With football season right around the corner, and your Georgia Southern Eagles hard at work in the offseason, now is the time to take a closer look at the upcoming fixtures for the 2025 season as the Eagles look to secure a fourth-straight bowl berth under head coach Clay Helton and win their second Sun Belt Conference title since joining in 2014.
AUG. 30
Georgia Southern opens the 2025 campaign on the road at Valley Children's Stadium in Fresno, California. The Eagles will face a Bulldog program undergoing a transitional period with a new head coach at the reins, Matt Entz, who stepped in after Jeff Tedford ended his tenure due to health concerns. The first meeting of these two teams marks a unique non-conference faceoff between Sun Belt and Mountain West opponents, with both programs looking to start the season strong.
Fresno State will be coming off a 6-7 campaign in 2024, including a bowl appearance in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, where they fell to Northern Illinois 28-20. Despite the recent coaching change, the Bulldogs will look to uphold their strong offensive reputation, averaging over 26 points per game last season.
SEPT. 6
For Week 2, the Eagles will be continuing their early-season road stretch with a trip to Los Angeles, where they will take on the USC Trojans at the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This meeting will mark the first between the two programs and a significant fixture in Georgia Southern's FBS era. USC, notoriously steeped in tradition, with multiple national championships and Heisman winners to their name, enters the upcoming season under head coach Lincoln Riley as it settles into its new home in the Big Ten Conference, seeking to regroup after a 2024 campaign that fell short of their expectations with a 7-6 record.
For the Eagles, this debut against a veteran Power Four program offers an opportunity to test their growth on the national stage and a chance to build momentum in the FBS. It also marks a return to the Coliseum for Coach Helton, who led the Trojans for several years. With everything to gain and nothing to lose, Georgia Southern will aim to make a memorable statement in one of college football's most iconic venues.
SEPT. 13
The Eagles will host Jacksonville State for their home opener in Week 3, in the fifth overall meeting between the two programs. One of the newer FBS members competing in Conference USA, the Gamecocks are led by head coach Charles Kelly, who succeeded Rich Rodriguez. The Gamecocks are coming off a strong 2024 season where they went 9-5 and asserted themselves as a solid force to be reckoned with. Jacksonville State is a dangerous non-conference opponent coming into Paulson Stadium, but the Eagles are 4-0 all-time in the series.
This said, Georgia Southern will be looking to defend home turf at a place the program has had so much success.
SEPT. 20
In Week 4, Georgia Southern wraps up its non-conference slate by hosting Maine in their fifth all-time meeting. Previously, the Eagles defeated the Black Bears 26-18 in their 2019 season opener, and now face them again six years later. Maine, a long-standing member of the FCS and the Coastal Athletic Association, enters the 2025 season looking to make improvements off their 5-7 record in 2024 under head coach Jordan Stevens, who enters his third year.
While the Black Bears bring a scrappy and physical brand of football, Georgia Southern will look to finish its opening stretch strong before heading into Sun Belt Conference play at James Madison.
SEPT. 27
Next up, Sun Belt play opens on the road in Week 5 with a highly anticipated matchup against James Madison, a program that has quickly become one of the conference's strongest contenders since transitioning from the FCS. The Dukes are coming off a strong 2024 season after posting a 9-4 record, although the Eagles hold the bragging rights heading in after a 28-14 victory last season.
Southern leads the all-time series 9-2, and the Eagles are 3-2 in games played at Bridgeforth Stadium. For the Dukes, head coach Bob Chesney picked up where Curt Cignetti left off, building a strong reputation for the Dukes with a strong defense and efficient quarterback play, making this a certain test of the Eagles' resilience across the board.
OCT. 9
Georgia Southern returns to Statesboro for Week 6 with a Thursday night fixture under the lights against Southern Miss on national TV. A new Sun Belt rivalry will be ignited in this showdown as the two programs have never met. The Golden Eagles finished the 2024 season with an underwhelming 1-11 season and will be heading to Statesboro with a hard-nosed defense and physical run game, eager to pick up a valuable win on the road under new head coach Charles Huff, who comes from Marshall, and brings several of his Thundering Herd players with him who played in Statesboro last season.
OCT. 18
In Week 7, Georgia Southern returns home for one of the most emotional games of the season, a rivalry clash against in-state foe Georgia State. The Panthers lead the all-time series 6–5, even after the Eagles' 38–21 win in 2024. Southern will look to level things out in the head-to-head count with a Homecoming contest at Paulson Stadium.
This said, Georgia State hopes to turn things around under head coach Dell McGee, who enters his second season after a rough 3–9 season. The Panthers will look to change the narrative for the upcoming season and regardless of the records, this rivalry is always intense, personal, and full of pride. For Georgia Southern, defending Paulson Stadium and staying on track in the Sun Belt East are top priorities. With fans fired up and plenty on the line, this one promises to be loud, physical and full of action.
OCT. 25
In Week 8, Georgia Southern enters a two-game road stretch, first against Arkansas State in a key cross-divisional matchup in the Sun Belt. The series is level at 3-3 after the Eagles dropped 59 on the Red Wolves at home in 2021, but they've never won in Jonesboro in two tries. Arkansas State looks to build off an 8-5 record last season as the Red Wolves remain a threat under veteran head coach Butch Jones. While the Eagles have held bragging rights in the most recent meeting, trips to Jonesboro are far from easy.
For Georgia Southern, this game requires extreme focus, avoiding any slip-ups on the road.
NOV. 6
Week 9 brings one of the most heated and historic matchups on Georgia Southern's schedule, a road trip to Boone to face longtime rival App State to conclude a two-game stint on the road. Known as "Deeper Than Hate," this series dates back to their FCS days and remains one of the most intense games in the Sun Belt. Georgia Southern emerged with a statement 29–20 win in Statesboro last year, but App State still holds a 15-19 all-time lead.
The Mountaineers, led by new head coach Dowell Loggains, are always tough at home and enter 2025 looking to bounce back after a slightly underwhelming 2024 campaign in which they missed a bowl game. Emotions will be nothing but high with this one, and it's about more than just standings; it's about pride, history, and proving who owns the rivalry.
NOV. 15
In Week 10, Georgia Southern returns to Paulson Stadium to take on Coastal Carolina in a pivotal Sun Belt East matchup. The Chanticleers, led by head coach Tim Beck, are coming off a 6-7 2024 season and look to return back to the top of the SBC East. Known for their balanced offense and disciplined play, Coastal always presents a challenge, regardless of record.
However, the Eagles will look to extend their two-game win streak against the Chanticleers after picking up a 26-6 win on the road last year. With both squads likely in the thick of the divisional race, this one could carry major weight in the Sun Belt standings.
NOV. 22
In Week 11, Georgia Southern hosts Old Dominion in what could be an important late-season Sun Belt clash. The Monarchs, led by head coach Ricky Rahne, finished 5–7 in 2024 and have steadily built a reputation as a tough, scrappy team capable of pulling off upsets, as they did in 2024 with an assertive 47-19 win over the Eagles, which proved costly in their championship hopes.
Old Dominion brings a physical defense and a no-nonsense style of play that demands focus from the opening whistle. For Georgia Southern, it will be Senior Day, and it is an important game if the Eagles have hopes of playing for a conference title.
NOV. 29
Georgia Southern wraps up the regular season on the road with a high-stakes showdown against defending Sun Belt champion Marshall. The Herd is coming off an impressive 10–3 campaign in 2024 but has a new head coach after Charles Huff left for Southern Miss. Tony Gibson is now at the helm and takes over a program steeped in history.
Marshall leads the overall series 6-3, but the last year's meeting in Statesboro was one to remember as Georgia Southern pulled off an astonishing comeback, rallying from a 23–3 deficit in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to win 24–23 in what became the largest comeback victory in Paulson Stadium history. That game still looms large for both programs and adds an extra layer of emotion heading into this year's rematch in Huntington.
While the season doesn't start til August, tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at GSEagles.com/tickets.
