, on behalf of the Georgia Southern student body, emphasized the student-centeredness of the University and thanked President Keel, campus administration, and faculty and staff, for the opportunity to vote to make the move to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and expansion project possible.
Director of Athletics Tom Kleinlein shared some of the significant games in Paulson Stadium history, including in his comments, fittingly, a reference to the Hugo Bowl, the nationally televised game that was played just 180 miles from the eye of Hurricane Hugo during the Eagles' undefeated championship year in 1989.Georgia Southern University Foundation President John Mulherin reiterated that the journey is just beginning and today's groundbreaking ceremony was one of the first milestones in a series of many to come.
"This is a day that will really truly go down in history," said President Brooks Keel after the event. (There are) a lot of similarities between today and what happened here 30 years ago when we first broke ground on this stadium and Erk Russell turned that shovel of dirt, and to see what we have today. That vision that he created, and those who came after him, we find ourselves today at the beginning of the next 30 years for this program.
"The opportunities that this presents to the University are truly incredible," Keel continued. "This puts us on a national stage, which is where Georgia Southern needs to be, and allows us to use athletics as a chance to get the word about Georgia Southern out to folks across the country that would never otherwise have the opportunity to learn about Georgia Southern. This is going to be tremendous for us, not just for athletics, but for academics as well, and for the future of the entire University."
With raindrops beginning to fall with greater frequency, the platform party moved to the site of the groundbreaking and were joined by University System of Georgia Regent Lori Durden, Vice President for Business and Finance Rob Whitaker, Eagle Football Coach Jeff Monken, and members of the Georgia Southern Athletic Steering Committee Mike Sanders, Mel McBride, Anthony Tippins, and Tim Evans, who will also serve as general contractor on the projects. Connecting the past to the future, Coach Jeff Monken used the same shovel that Coach Erk Russell used for the groundbreaking of Allen E. Paulson Stadium in April 1983, and with a coordinated effort, 11 shovels met sand. Construction begins June 12th.
"This is a great day, the vision that came with Dr. Lick, Dr. Bucky Wagner and Erk Russell, the legend has gotten even bigger with today's announcement of stadium expansion and building of our football operations center," Director of Athletics Tom Kleinlein said. "These two projects will be the stepping stones for the future of Georgia Southern Athletics. We want to grow all of our athletics facilities, similar to what we are doing here in football. What we are doing in athletics, Dr. Keel is doing that on the academic side. Our goal, in the next five to 10 years, is to take us from a regional brand of university to a national brand of university and these facilities in athletics will help us."
Scheduled for completion in April 2014, the $10 million privately funded Football Operations Center will house coaches' offices, team meeting rooms, a video production suite, locker rooms, strength & conditioning space, rehabilitation center, equipment room, and football Hall of Fame within its 50,000 square feet.
Expansion of the north stands of Paulson Stadium will include more than 6,000 additional seats with on-grade seating expanded by approximately 1,500 new seats and 4,500 added with the construction of an upper deck. With this student-fee funded expansion, seating capacity at Paulson Stadium will exceed 21,000 permanent seats. Construction of this $10 million project is scheduled for completion in May 2014.
Following the ceremony, the drenched, but happy crowd made its way to Bishop Field House to enjoy refreshments and the company of those who attended. Many individuals present today were also in attendance for the announcement of the start of the Georgia Southern Football program, the Erk Russell hiring press conference and the 1983 original groundbreaking of Paulson.
"This is a great day in our University's history," said Head Football Coach Jeff Monken. "It's a great day for Georgia Southern Football. There will be more days like this, and that is what is really exciting, we are going to have more groundbreakings, and more great days as we go forward. This is exciting for everybody, everyone who is here, and everyone who loves Georgia Southern."
Video of today's ceremony may be viewed online here. Webcams for day-to-day viewing of the construction sites will be available soon.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics and twitter.com/GSAthletics, and its "Eagles GATA" mobile app for Android and iOS.
Photo identification: Shovels met sand for the ceremonial groundbreaking for the construction of Georgia Southern's new Football Operations Center and expansion of Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro on Wednesday, June 5, 2013. From left to right, Mike Sanders, member, Georgia Southern Athletic Steering Committee; Mel McBride, member, Georgia Southern Athletic Steering Committee; Tim Evans, member, Georgia Southern Athletic Steering Committee and general contractor; Eagle Football Coach Jeff Monken; Georgia Southern University President Brooks Keel; Director of Athletics Tom Kleinlein; Anthony Tippins, member, Georgia Southern Athletic Steering Committee, University System of Georgia Regent Lori Durden; Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation President John Mulherin; Student Government Association Vice President of Finance Ellen Hogan; and Georgia Southern Vice President of Business and Finance Rob Whitaker.
