NEW ORLEANS — After picking up the first bowl victory of the Clay Helton era in 2025, Georgia Southern will aim to take the next step as it hosts Charleston Southern for its 2026 season-opener on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT on ESPN+. 
 
Despite being separated by just 135 miles, the matchup will be the first-ever between the two programs. 
 
Georgia Southern’s non-conference schedule also includes back-to-back trips to Clemson (Sept. 12) and Jacksonville State (Sept. 19), ahead of a home date with Houston (Sept. 26). Alongside annual dates with their East Division brethren, the Eagles will visit Sun Belt West Division favorite Troy (Nov. 21) and host Louisiana Tech (Nov. 28) in cross-division clashes. 
 
The Eagles were picked to finish fourth in the Sun Belt East Division, while claiming 1-of-14 first-place votes in last month’s 2026 Sun Belt Conference Football Preseason Coaches Poll. 
 
Fifth-year head coach Clay Helton will guide a roster that returns two All-Sun Belt picks from 2025 and had seven players named to the 2026 Preseason All-Sun Belt Teams—tied for the second-most in the conference.
 
Georgia Southern went 7-6 in 2025, qualifying for its fourth-straight bowl game under Helton and seventh over the past eight seasons overall. The Eagles were part of the Sun Belt’s 10-team Bowl Season contingent that paced the non-autonomy conferences for the fourth-straight year, earning a 29-10 victory over conference rival App State in the JLab Birmingham Bowl as 1-of-4 Sun Belt bowl champions. 
 
In 12 seasons of FBS football, the Eagles are 80-72-0 and have appeared in eight bowl games.  
 
To listen to head coach Clay Helton, redshirt senior wide receiver Josh Dallas and sixth-year defensive back Chance Gamble’s comments from the 2026 Sun Belt Football Media Days, visit the Sun Belt Conference YouTube page. 



2026 SCHEDULE

9/5	Charleston Southern
9/12	at Clemson
9/19	at Jacksonville State
9/26	Houston
10/3	at Coastal Carolina*
10/10	James Madison*
10/15	at Old Dominion*
10/31	App State*
11/7	Marshall*
11/14	at Georgia State*
11/21	at Troy*
11/28	Louisiana Tech*

 
* Sun Belt Conference Game 
 
2025 ALL-SUN BELT RETURNERS
First Team
DL – MJ Stroud, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., DL – Covington, Ga.) 
 
Third Team
P – Alex Smith, Georgia Southern (Sr., P – Melbourne, Australia

2026 PRESEASON ALL-SUN BELT SELECTIONS
First Team
DL – MJ Stroud, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., DL – Covington, Ga.) 
DB – Chance Gamble, Georgia Southern (6th Yr., DB – Fitzgerald, Ga.) 

Second Team
WR – Josh Dallas, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., WR – Sharpsburg, Ga.) 
DL – Anthony Bynum, Georgia Southern (RS Jr., DL – Covington, Ga.) 
LB – Brandon Tyson, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., LB – Whiteville, N.C.) 
K – Tripp Bryant, Georgia Southern (So., K – Lexington, S.C.) 
P – Alex Smith, Georgia Southern (Sr., P – Melbourne, Australia)