Georgia Southern University Campus Recreation and Intramurals

Mission

Campus Recreation & Intramurals (CRI) is a vital and active service that supports and strengthens the mission of Georgia Southern University. We’re dedicated to inspiring self-discovery through sport, fitness, wellness and adventure, providing growth opportunities and educational experiences that enrich the life-long learning process.

Through our programs and facilities, which are recreational, educational and sporting in nature, we promote and develop healthy lifestyle choices. Benefits of participation include the application of leadership, decision-making, problem solving, conflict management, communication and social skills. We strive to provide the safest, cleanest, highest quality, most dependable and enjoyable services.

Description of Facility(s)

CRI is the preeminent provider of fun and exciting recreation activities at Georgia Southern University. It offers a wide variety of programs and services on two campuses in Statesboro and Savannah, including an aquatics program, club sports, intramural sports, fitness programs, outdoor adventure trips, golf, firearms and archery, and recreation facilities.

Recreation Activity Center

On the southwest side of the Statesboro campus lives M.C. Anderson Park — a 75-acre multi-purpose recreation hub that houses Georgia Southern’s largest facility: the 215,000-square-foot, LEED Certified Grube Recreation Activity Center (RAC). The expansive facility includes a two-story fitness space with free weights, machine weights and a cardio deck. There are also multiple group exercise spaces including a Mind and Body Studio and Spin rooms.

The RAC has eight multi-use courts for basketball, volleyball and indoor soccer, three racquetball courts, and three multipurpose rooms for dance and martial arts. Located at the back of the RAC is the Southern Adventures Center complete with a 45-foot climbing wall and bouldering cave. And finally, the Aquatics Center, complete with 25-yard by 25-meter lap pool, whirlpool, sauna, one-meter and three-meter diving boards, and locker room facilities.

Outdoor venues include:

Outside leisure pool and whirlpool.
Sand volleyball courts.
Bandshell.
Multiplex and club sports fields (softball, soccer, flag football, lacrosse and rugby).
Pavilion that can accommodate a variety of events.
Challenge course featuring low, high and static elements.

Georgia Southern University Golf Course

The Georgia Southern University Golf Course is a beautiful 18-hole championship course offering a variety of challenges for all skill levels. The golf course is located six miles south of Georgia Southern’s Statesboro campus. The course is 6,900 yards from the championship tees and includes a total of five sets of tees at each hole to accommodate a variety of player skill levels. The golf course also offers clinics and lessons offered by PGA-certified professionals, a fully stocked Pro Shop, driving range and practice areas.

Georgia Southern University Shooting Sports Education Center

The Georgia Southern University Shooting Sports Education Center (SSEC) is a partnership with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The 30,000-square-foot facility is open to the public and equipped to serve a variety of shooting sports interests through the 16-lane, 25-meter firing range, the 16-lane, 25-meter archery center and two training rooms.

Its purpose is to provide a hub for the shooting sports in southeast Georgia. The SSEC offers opportunities for both firearms and archery and welcomes people who have never held a firearm or bow, all the way to experienced shooters. Through instructional programs, training classes, recreation, competition and special events it serves a variety of individuals including youth, adults, students, law enforcement, hunters, first time shooters, elite athletes and all groups interested in participating and learning more about the shooting sports.

Armstrong Campus

On the Georgia Southern Armstrong campus in Savannah lives the 85,000-square-foot Armstrong Recreation Center (ARC) which encompasses two fitness areas, multipurpose courts, group fitness studio and offices, multi-functional athletic courts for basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, pickleball and more. The fitness center boasts Woodway treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary bikes, recumbent bikes, motion trainers, rowing machines, heavy lifting power racks, a full complement of free weights and more.

The outdoor spaces in Savannah include two flag football fields, four soccer fields and 12 lighted tennis courts at the Tennis Complex. Finally, the recently added Disc Golf Course offers students, faculty, staff and the general public a challenging nine-hole disc golf course. However, with two sets of tees on each of the nine holes, players can complete a full 18-hole course.

Programming Highlights

Aquatics (located in Statesboro)

Aquatics is a program for participants who enjoy swimming, diving, aqua aerobics or simply relaxing in the pool. The aquatics program also offers special programs such as swim lessons, stroke clinics, lifeguard classes and incentive programs.

Club Sports

Club sports are unique student organizations in which the overall functions of the organization are student operated. Club sports may be organized for instructional, recreational and/or competitive purposes, and offer a way of finding others who share similar recreational interests. The 25 clubs across both campuses support 1,500 student-athletes.

Fitness

The fitness program promotes health and wellness in many ways. Group fitness classes including yoga, Pilates, and traditional aerobic and resistance classes. Personal training and fitness assessment services are available to assist in evaluating fitness levels and providing guidance to reach or maintain fitness and wellness goals. It also has a ground-breaking small group training program that offers participants the opportunity to meet their fitness goals while participating in a community atmosphere.

Informal Recreation

Informal recreation allows participants to engage in a variety of unstructured recreation activities such as basketball, volleyball, racquetball, walking or jogging. CRI also offers items for check-out free of charge. Some of these items include hand wraps, boxing gloves, racquetballs, racquets and basketballs.

Intramural Sports

Intramural sports provide students, faculty and staff the opportunity for competition and fun in a variety of team and individual sports activities. Divisions are available for men, women and co-rec teams in a variety of skill and competition levels. A variety of sports are offered including flag football, dodgeball, basketball, volleyball, indoor/outdoor soccer, softball, golf, tennis and more.

Southern Adventures

Southern Adventures is the university’s resource for adventure programming. It provides guided backpacking, sea kayaking, canoeing and cycling trips that range from weekend outings around the southeast to week-long across the country. The equipment rental center provides all the gear needed for individual adventures.

The challenge course is designed to provide exciting, experiential opportunities that focus on leadership, communication, self/group awareness and interpersonal skills. The 42-foot climbing wall, located in the RAC in Statesboro, allows participants to experience the thrill of rock climbing indoors — the wall is modeled off of a real cliff. Additionally, the RAC has a bouldering cave available to build climbing strength as well as perfect technique through a variety of challenging climbing lines. Instructional clinics are offered throughout the year to learn kayaking, belaying, navigating and other hard skills for outdoor recreation enthusiasts.

Fun Facts

CRI has the first LEED-certified building at Georgia Southern.
CRI is the second largest employer of students on campus.
We hosted several extramural events including national soccer tournaments, regional basketball tournaments and regional flag football tournaments.
In 2023, we hosted the USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals and will be hosting again May 16-19, 2024.
We have a history of producing multiple All-American Officials since 1980, including Kevin Scott, who refereed the 2023 NBA Finals.