STATESBORO, Ga. – One of Erk Russell's favorite terms, "GATA" has earned a new meaning this year with the introduction of the "GATA Game" within the Georgia Southern Athletics Department. It has brought record crowds to some Eagle sporting events, exposed student-athletes to new sports, and brought the department together through common ground.

The final GATA Game of the 2013-14 academic year happens on Thursday when Georgia Southern Athletics comes together to support the Eagle softball team.

GAME INFORMATION
Time: 4 p.m.
Site: Eagle Field
TV/Video Stream: GS All-Access
Twitter: @GSAthletics, @GSAthletics_SB
Live Stats: GSEagles.com
Series Record: Ga. Southern Trails 12-36-1 (W1)

GENESIS

The idea for the game came out of Athletics Director Tom Kleinlein's weekly meetings with student-athletes. The goal was to help student-athletes get to know each other better and promote each other's sport around campus. Inviting all 400+ student-athletes to take a few hours from their busy schedule to watch their fellow Eagles was an idea that came from other schools, but the name was pure Georgia Southern.

"Creating a sense of family here at Georgia Southern Athletics has been one of our goals," said Kleinlein. "We've put a few different programs in place to bring our student-athletes together, but the most important one for us was to have our teams support each other on the field. We believe these programs have provided some unique experiences."

BIG GAME BENEFIT

The beauty of the idea was apparent from the first GATA Game. On September 29th the Men's Soccer set a new attendance record for the SoCon opener against Davidson. With an electric atmosphere Georgia Southern scored one of its earliest goals of the season to take an early lead.

"We had a tremendous atmosphere for our GATA game in the fall," said Men's Soccer Head Coach Kevin Kennedy. "The support from their fellow student-athletes inspired our team, and I think those games have been a success for all our sports."

EXPOSURE

Bringing Georgia Southern Athletes together was the goal, a result that has been achieved with record attendances for many of the GATA Games this season. By coming together, Eagles have found common ground across the disciplines

"This year we have gone to a lot of games for the first time," said Men's Basketball Player Jelani Hewitt. "It has been a lot of fun to see different sports and be able to see their skill on display. Now we see these guys walking around campus and we know exactly how hard they work in their games."

FEEDBACK

The feedback from the initiative has garnered rave reviews from members of Eagle Athletics.

"The GATA Game program has been a success for all our sports, but the most impressive one for me was the swimming meet," said Associate Athletics Director Gleen Hart. "For a sport that normally doesn't draw huge crowds, it was great to see so many Eagles at the RAC to support the swim team."

Fans can experience the final GATA game of the 2013-14 academic year on Wednesday afternoon when the Softball GATA Game is held. The Eagles take on Georgia State in the final contest between the schools before Georgia Southern joins the Sun Belt Conference on July 1.

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. To purchase tickets call 1-800-GSU-WINS.