On Thursday at the 2014 Fall Coaches Luncheon luncheon, attended by local businesses, fans and friends of the Georgia Southern athletics department, Statesboro Mayor Jan Moore made it official with a proclamation — it's a new era for Georgia Southern athletics.
    Moore read a list of Georgia Southern's accomplishments during its last year in the Southern Conference — announcing the move to the Sun Belt and the Football Bowl Subdivision, beating the Florida Gators in football, winning the SoCon volleyball tournament, hiring Willie Fritz as the new head football coach, winning the SoCon baseball tournament, beating Florida State in the NCAA baseball tournament, winning the SoCon softball tournament, winning the Schenkel Invitational golf tournament for the first time and winning the SoCon golf tournament, placing a record number of student-athletes on the honor roll, expanding the seating at Paulson Stadium and building the Football Operations Center, and reaching the highest number of season ticket sales in program history.
    Then, Moore made it official.
    She read: "And now therefore I, Jan Moore, mayor of the City of Statesboro, hereby declare today, August 14, 2014, as the beginning of a new era in Georgia Southern athletics and officially welcome coach Fritz and his staff to the Georgia Southern family and say thank you to the fans in attendance. All those in favor of this declaration on this day say, 'Hail Southern.'"
    Those in attendance replied enthusiastically.
    Also speaking at the event were GSU President Brooks Keel, associate professor and former assistant baseball coach Darin Van Tassell, athletic director Tom Kleinlein, associate director of athletics for external affairs Gleen Hart, men's soccer coach Kevin Kennedy and volleyball coach Dustin Wood.