Georgia Southern Hosts State Championship
Most years Statesboro becomes eerily quiet after Georgia Southern students head home for the Thanksgiving break. Not so this year. The Georgia Peach Classic Flag Football Tournament brought over 40 teams from 22 colleges and universities to compete for the title of champion and a bid at the national tournament.
“We’re always excited to invite teams from around the state to Statesboro to share what makes us special,” said Sarah Fain, intramural sports director and tournament director. “The support we have here at Georgia Southern allows us to host events like this because our facilities are second to none.”
Despite rainy weather, Columbus State was able to top UGA in the men’s championship 26 to 13. However, Valdosta State was the big winner of the weekend taking home both the women’s and co-rec titles. In the women’s championship, they defeated Georgia College by a score of 26 to 0. For the Co-Rec title they topped UGA 27 to 10.
All three teams will advance to the national tournament hosted by the University of West Florida in January.
Not to be outdone by their peers, 40 of the best officials from campuses within the state were invited to officiate the tournament. Of those, Shawn Oliver from UGA was selected as the all tournament official. He will receive an automatic bid to officiate at the national flag tournament.
Aside from the memories for the students, the tournament also had a significant economic impact on the city of Statesboro. “The tournament occupied over 70 hotel rooms during a weekend where they may have gone unused,” said Steve Sanders, club sports director. “Events like the Peach Classic are examples of Georgia Southern’s economic impact on the region.”
For more information on the Georgia Peach Classic visit the tournament website.
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