Eagle Nation,

I hope this letter finds you and your family safe and healthy as we continue to live in an ever-changing COVID-19 environment. Today, I am writing to highlight updates on where we have been, where we are, and what the potential next few months may look like for Georgia Southern Athletics.

The last several months have been taxing on everyone, either directly or indirectly. It's affected your daily lives and your future plans and it's been no different for us in college athletics. Our staff and coaches have worked tirelessly with university colleagues, local and state officials to identify the best solutions to ensure the safety of our student-athletes, staff, community and fans. Local and state guidelines regarding testing, isolation, contact tracing and close-contact efforts are being strictly followed to help mitigate the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We must also be mindful of how generating revenue sustains our long-term operations. As you know, we rely heavily on ticket sales and donations to support our student-athletes and coaches, which will allow them to compete at a high level in the Sun Belt Conference. As we approach the upcoming season and adjust the game day experience while following public health recommendations, it is clear that COVID-19 will significantly impact our ticket sales and Eagle Fund revenues (in addition to other projected losses). While the financial implications are undetermined at this time, we remain steadfast in identifying measures to reduce costs in excess of the 10% budget reduction already realized for Fiscal Year 2021.

Unfortunately, provided the number of uncertainties, we must prepare for all scenarios, including one that results in a reduced capacity at home events. In full transparency, a reduction in ticket and donation revenue will result in serious financial challenges. The financial impact we are facing stretches beyond our department. Any changes in our schedules and seating capacities would significantly impact our University, local community and the state. Many residents and businesses in the Statesboro community (and their surrounding areas) rely on our events for their economic well-being.

The safety of our student-athletes, coaches and staff will always be our top priority. To properly support their physical and mental well-being, it is imperative that we adequately fund and allocate resources to academic, sports medicine, nutritional and strength & conditioning support. A majority of this funding comes from revenues derived from many of our home athletic events, and this is why we are so committed to trying to find a solution to safely play college sports, consistent with local and state health guidance.

We understand that there are health concerns that will accompany any plan to move forward with sports. Please know we will continue to deploy best practices on our campuses, and we are confident that our department can provide a safe environment for student-athletes. We plan to enact mitigation efforts to reduce the risk for fans at Paulson Stadium. We also ask that all Georgia Southern fans continue to "Do Right" by wearing a mask or cloth face covering.

Shortly, we will have clear guidance on our fall competition schedules and how fan participation will be impacted at Paulson Stadium and other athletic venues. Our goal remains to safely seat as many fans and students as we can in all venues while ensuring we meet public health guidelines. We have been modeling several different seating scenarios and configurations and will adjust accordingly once more guidance is provided to us. We are committed to providing clear and timely information to all of you in Eagle Nation and ask for your patience as those options are developed and disseminated.

If I said it once, I'd repeat it: the strength of Eagle Nation is in its members! We greatly appreciate your continued support as we navigate very complex issues that require a balancing of health and fiscal responsibility. We are ardent in our approach toward ensuring that our student-athletes, fans, staff and coaches remain safe. Additionally, ensuring that we obtain and allocate fiscal resources to maintain a high level of physical and mental wellness of our student-athletes remains a top priority.



















As Coach Erk Russell would say, "the best way to win a game is not to lose it." Eagle Nation – we are committed to being transparent and will continue to update you as changes occur in the upcoming weeks and months. And while the near future will not be easy, together, we will come out on top! Eagle Nation has never shied away from hard work – we are tough, blue-collar, and disciplined. And borrowing another quote from Coach Russell, "You ain't seen nothin' yet!"

Hail Southern! G.A.T.A!





Jared Benko
Georgia Southern Director of Athletics