Allen E. Paulson Stadium

Paulson Stadium is at 207 Lanier Drive, Statesboro, GA 30458, on the south side of Georgia Southern's Statesboro campus inside Erk Russell Athletic Park. Veterans Memorial Parkway, Lanier Drive, Akins Boulevard and Chandler Road define the main approaches. Follow the route assigned to the parking pass because donor-lot entrances and postgame turns are controlled.

Driving & Parking

• From Savannah and the east
  I-16 and US 301 provide the usual regional approach to Statesboro. Continue toward campus and use Veterans Memorial Parkway for the Lanier Drive side when directed.
• From the west
  I-16 travelers commonly enter through US 301 or GA 67. Allow additional time once reaching campus; Lanier Drive narrows as parking and pedestrian traffic build.
• Lanier Drive closure
  The latest season plan closes southbound Lanier between Chandler Road and Robin Hood Trail four hours before kickoff and reopens it one hour after the game. Gold, Peach, Morris Bank Blue, Green and Teal patrons enter from the Veterans Memorial Parkway end.
• Paid general parking
  The Recreation Activities Center, Performing Arts Center and Lot 29 have offered car parking for $20 in advance and $25 on game day. Spaces are first-come within the lot, and cash and cards have been accepted at entrances.
• Free general parking
  Russell Union parking is first-come for ordinary cars, with no RVs or large tailgates. The Blue shuttle route connects the Union with Paulson.
• Donor lots
  Gold, Peach, Pink, Yellow, Blue, Green and Teal inventory inside Erk Russell Athletic Park requires the proper Erk Russell Fund pass. Pink and Yellow enter from Malecki Drive off Akins Boulevard; the other named donor lots use Lanier Drive.
• RV parking
  Reserved RV and large-tailgate spaces are available in the PAC lot and Lot 29. Those spaces may be accessed the night before; other game-day lots do not permit overnight setup.
• Hours and exit
  Lots open at 8 a.m. for Saturday games and noon for weekday games under the latest plan. Paid general lots do not allow vehicle reentry, and postgame officers send traffic toward the designated arterial.

Public Transit

• Gold Route
  The express shuttle links the paid Performing Arts Center lot at Forest and Plant drives with the Malecki Drive stadium stop.
• Blue Route
  This route serves free Russell Union parking from Forest Drive and uses the same Paulson stop.
• Green Route
  The Green shuttle connects the paid Recreation Activities Center lot on Akins Boulevard with the stadium.
• Service window
  Complimentary shuttles begin two and a half hours before kickoff and continue until one hour after the game. Every published game-day route is accessible.
• Plan the return
  Remember the route color, not merely “the bus.” All three converge at Malecki Drive, and the destination queues separate after the final whistle.

Rideshare (Uber/Lyft)

• No dedicated current zone
  Georgia Southern's latest football guide does not designate a permanent Uber or Lyft lot. Do not pin the front gate or a closed portion of Lanier Drive.
• Use a shuttle hub
  The PAC, RAC or Russell Union is a practical meeting point outside the stadium crush. Ride from there on the complimentary bus before the game and return by the same color afterward.
• Confirm the street
  Give the driver the full campus building name and street rather than an ambiguous “Paulson” pin. Temporary one-way traffic can place the car on the wrong side of the athletics park.
• Postgame supply
  Statesboro has a smaller driver pool than Savannah. Expect a wait, avoid walking into Veterans Memorial Parkway traffic and consider a downtown meal while demand falls.

For Saturday games, the lots open at 8 a.m., shuttles start two and a half hours before kickoff and Eagle Walk follows about 15 minutes later. Gates open 90 minutes before the game. The donor lots offer the classic scene, but Russell Union and the paid remote lots make the day accessible without a season credential.

Tailgating

• Erk Russell Athletic Park
  Donor lots immediately around Paulson hold the densest blue-and-white tents and multigenerational setups. Stay within the assigned space and the grass immediately behind it.
• Eagle Walk
  Fans form a tunnel through the donor area as the yellow school buses unload near the southwest corner of the Tippins Family Training Facility. The current countdown places it about two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff.
• General lots
  RAC, PAC, Lot 29 and Russell Union allow visitors to establish a tailgate in perimeter grass or immediately behind the vehicle as long as traffic remains open.
• Grills and generators
  Hot coals belong in the blue, labeled ash containers. Generators are allowed when they do not disturb neighbors; kegs are prohibited.
• Five-mile-per-hour rule
  Children, golf carts and pedestrians mix throughout the lots. Drivers must observe the 5 mph limit, and a golf cart needs its own coordinating parking credential.
• Heat and storms
  September games can be punishingly hot. Carry water and shade, and know that a lightning strike within eight miles closes stadium gates and restarts a 30-minute safety clock.

Pregame Bars & Restaurants

• Eagle Creek Brewing Company
  The downtown brewpub at 106 Savannah Avenue, Suite B pairs its own beer with a restaurant and taproom. It is a natural Friday-night gathering point for Eagle fans.
• Tandoor & Tap
  At 40 East Main Street, this local favorite serves Indian dishes, fresh naan and tandoori specialties alongside craft beer and cocktails.
• Bull and Barrel Steakhouse
  The polished restaurant at 30 West Main Street offers prime steaks and a seasonally changing Southern menu. Reserve for Friday dinner or Saturday brunch.
• Loco's Grill & Pub
  A relaxed sports-bar option with sandwiches, wings, burgers, televisions and frequent weekend music, useful for groups seeking a familiar pregame menu.
• Azul Tex-Mex Express
  The local partner at 408 South Main Street also operates inside The Hangout at Paulson. After an Eagle victory, the Statesboro location has offered a limited-time discount.

• Yellow school buses
  Erk Russell used inexpensive school buses when rebuilding the program in the early 1980s. The team still rides them to Paulson, turning practical transportation into the day's most beloved symbol.
• Eagle Walk
  Supporters create a tunnel from the bus arrival through Erk Russell Athletic Park. Arrive before the official time; the procession moves quickly once the doors open.
• “Georgia … Southern!”
  The two-part call-and-response needs no explanation in Statesboro. A second refrain—“Whose house? Our house!”—rises when Paulson is full.
• GATA
  Russell's famous acronym appears on signs, clothing and the program's identity. Its public-facing meaning is “Get After Their Asses,” an instruction to compete with relentless effort.
• Erk Russell bust
  Players traditionally make contact with Russell's likeness on the way into the locker room, linking each team to the coach who revived football and won three national titles.
• Alma mater
  After the game, the team gathers with the Southern Pride Marching Band to sing. Fans may enter the field only after the alma mater and once teams and staffs have cleared it.
• Freedom's legacy
  The live bald eagle's pregame flight was long billed as college football's most exciting 30 seconds. After Freedom died in 2025, Georgia Southern dedicated a statue beside Bishop Field House; the monument now carries that tradition forward.

• Erk Russell statue
  The nine-foot “One More Time” bronze stands near Bishop Field House and honors the father of modern Georgia Southern football, whose teams went 83–22 and won three national championships.
• Freedom statue
  Dedicated in Parrish-Scoggins Plaza in September 2025, the memorial captures the bald eagle that flew into Paulson beginning in 2007.
• Ted Smith Family Football Center
  The east-end building contains football operations and the Bill W. Nelson Hall of Fame, where all six FCS championship trophies are displayed.
• Evans Family Field
  The playing surface received its current name in 2024 after a $3 million family gift. Its 2023 FieldTurf Prestige Vertex system includes a CoolPlay layer for South Georgia heat.
• New video presentation
  A large Formetco board above the football center, an additional ribbon display and upgraded sound debuted in 2024; LED field lighting arrived in 2020.
• The Hangout at Paulson
  The 2025 in-stadium family zone combines games, face painting, cornhole, entertainment, Azul food and a draft-beer trailer with pre-kickoff happy hour.

History & Notable Moments

• Opening day (1984)
  Tracy Ham scored the first stadium touchdown on a 36-yard run as Georgia Southern defeated Liberty Baptist 48–11.
• First home playoff win (1985)
  A 27–0 shutout of Jackson State launched a remarkable 33–3 home record in FCS playoff games.
• Hugo Bowl (1989)
  The Eagles defeated Middle Tennessee 26–0 in rain from Hurricane Hugo during a nationally televised night remembered throughout Statesboro.
• Perfect national champion (1989)
  Paulson served as the fortress for Russell's 15–0 final team, still the program's only unbeaten national champion.
• FBS expansion debut (2014)
  Georgia Southern opened the expanded north deck and then beat Appalachian State 34–14 in its first major Sun Belt showcase.
• Ranked rivalry upset (2018)
  The Eagles again defeated App State 34–14, this time knocking off the No. 25 Mountaineers on national television.
• Attendance record (2023)
  A crowd of 26,483 packed the 25,000-seat venue for a 38–28 victory over Coastal Carolina.

Paulson is an east-west stadium with sideline grandstands, the Ted Smith Family Football Center in the east and Bishop Field House in the west. The south side is the traditional home side; the 2014 north upper deck holds the expanded inventory and the student section. Most seats are aluminum bleachers, so the experience varies by sun, elevation and rental seatback.

• South sideline
  The home side offers direct access to the south concourse, The Hangout and the new Walk-Thru Brew. It receives strong afternoon sun, especially early in the season.
• North lower sections H–P
  These form the student section, with students and buddy-ticket holders entering at Gate 14. Expect standing and constant noise.
• North upper deck
  The 2014 addition supplies the highest full-field views and catches more breeze, but it also involves more stairs and greater weather exposure.
• Club Level
  Premium seating provides an upgraded sideline environment and access terms that vary by ticket. Eagle Seat rentals are available here but not in Bishop Club or Stadium Club.
• Bishop Club and booster boxes
  The west-end hospitality areas offer protected social space, while the stadium's 26 booster boxes provide a more intimate premium product.
• Grass Hill
  A family-oriented lawn option retains some of old Paulson's informal feel. Eagle Seats can be rented there, but ordinary personal seatbacks are prohibited.
• Accessible seating
  ADA accommodations are available on request, and all remote-lot shuttles are accessible. Coordinate the seat and parking route through the ticket office before game day.

Georgia Southern expanded its menu and service points in 2025. Cash and credit cards are accepted, but a card or mobile wallet is fastest when concourses fill at halftime.

• Stand 7 chicken sandwich
  The garlic Texas toast sandwich adds pepper jack, pickles and Georgia Southern's zesty Gus sauce.
• Stoners Pizza
  Whole pizzas and wings are sold at Stands 4 and 5, an easy group order before the halftime rush.
• Fresh popcorn
  Souvenir buckets are available at Stands 1, 2, 7 and 8. Stand 1 also serves chili-cheese dogs.
• Walk-Thru Brew
  The Bud Light self-service-style beer point on the south concourse was added to reduce beverage lines. Alcohol is limited to guests 21 and older with valid identification.
• Freedom mug
  The collectible 2025–26 stadium mug supports the Raptor Center and Eagle Nation Fund, with discounted refills when the cup is brought to later Georgia Southern events.
• The Hangout
  Azul sells Tex-Mex inside the fan zone, while the beer trailer has offered $4 drafts from gate opening until kickoff.
• Southern Exchange
  Merchandise shops operate on the north and south concourses, with an additional Bishop Field House pop-up and a tailgate store near Gate 12.
• Outside drinks
  Food and beverages may not enter, but one empty water bottle is allowed for use at designated filling stations.

• Each ticketed guest, including children, may carry one approved clear bag and one small clutch.
• Clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags may not exceed 12 by 6 by 12 inches. A one-gallon clear freezer bag is an approved alternative.
• The clear bag may display one logo no larger than 4.5 by 4.5 inches. Tinted and printed-pattern bags are prohibited.
• A small non-clear clutch or purse may not exceed 4.5 by 6.5 inches.
• Necessary medical equipment may enter in its own bag after inspection. There is no gate-side bag-check service.
• Blankets and cushions may be carried for inspection. Cushions must be 17 inches wide or less and have no back, arms, pockets or legs; ordinary personal seatbacks are prohibited.
• Binoculars and cameras with lenses shorter than six inches may enter without cases. Umbrellas, strollers, coolers, diaper bags, fanny packs, backpacks and outside food are prohibited.
• Gates open 90 minutes before kickoff under the latest schedule. Every guest is screened, and reentry is not permitted.