Georgia Southern Eagles vs. Georgia State Panthers. What started as a spirited in-state matchup has evolved into something bigger: a decade-long rivalry so intense it earned its own phrase after the teams’ first matchup: “Modern Day Hate.”
The “Real GSU”
Over 200 miles separate Georgia State University and Georgia Southern University. However, the institutions share a critical identifier: their initials. The rivalry is often fueled by a simple question: Who is the real “GSU”? This friendly (and sometimes not-so-friendly) argument set the stage for a natural football rivalry.
Some debaters turn to the history books. Georgia Southern University was founded in 1906, while Georgia State University was founded in 1913. While Georgia Southern was founded earlier, Georgia State’s supporters often point out that their school achieved official university status first.
The First Game: A Statement, a Milestone, and a Name
The two teams first met on the gridiron on October 25, 2014. First-year head coach Willie Fritz led the Eagles. The Eagles already had an established program with an impressive track record in a lower division. However, they were the newcomers in the Football Bowl Subdivision, which is the highest level of college football in the United States. Georgia State had a much newer program and was led by coach Trent Miles. The difference showed. The Eagles dominated in the Georgia Dome, winning in a massive blowout, 69-31. The historic victory made the first chapter of the rivalry even more memorable, as it officially marked the 300th win for the Georgia Southern football program.
The game immediately set a fierce tone. Doug Roberson, a sportswriter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, captured the feeling by giving the rivalry its now-famous nickname: “Modern Day Hate,” a spin on the “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” rivalry between Georgia and Georgia Tech.
The Turning Point: The Panthers Get Revenge
The very next year, in 2015, the Panthers traveled to Statesboro for a game with huge stakes. If Georgia State won, they would go to a bowl game for the first time in their school’s history.
In a huge turnaround, the Panthers stunned the home crowd at Paulson Stadium. They dominated the game from start to finish, winning 34-7. This victory came against a Willie Fritz-led Eagles team, proving the rivalry was going to be a real fight, not a one-sided affair.
A True Rivalry: Trading Wins and Coaches
Over the next several years, the rivalry became a true back-and-forth battle defined by close games and coaching changes.
After the 2015 season, Willie Fritz left for Tulane, while Tyson Summers took over for Georgia Southern. In 2017, Georgia State, under new head coach Shawn Elliott, won a nail-biter in Statesboro, 21-17, after forcing a late turnover. That season, Summers was replaced mid-year by Chad Lunsford, who would coach the Eagles in the rivalry through 2021.
Under Lunsford, the Eagles secured key victories, but from 2020 to 2022, Shawn Elliott’s Panthers took control of the series, winning three straight games and culminating with a 41-33 victory in 2022.
The Eagles Strike Back
The tide turned again when Clay Helton became the head coach for Georgia Southern. In 2023, the Eagles snapped their losing streak with a big 44-27 win at home.
The rivalry got an official upgrade in 2024. The game was named the “Georgia Grown Bowl” to celebrate the state’s agriculture industry. Now, the winner each year takes home a trophy called the Commissioner’s Cup. In the very first Georgia Grown Bowl, Helton’s Eagles went to Atlanta and brought home the trophy, winning convincingly 38-21. The Panthers were led by a familiar face in their first year under head coach Dell McGee, who was an assistant at Georgia Southern during the rivalry’s first two seasons.
Who’s on Top?
This rivalry is about as even as it gets. Heading into this week’s game, Georgia State holds a very slim 6-5 lead in the series.
What started as an argument over an acronym has turned into one of the most exciting matchups in the Sun Belt Conference. For the players, students, and alumni of Georgia Southern, this homecoming game is a chance to even the score, defend their pride, and write the next chapter of “Modern-Day Hate.”
