Blake Wyatt, Christo Bilukidi and Jake Muasau at 2012 Spring Game
This Panther Mama is VERY proud that two of "my boys" are heading to the National Football League! Christo Bilukidi was drafted in the sixth round by the Oakland Raiders, as the 189th overall pick. Jake Muasau signed a free agent contract with the New York Giants!
Christo and Jake are fine young men on and off the field, and they will represent their families and GSU well. I know the entire Panther Family is thrilled for Christo and Jake, and will look forward to watching their Pro careers! Congratulations to both of you!
After a game: Front: Travis Evans, Back row l to r: Blake Wyatt, Trey Ennis, Christo Bilukidi, Kail Singleton, and Bailey Woods
Panther Mama loves it when she has a "full house!" From Left front, clockwise, in camo, John Murphy with GSU Panthers Mark Hogan, Blake Wyatt, Christo Bilukidi, Panther Dad Ed Wyatt, and Jake Muasau.
(Monday, April 9, 2012) Today's 2 p.m. press conference atThe Georgia Dome confirmed the buzz that Georgia State would accept theSun Belt Conference's invitation to rejoin the Sun Belt! (In August of 1976, GSU was one of 6 founding members of theSun Belt Conference.)
Approaching the Dome, via the Blue Carpet, at the gate where the Panthers enter during their "Panther Walk" on Game Days. (The band performed today, too!)
I arrived at one o'clock, and took a seat on the fifth row, behind the reserved seats. Coach Bill Curry, and his wife Carolyn, were among the first to arrive, so we had a nice five minute visit. Dr. Becker joined us, shook hands, chatted a minute, then asked Coach, "Can you believe it's only been 36 months since you and I sat down to talk about a football team?"
Coach Curry responded shaking his head just a little, "I know. And right after that, people were already asking, 'When are we going to be Division I?' I told them, we don't even have a chin strap yet! We don't have a football! I never thought it would happen this fast!"
Needless to say, as Coach Curry continued to greet the fans, there was excitement, and an air of anticipation. Fans, coaches, and players lined the walls waiting for the panel to arrive. The chairs were full.
Coach Bill Curry, center, greeting fans.
Full House with Standing Room Only, Awaiting the Start of the Press Conference!
(There was another whole section of chairs to the left of this photo, as well.)
L to R: Dave Cohen, Carl Benson, Cheryl Levick, Dr. Becker, Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr.
"Voice of the Panthers," Dave Cohen (in photo at the podium), started the press conference by introducing the panel, from far right of photo, Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. Chancellor of Troy University and Sun Belt Conference President, Dr. Mark Becker, President of Georgia State University, Cheryl Levick, Director of Athletics, and Carl Benson, Commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference.
Introduction and Carl Benson's speech (3 minutes):
30 Second Video of the Conference President's actual invitation to join the conference, and presentation of Sun Belt Hats to President Becker and Cheryl Levick:
President Becker spoke of joining the Sun Belt Conference as another example of Georgia State University's "continually raising the bar on ourselves. He said, "We are delighted we will kick off our second century competing in the Sun Belt.
Video of President Becker's Official Acceptance (20 seconds):
Cheryl Levick stated that under Dr. Becker, GSU is growing in size and stature as a research university. She talked about how being in the Sun Belt Conference will increase exposure and notoriety for the entire university. Ms. Levick took advantage of the opportunity to ask Commissioner Benson to consider relocating the Sun Belt Conference offices to Atlanta, and to schedule tournaments and playoffs here.
Ms. Levick flashed huge grin as she spoke of Georgia State's "big step up" to one of only eleven conferences with post season bowls, emphasizing "FBS, Folks, FBS!" She then praised the marketing and publicity staff for their efforts to start publicizing GSU's Sun Belt affiliation, as the banner shown below was unfurled.
GSU has formally withdrawn from the CAA. Decisions about conference playoffs this year, as well as paperwork and other details for the NCAA, are still pending.
The panel entertained questions from the press, then adjourned the conference, while key people moved to a private room for one on one press interviews. The Panther Family--fans, players, coaches, and staff--lingered and mingled, basking in the afterglow! WHAT AN EXCITING DAY!
An enthusiastic crowd, made up of Georgia State family and fans, lined the football practice field and filled the temporary bleachers for the Spring Scrimmage. Coach Bill Curry welcomed everyone, and shared comments throughout the warmups and scrimmage.
Coach Curry Greeting the Panther Fans
The offense won the scrimmage. A number of players had good plays. Lots of new faces had playing time today. Defense had 14 players sidelined with injuries (including my son, and his roommate, Mark Hogan, GSU's first signed player.)
It was fun seeing former players returning for the scrimmage! Several former Panthers are in the process of trying out for the NFL draft!
Many attendees enjoyed their first look at the indoor practice facility, which opened in August 2011. The building houses locker rooms, training rooms, film room, laundry, conference rooms, etc. (The team has been using the practice fields for two years.) The football complex is a great example of GSU's influence on urban renewal in Atlanta.
It was great to see fellow "Panther Mamas," Dads, family members, and fans today! We're looking forward to starting Season Three on Thursday, August 30th, at the Georgia Dome! GO PANTHERS!
HERE IT IS! The GSU Football Office's story with our Panthers' 2012 Schedule!
Panther Fans are looking forward to some serious "road trips" this fall! Our team will be on the road in Tennessee, Virginia twice, and New England twice (Maine and Rhode Island!) This is our first season in the CAA--Colonial Athletic Association. 8 of our 11 opponents for 2012 are from the CAA. At home, our first two home games are re-matches against SC State, and UT San Antonio. The rest of the home games are against CAA opponents.
The pressure is on AND EXCITEMENT IS BUILDING! Georgia State Football is officially moving up to the next level of competition! Let's rally behind our team, buy our tickets, show up for pre-season events, and turn out for games!
Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! I certainly enjoyed spending time during the holidays with family and friends. I took a brief break from blogging, but I'll be back soon with my report on the Football Banquet. In the meantime, please check out Panther Talk's page encouraging support for our winning basketball team! C'mon Panther Fans! Let's spread the word, share the link, and SELL OUT THE ARENA! http://www.panthertalk.com/selloutsportsarena Happy New Year! GO PANTHERS!
After driving for four and a half hours, it was exciting to arrive in the parking lot at The University of West Alabama, and see groups of fans wearing Panther Blue!
A beautiful sunset welcomed us to West Alabama.
Seeing this Tiger, and other team statues, makes me thing we need a Panther Statue outside OUR HOUSE, at the Dome!
Video of OUR PANTHERS entering the stadium:
We had quite a large contingent of students, fans and families who made the trek, almost to Mississippi, to watch OUR PANTHERS play. It was great to see the Panther Posse spread out across the visitors' stands!
The fans missed having our Georgia State Marching band and Spirit Teams with us! However, a couple of fans stepped up to the plate, aand did an excellent job rallying the fans! They cheered without ceasing, and united the crowd with several spirited chants! "DEFENSE (CLAP CLAP) DEFENSE (CLAP CLAP) DEFENSE!" was by far our best!
It was another exciting game. For a time, it looked as if we were headed for our fourth overtime in a row. Unfortunately, we ended up one touchdown short of a tie!
Moving forward: Let's Pack Out The Dome for the final game of our second season! It's Senior Day! Wear your Panther Gear, bring your friends, and let's cheer OUR PANTHERS on to victory!
It's exciting seeing the crowd at the "Panther Walk" getting bigger each week! (The Panther Walk is at Gate E, approximately two and a half hours before the game.)
I was delighted to meet one of the "Blue Haired Girls" who's a loyal Panther fan!
The excitement becomes palpable as the band arrives with the spirit team. The crowd claps and moves to the music as the band starts to play. The buses arrive and the Panthers make their way through the "spirit tunnel" of enthusiastic fans and family members who greet them with hugs and encouraging words. Video below of Panther Walk, with special guests: children from the Make a Wish Foundation.
It was a beautiful crisp day for tailgating! My group and I enjoyed the Alumni Association's Game Day Tailgate event! Pounce joined the spirit team in rallying the crowd! If you're not a member, you should consider joining the GSU Alumni Association! Video below:
We always go into the Dome early, to watch our Panthers warm up!
(I'm the "official" Panther Mama of #18,
and unofficial Panther Mama to the rest of the team!)
Here come the Panthers! The "tradition" of the Panther's entering the Dome has become well established during our second season!
This shaky video starts out on my son, then focuses on Matt Weller, the official "Kickoff Kid" for the first kickoff of the game. Matt is my "adopted grandson," as the son of my children's childhood babysitter, Julie Weller.
It was impressive seeing approximately 1,000 musicians on the field! Area high school students joined our awesome Georgia State Marching Band for our half-time enjoyment.
The Panthers lost in overtime....For additional game commentary, check out Panther Talk.
Let's WIN the next two! Hope to see you in Livingston, Alabama on Saturday! GO PANTHERS!
The Panther's overtime defeat at the Alamo Dome was tough. I thought we had it won. On a positive note, there was lots of good defensive play, and some nice "teamwork" from the team. We literally, had the game won till the last seconds of the 4th quarter. Serious bummer....
Alamo Dome
Except for the loss, San Antonio was a great trip. The Alumni Association did a great job taking care of GSU alumni and fans in San Antonio. It was fun spending time with Panther Fans, family members of players and coaches, and Alumni Association and Football staff.
River Walk in San Antonio, with the orange merging flames statue,
which was a gift from Mexico, in the background.
The Alumni Association hosted a very nice reception on the River Walk on Friday night at Rio Rio Cantina, and a brunch at the Hyatt Regency (where the team stayed), before the game. The Alumni Association also arranged transportation to and from the game. The Georgia State contingent in San Antonio was not huge, but we were loud and proud!
Panther Mamas Beverly Hogan and Jamie Wyatt with
Carolyn Curry (Coach Bill Curry's Wife)
