Entering his 18th year with Valdosta State, Mike Helfer has established himself as one of the top coaches in the nation. he has recorded a 331162 record, including 14 winning seasons, and he has repeatedly established his program as one of the most exciting teams in the Gulf South Conference, South Region, and nationwide.
Helfer has guided the red and black to eight NCAA tournament appearances along with five-straight Gulf South Conference regular season titles. Helfer also led the 2020-21 Blazers to the prgoram’s first Gulf South Conference Tournament Championship. He has won 20 or more games four of the last five years and eight times during his time in Titletown. Helfer has also gone 93-37 over the last five years, marking the most wins in a five-year stretch in program history.
In 2020-21, the Blazers finished on top of the GSC East Division with a 14-4 overall record. Helfer reached his 500th career victory during a 91-87 win against Auburn Montgomery in 24 seasons of coaching. Helfer and the Blazers reached the GSC Tournament Final for the second year in-a-row last season. Helfer coached three All-Tournament Team players last season, along with the Most Outstanding Player Burke Putnam. The Blazers’ GSC Tournament win solidified the four seed in the NCAA South Region before the team finished the season ranked 24th nationally.
In 2018-19, the Blazers clinched their third-straight league regular season title, finishing the season 24-7 and 16-4 in the GSC. With a senior-led team, including standout Beau Justice, the Blazers reached the Gulf South Conference semifinal round and earned a berth into the NCAA South Regional. Justice finished his career as the all-time leader in made 3-pointers with 257, while he finished with 1,754 points for fourth alltime in school history in just three seasons at VSU. In addition, Helfer’s squad set the school-record for points in a season (2,782), three-pointers made (320), free throw percentage (.765) and assists (554).
Prior to his time as a head coach, Helfer spent seven years as an assistant coach. He began his career at his alma mater, Division III Capital University, where he served as an assistant for two years. Upon leaving Capital, Helfer joined the coaching staff at Division I Kent State in 1991 and worked with the school through the 1994-95 season. He also served as an assistant with Division II Grand Valley State during the 1996-97 season, helping the Lakers to a 23-6 record and the NCAA Division II tournament.
Records Broken Under Helfer Victories in a Season 2009-10: 28 Points in a Season 2018-19: 2,782 Free Throw Attempts in a Season 2009-10: 812 Three-Pointers in a Season 2018-19: 320 Three-Pointers in a Game (February 28, 2015 at West Florida): 21 Assists in a Season 2018-19: 554
Blocked Shots in a Season 2012-13: 212 Season Records 2005-2006: 17-11 (7-7 GSC) 2006-2007: 20-9 (8-4 GSC) 2007-2008: 18-11 (8-4 GSC) 2008-2009: 24-7 (9-3 GSC) 2009-2010: 28-5 (9-1 GSC) 2010-2011: 21-9 (7-5 GSC) 2011-2012: 11-16 (3-11 GSC) 2012-2013: 19-10 (9-9 GSC) 2013-2014: 16-12 (9-11 GSC) 2014-2015: 10-18 (5-17 GSC) 2015-2016: 17-11 (13-9 GSC) 2016-2017: 26-6 (19-3 GSC) 2017-2018: 26-5 (18-2 GSC) 2018-2019: 24-7 (16-4 GSC) 2019-2020: 26-4 (18-2 GSC) 2020-2021: 17-5 (14-4 GSC) 2021-2022: 11-16 (7-13 GSC)
Deandra Shirmer led the Lady Blazers to their first Elite Eight appearance since 1984 last season as the team ended the year with a 26-5 record and a 17-2 mark in the Gulf South Conference. The Lady Blazers upset the No. 1-ranked Union last season to clinch a berth into the Elite Eight.
in 2021, the Lady Blazers finished 13th in the final Wom en’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 to end the 2021 campaign. Schirmer improved her record to 3615 overall and 26-12 in GSC play, while graduate transfer Kwajelin Farrar earned GSC East Division Player of the Year honors, multiple all-region honors and became the first Lady Blazer since 1995 to earn WBCA First Team All-America accolades in 2021. Farrar became the seventh Lady Blazer to earn WBCA All-America honors in program history. Farrar finished the season leading the team in scoring at 14.2 points per game. Farrar was 134 of 226 from the field for a 59.3 average from the floor for ninth na tionally and second in the GSC. Her 134 field goals made were good for fourth in the GSC and 35th nationally, while her 11 double-doubles put her tenth nationally and third in the league. Her 9.7 rebounds per game put her 33rd nationally and sixth in the league. She had a team-high 23 blocks for the season in 22 games played and 22 starts.
In her first season in Titletown, Schirmer guided the Lady Blazers to an 18-11 record overall and a 10-10 mark in Gulf South Conference play. Schirmer brought in a couple of key transfers this season in Cheray Saunders and Saniah Simpson-Patu. Schirmer’s squad also had junior Kayla Bonilla who eclipsed the 1,000 career point mark as the 27th player in school history to do so. Schirmer had her biggest win of the season as the Lady Blazers upset then-No. 4-ranked Lee 74-68 on Dec. 17, 2019. Bonilla earned second team all-conference honors this season. As a team, VSU finished third in the league in free throws made (408) for 61st nationally and was fourth in the league in free throws attempted (576) for 74th nationally. The Lady Blazers also were fourth in 3-point field goal shooting at a 33.3 clip for 78th nationally. Schirmer guided the team to its fourth-straight appearance in the Gulf South Conference Tournament.
Valdosta State Athletic Director Herb Reinhard announced Saturday, May 3, 2019, the hiring of Deandra Shirmer as the next women’s basketball coach at VSU.
Schirmer had been an assistant coach at Eckerd College in Florida for the past five years prior to coming to VSU and was elevated to Associate Head Coach in 2018. She also served as recruiting coordinator for the Tritons where her leadership and player development has helped produce the three most successful seasons in program history. Prior to Schirmer’s arrival at EC, the Tritons had not earned a NCAA postseason bid in the 32-year history of the program.
She began her playing career at Cloud County Community College (Kan.), earning allconference and all-region honors. While at Cloud County, she helped lead the team to a 26-7 record as a sophomore and was named Jayhawk Conference Western Division Second Team and was an all-region selection.
Shirmer earned her bachelor’s degree from USCA in business marketing and earned a master’s degree of sports administration from Georgia State.
Head Coach:
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Overall Record: 2-2 H Home: 0-0 A Away: 0-0 N Neutral: 2-2 FG 3PT FT Rebounds
11 Fofana, Mohamed 4-2 113 28.3 25-43 .581 1-7 .143 17-21 .810 5 18 23 5.8 11 0 8 7 0 7 68 17.0
33 Boser, Caden 4-4 124 31.0 21-40 .525 7-20 .350 6-8 .750 4 14 18 4.5 8 0 6 6 1 3 55 13.8
1 Owens, Jacolbey 4-4 123 30.8 15-44 .341 1-9 .111 21-25 .840 0 6 6 1.5 4 0 25 8 0 10 52 13.0
3 Hamilton, Cam 4-2 80 20.0 12-31 .387 8-19 .421 3-6 .500 2 8 10 2.5 11 1 4 2 0 7 35 8.8
20 Black, Ryan 4-2 77 19.3 10-31 .323 8-28 .286 2-2 1.000 5 15 20 5.0 4 0 3 3 1 1 30 7.5
0 Rucker, Jay 4-2 115 28.8 12-22 .545 1-5 .200 5-8 .625 8 15 23 5.8 6 0 10 4 5 4 30 7.5
2 Gordon, Maurice 4-4 86 21.5 10-22 .455 2-6 .333 2-7 .286 3 8 11 2.8 5 0 2 2 2 1 24 6.0
12 Selders, Cam 4-0 50 12.5 5-9 .556 2-3 .667 0-0 .000 2 2 4 1.0 4 0 2 4 0 3 12 3.0
24 Williams, JJ 1-0 3 3.0 1-1 1.000 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0 1 1 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 2.0
15 Walker, Kelan 4-0 19 4.8 1-5 .200 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 2 3 5 1.3 2 0 1 1 1 1 2 0.5
21 Connor, Chris 1-0 4 4.0 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
22 Garrington, Dylan 2-0 4 2.0 0-1 .000 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
32 Lavan, Jace 1-0 2 2.0 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0 1 1 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
T Total 4 800 200 0 112 250 448 30 99 303 56 77 727 37 96 133 33 3 56 1 61 38 10 38 310 77 50
Opponents 800 200 0 121 254 476 33 95 347 30 49 612 49 114 163 40 8 65 2 69 62 11 20 305 76 25
Team Statistics
VSU OPP
SCORING 310 305
Points Per Game 77.5 76.3
Scoring Margin 1.2
FIELD GOALS-ATT 112-250 121-254
Field Goal Pct .448 .476
3 POINT FG-ATT 30-99 33-95
3PT FG Pct .303 .347
3PT Made Per Game 7.5 8.3
FREE THROWS-ATT 56-77 30-49
FT Pct .727 .612
FT Made Per Game 14.0 7.5
REBOUNDS 133 163
Rebounds Per Game 33.3 40.8
Rebounds Margin -7.5
ASSISTS 61 69
Assists Per Game 15.3 17.3
TURNOVERS 38 62
Turnovers Per Game 9.5 15.5
Turnovers Margin 6.0
Assist/Turnover Ratio 1.6 1.1
STEALS 38 20
Steals Per Game 9.5 5.0
BLOCKS 10 11
Blocks Per Game 2.5 2.8
ATTENDANCE 0 0
Dates/Avg Per Date 0-0 0-0
Neutral Site #/Avg 4-137
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Valdosta St. 137 173 310 Opponents 159 146 305
Conf Date Opponent
W/L Score Att.
L 80-108 231 11/06/22 vs Hillsdale L 65-79 0 11/12/22 vs Fort Valley St. W 85-58 143 11/13/22 vs Clark Atlanta W 80-60 175
11/05/22 vs Lincoln Memorial
* = Conference game
2022 2023 Valdosta State University Women's Basketball Overall Statistics (as of Nov 11, 2022)
0-1 H Home: 0-1 A Away: 0-0
0-0
13 Searcey, Taylor 1-1 34 34.0 4-12 .333 2-3 .667 4-4 1.000 8 3 11 11.0 1 0 5 7 1 1 14 14.0
01 Francis, Tamiya 1-1 30 30.0 4-8 .500 4-6 .667 0-0 .000 0 1 1 1.0 2 0 2 4 0 1 12 12.0
04 Jordan, India 1-0 22 22.0 3-10 .300 0-3 .000 6-10 .600 0 0 0 0.0 4 0 0 0 0 0 12 12.0 15 Long, Lili 1-1 37 37.0 1-5 .200 1-4 .250 4-6 .667 2 6 8 8.0 4 0 0 3 0 1 7 7.0
30 Bollmer, Kendall 1-0 20 20.0 2-3 .667 2-3 .667 0-0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 1 0 0 1 0 0 6 6.0
03 Martin, Emma 1-1 24 24.0 2-5 .400 1-3 .333 0-0 .000 0 1 1 1.0 2 0 2 0 0 0 5 5.0
20 Tanner, Kate 1-1 17 17.0 1-8 .125 0-0 .000 0-2 .000 0 1 1 1.0 5 1 1 2 0 0 2 2.0
05 Nelson, Shanice 1-0 16 16.0 0-3 .000 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 1 2 3 3.0 2 0 0 4 0 1 0 0.0
T Total 1 200 200 0 17 54 315 10 23 435 14 22 636 15 18 33 33 0 21 1 10 21 1 4 58 58 00
Opponents 200 200 0 30 54 556 11 24 458 17 24 708 10 27 37 37 0 21 1 21 17 4 11 88 88 00
Team Statistics VSU OPP
SCORING 58 88
Points Per Game 58.0 88.0
Scoring Margin -30.0
FIELD GOALS-ATT 17-54 30-54
Field Goal Pct .315 .556
3 POINT FG-ATT 10-23 11-24
3PT FG Pct .435 .458
3PT Made Per Game 10.0 11.0
FREE THROWS-ATT 14-22 17-24
FT Pct .636 .708
FT Made Per Game 14.0 17.0
REBOUNDS 33 37
Rebounds Per Game 33.0 37.0
Rebounds Margin -4.0
ASSISTS 10 21
Assists Per Game 10.0 21.0
TURNOVERS 21 17
Turnovers Per Game 21.0 17.0
Turnovers Margin -4.0 Assist/Turnover Ratio 0.5 1.2
STEALS 4 11
Steals Per Game 4.0 11.0
BLOCKS 1 4 Blocks Per Game 1.0 4.0
ATTENDANCE 0 0
Dates/Avg Per Date 1-0 0-0 Neutral Site #/Avg 0-0
Score by Periods 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Valdosta St. 15 12 17 14 58 Opponents 26 32 16 14 88
Conf Date Opponent
W/L Score Att 11/11/22 ECKERD L 58-88 0
* = Conference game
2021-22 Lee Men's Basketball Season Box Score All games
Record Overall Home Away Neutral
ALL GAMES 19-9 11-2 7-5 1-2 CONFERENCE 14-6 8-2 6-4 0-0 NON-CONFERENCE 5-3 3-0 1-1 1-2
No.
1 KENNEDY, Quay 27-26 920:10 34.1 126-307 .410 30-120 .250 102-120 .850 27 135 162 6.0 56 1 70 86 26 27 384 14.2
15 WILLINGHAM, Jayce 28-28 813:06 29.0 133-250 .532 11-38 .289 72-97 .742 46 103 149 5.3 62 1 23 35 16 14 349 12.5
25 MCGUIRK, Michael 26-26 699:00 26.9 96-186 .516 28-75 .373 55-75 .733 42 71 113 4.3 45 1 20 32 6 13 275 10.6
3 HENDRICKS, Beyuan 28-28 849:54 30.4 95-226 .420 35-111 .315 49-64 .766 9 96 105 3.8 48 1 110 52 1 29 274 9.8
13 SMITH, PJay 28-6 575:36 20.6 73-149 .490 35-64 .547 12-19 .632 23 75 98 3.5 34 0 50 29 1 25 193 6.9
4 MCGUIRE, Makhi 28-4 600:21 21.4 65-164 .396 31-95 .326 21-35 .600 29 65 94 3.4 60 1 35 31 4 19 182 6.5
21 LOWE, Josh 7-7 110:26 15.8 15-26 .577 0-2 .000 5-6 .833 3 13 16 2.3 16 0 7 7 5 2 35 5.0
33 LANDMAN, Jason 23-14 337:24 14.7 40-112 .357 15-50 .300 9-15 .600 20 57 77 3.3 34 0 12 30 9 3 104 4.5
0 BOLER, Noah 28-1 364:14 13.0 48-82 .585 5-17 .294 18-27 .667 21 39 60 2.1 47 0 19 19 23 27 119 4.3
14 PAGE, Jalen 26-0 258:59 10.0 36-78 .462 12-38 .316 16-18 .889 8 26 34 1.3 28 0 13 13 5 14 100 3.8
2 THOMAS, Drayden 8-0 47:57 6.0 10-18 .556 1-4 .250 2-3 .667 5 4 9 1.1 6 0 4 3 0 1 23 2.9 23 KELEHEAR, Alex 11-0 47:53 4.4 8-13 .615 7-12 .583 0-0 .000 1 6 7 0.6 3 0 3 2 0 1 23 2.1 Team 33 41 74 17 Total 28 5625 745-1611 .462 210-626 .335 361-479 .754 267 731 998 35.6 439 5 366 356 96 175 2061 73.6 Opponents 28 5625 703-1632 .431 153-493 .310 313-445 .703 267 644 911 32.5 438 6 291 347 92 193 1872 66.9
2022-23 Lee Women's Basketball Season Box Score All games
ALL GAMES 1-1 0-0 0-1 1-0 CONFERENCE 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 NON-CONFERENCE 1-1 0-0 0-1 1-0
33 SCHUBERT, Haley 2-2 64:54 32.5 19-35 .543 2-6 .333 10-12 .833 0 4 4 2.0 4 0 8 7 1 2 50 25.0
25 SMITH, Addison 2-2 55:38 27.8 10-15 .667 5-9 .556 0-0 .000 0 8 8 4.0 7 0 2 2 0 3 25 12.5
2 HAMPTON, Mallory 2-2 51:08 25.6 9-16 .563 3-5 .600 3-4 .750 2 11 13 6.5 7 0 3 6 0 1 24 12.0
32 GARRETT, Hannah 2-2 39:04 19.5 6-8 .750 3-4 .750 2-2 1.000 0 9 9 4.5 4 0 2 0 0 0 17 8.5
15 HURST, Mia 2-2 25:48 12.9 4-6 .667 1-3 .333 2-4 .500 0 2 2 1.0 1 0 1 2 0 1 11 5.5
00 MUHONEN, Anna 2-0 31:42 15.9 4-7 .571 0-1 .000 3-4 .750 1 4 5 2.5 6 0 2 2 1 1 11 5.5
4 CARBAUGH, Morgan 2-0 39:15 19.6 3-8 .375 2-4 .500 2-2 1.000 1 3 4 2.0 4 0 3 3 0 0 10 5.0
12 BURGESS, Bailey 1-0 03:16 3.3 1-1 1.000 1-1 1.000 0-0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3.0
11 WELFEL, Ally 2-0 22:40 11.3 2-2 1.000 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0 3 3 1.5 2 0 3 1 0 1 4 2.0
3 JOHNSON, Haylee 2-0 51:03 25.5 1-6 .167 1-4 .250 0-0 .000 1 0 1 0.5 0 0 4 2 0 0 3 1.5
24 WOODWORTH, Macy 2-0 13:00 6.5 1-1 1.000 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0 1 1 0.5 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 1.0
13 ROGERS, Susanna 1-0 01:45 1.8 0-1 .000 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 20 DELBRIDGE, Baylee 1-0 00:47 0.8 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 Team 5 5 Total 2 400 60-106 .566 18-38 .474 22-28 .786 10 45 55 27.5 39 0 29 25 2 9 160 80.0
2 400 54-121 .446 16-42 .381 23-28 .821 21 36 57 28.5 27 0 25 25 2 10 147 73.5
ALL GAMES 0-2 0-0 0-1 0-1 CONFERENCE 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 NON-CONFERENCE 0-2 0-0 0-1 0-1
11 HOUSSOU, Raphael 2-2 72:10 36.1 11-32 .344 6-22 .273 3-5 .600 2 6 8 4.0 3 0 3 10 0 6 31 15.5 24 WILCOX JR., Mark 2-2 60:34 30.3 2-11 .182 0-2 .000 13-16 .813 7 6 13 6.5 6 0 1 6 0 3 17 8.5
5 HODGES, Micah 2-1 31:11 15.6 4-6 .667 0-0 .000 7-9 .778 2 2 4 2.0 3 0 0 0 1 0 15 7.5
32 REITH, Ian 2-2 50:42 25.4 3-8 .375 1-3 .333 6-6 1.000 1 4 5 2.5 5 0 4 2 1 2 13 6.5
34 BARNETT JR. , Ralph 2-0 30:27 15.2 4-10 .400 1-5 .200 3-4 .750 0 1 1 0.5 2 0 0 1 0 0 12 6.0
0 DUNHAM, Jaden 2-1 33:16 16.6 4-10 .400 0-0 .000 2-2 1.000 3 4 7 3.5 8 1 2 5 1 0 10 5.0
1 ATCHLEY, Grant 2-1 63:21 31.7 3-6 .500 2-5 .400 1-1 1.000 1 8 9 4.5 6 0 5 5 0 3 9 4.5
3 BROWN JR., Chris 2-0 32:49 16.4 3-4 .750 0-0 .000 1-4 .250 0 1 1 0.5 5 0 2 4 0 2 7 3.5
15 SELMAN, Carter 2-0 19:16 9.6 2-5 .400 1-3 .333 2-2 1.000 1 1 2 1.0 1 0 3 0 0 1 7 3.5
22 KNIGHT JR., Ricky 2-1 31:14 15.6 2-10 .200 1-8 .125 0-2 .000 0 2 2 1.0 0 0 3 1 0 0 5 2.5 Team 3 5 8 2 Total 2 425 38-102 .373 12-48 .250 38-51 .745 20 40 60 30.0 39 1 23 36 3 17 126 63.0 Opponents 2 425 50-110 .455 10-42 .238 34-47 .723 20 49 69 34.5 44 0 24 30 8 15 144 72.0
Record Overall Home Away Neutral ALL GAMES 0-2 0-2 0-0 0-0 CONFERENCE 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 NON-CONFERENCE 0-2 0-2 0-0 0-0
10 MCCALL, Derrica 2-2 70:43 35.4 9-24 .375 2-7 .286 1-2 .500 0 2 2 1.0 2 0 3 8 0 3 21 10.5 5 PETERSON, Keyra 2-2 66:40 33.3 8-23 .348 3-11 .273 1-2 .500 7 5 12 6.0 3 0 0 1 0 4 20 10.0 22 KEMP, Tylia 2-1 35:27 17.7 6-13 .462 2-5 .400 2-7 .286 1 3 4 2.0 4 0 2 2 0 0 16 8.0 34 TANKSLEY, Jordan 2-1 45:22 22.7 3-13 .231 3-12 .250 1-2 .500 1 2 3 1.5 5 0 2 2 0 1 10 5.0
50 WISNIOWSKI, Sarah 2-0 37:58 19.0 3-13 .231 0-0 .000 4-5 .800 7 6 13 6.5 4 0 1 2 0 1 10 5.0
4 WILSON, Rhyan 2-0 17:10 8.6 3-5 .600 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 2 2 4 2.0 5 0 0 1 0 2 6 3.0
11 PATTERSON, Amya 2-0 14:11 7.1 2-5 .400 1-3 .333 0-0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2.5 24 BARGE, Ansley 1-1 13:02 13.0 1-5 .200 0-3 .000 0-0 .000 1 0 1 1.0 3 0 0 3 0 0 2 2.0
14 HARDIN, Lindsey 2-0 16:06 8.1 2-4 .500 0-1 .000 0-2 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 1 0 0 4 2.0
40 RICHARDS, Katelyn 2-2 19:03 9.5 1-7 .143 0-0 .000 1-3 .333 1 0 1 0.5 4 0 1 5 0 1 3 1.5 32 KIERBOW, Jordan 1-0 07:50 7.8 0-3 .000 0-1 .000 1-2 .500 2 2 4 4.0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 1.0
3 PARKER, Matti 1-0 09:27 9.5 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 1-2 .500 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.0 21 WOODS, Kenley 2-1 30:58 15.5 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 1-2 .500 0 1 1 0.5 4 0 0 6 0 0 1 0.5
12 KRIEWS, Shaina 1-0 10:15 10.3 0-1 .000 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 1 0 1 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
2 BOWMAN, Lindsay 1-0 05:48 5.8 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 1 0 1 1.0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0.0 Team 1 1 Total 2 400 38-118 .322 11-45 .244 13-29 .448 24 24 48 24.0 37 0 11 34 0 12 100 50.0
2 400 63-104 .606 11-24 .458 34-44 .773 15 50 65 32.5 25 0 28 33 5 18 171 85.5
The Complex serves as the home to the Valdosta State basketball programs as well as Blazer volleyball. One of the rowdiest arenas in the NCAA Division II ranks, The Complex seats 5,350 fans for each Blazer home event. The venue nearly reached it’s capacity during the 2009-10 men’s basketball season, when a record 4,616 fans gathered on February 27, 2010 to watch Valdosta State take on the West Georgia Wolves.
The Complex has undergone several renovations since its opening in 1983 and is today one of the top arenas in the Gulf South Conference. The most recent update and perhaps one of the largest to the facility was a complete reno vation of the lobby area in 2013. Locker room renovations were also implemented that same year. Prior to the 2006-07 season, the lower level seating along each sideline was replaced with new cushioned armchair-style seats. The entire south side seating in the lower level, as well as selected rows on the north side, are reserved seating for Valdosta State’s season ticket holders. Meanwhile, the lower end zone seating area, as well as the entire upper bowl, features bench style seating.
The benches for athletic events are located along the side sideline of the arena. Meanwhile, the west end zone bleachers are used to seat the Valdosta State cheerleaders, Red Hots dance team and pep band as well as the student-run Complex Crazies. The Complex also serves as a concert venue for select shows throughout the year, and graduation ceremonies are also often held in the arena.
In addition to the arena, The Complex also houses newly renovated locker rooms for Valdosta State’s two basketball teams, the volleyball program and the school’s two tennis teams. The south hall of the building also features two visiting team locker rooms as well as faculty locker rooms.
Offices housing Valdosta State’s Athletic Department are located along the east corridor of the facility while the University’s Kinesiology and Physical Education Department, a branch of VSU’s College of Education, is housed along the north hall. Classrooms, utilized by both the Athletic Department and KSPE Department, can also be found along both the north and south halls.
One of Valdosta State’s four Athletic Training Rooms, which features a full line of equipment for the needs of Blazer athletes, can be found along the north hall while the upper bowl of the arena also includes an indoor walking/running track.
Evidence of Valdosta State’s athletic dominance can be found throughout The Complex as the Athletic Department trophy case is located across the south hall from the Athletic Department offices. The trophy cases houses four of Valdosta State’s seven national championship trophies as well a a multitude of Gulf South Conference All-Sport trophies and each of the school’s 24 GSC championship trophies along with numerous other momentos from VSU’s athletic past and present. Meanwhile, hanging in the rafters of the arena are banners commemorating some of the best teams in Valdosta State athletic history.
The home to the Valdosta State football and women's soccer programs is the Valdosta State Athletic Fieldhouse. The 41,000 square foot Fieldhouse opened in January 2009 at a cost of $5.8 million, giving the Blazer program one of the top athletic facilities in the nation.
Beyond football and soccer, the fieldhouse also houses the 7,690 square foot Jessie Tuggle Weight Room and a 2,437 square foot state-of-the-art Athletic Training Room that is used by all VSU teams. The Tuggle Weight Room, which encases nearly 10 times the space of its predecessor, is one of, if not the top, weight facilities among NCAA Division II schools nationwide. It featJessie Tuggle Weight Room ures 10 brand new eight-post stations as well as a reinforced medicine ball wall. New self-contained dumbbell stations were also added to the area while a 30-yard speed track was included in the design of the floor. The Jesse Tuggle Weight Room also features elliptical machines and two stationary bikes for cardio workouts and a built-in microphone/stereo system to aid the strength and conditioning staff while working with large groups of VSU athletes. Additionally, each of the 10 eightpost stations has also been pre-wired for video recording, which will be added in the near future, for further evaluation and instruction by the strength and conditioning staff. The newest addition to the facility are two Cognisens "caves," which allow for an increased mental training to provide Blazer athletes with an additional edge in competition. Valdosta State is the only university on any level in the nation to own the Cognisens machines, with additional owners including Manchester United and multiple NHL hockey teams.
Next door to the Tuggle Weight Room is the Athletic Training Room. The area includes offices for the Valdosta State Athletic Training staff and a private physician exam room as well as a hydrotherapy room for rehabilitation work. The main Athletic Training area features six taping stations as well as six additional treatment areas plus a cardiovascular/rehabilitation area featuring stationary bikes.
Additionally, outside of the facility are two lighted football practice fields and a soccer stadium.
The Athletic Fieldhouse features many amenities that will aid the football team as it endures the rigors of a football season. A 3,265 square foot locker room is the centerpiece of the project and is lined with 126 lockers, enough to house all members of the VSU football squad. Adjacent to the locker room is a 2,100 square foot equipment room with secure “Football Locker Roompass-through” equipment bins that allow managers to address the equipment needs of all the Blazers while keeping each player’s equipment separated.
The remainder of the Athletic
Fieldhouse includes a 3,458 square foot office suite for the football coaches as well as 2,200 square feet of meeting rooms, each equipped with state-of-the-art video equipment. The academic needs of the student-athlete is also addressed as a 1,500 square foot computer lab is equipped with 19 computers.
Academic excellence and a leadership role in NCAA’s Division II make the Gulf South Conference (GSC) something special. Entering its 51st year, the GSC is a charter Division II member that prides itself as one of the first conferences to be created and administered by its CEOs. We take pride in our 50-plus National Team Championships in 13 sports, one individual men’s cross country champion, five men’s golf individual champions, and one track and field champion, as well as more than 150 regional titles, especially because there is no sacrifice on the academic side, where GSC student-athletes graduate at a much higher rate than the general student body. The conference saw all 13 full-time institutions either earn a conference title or advance to NCAA Championship action in 2021-22. The GSC sponsors 19 sports, including 18 championship events. Official sponsored sports include baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field, and volleyball. Prior to the 2020-21 academic year, the conference officially added women's lacrosse after three seasons as an emerging sport. In the summer of 1970, six college presidents met to discuss athletics and when the meeting ended, a new league emerged—the Mid-South Conference. Delta State, Florence State (now North Alabama), Jacksonville State, Livingston (now West Alabama), Tennessee-Martin (UTM) and Troy State (TSU) were the charter mem bers, but scheduling problems for the 1970-71 academic year limited the conference to only football. Southeast Louisiana (SELA) and Nicholls State (NSU) joined in 1971 and the league opened an office in Hammond, La., changed its name to the Gulf South Conference, and began championships in nine men’s sports. Mississippi College (MC) and Northwestern Louisiana (NWLA, now Northwestern State) joined in 1972 and two years later, NWLA left for Division I, followed by SELA and NSU in 1979. The conference continued with seven teams until 1981, when the CEOs admitted Valdosta State and West Georgia (1983). In 1991, UTM and TSU went Division I, briefly dropping the GSC back to seven members, but an aggressive expansion resulted in 10 new members: Lincoln Memorial (1992-93); Alabama Huntsville, Henderson State, Central Arkansas and Mississippi University for Women (MUW, 1993-94); West Florida (1994-95); and ArkansasMonticello, Arkansas Tech, Montevallo and Southern Arkansas (1995-96). Jacksonville State moved to Division I at the end of 1992-93. MC dropped to Division III at the end of 1995-96, and was replaced by Christian Brothers to keep the conference at 16 schools. In July 2000, the GSC welcomed Hard ing University and Ouachita Baptist University, making it the largest NCAA-playing conference at any level with 18 schools. MUW dropped its athlet ics program at the end of the 2002-03 season, decreasing the membership to 17. Central Arkansas reclassified to Division I and Lincoln Memorial moved to the South Atlantic Conference following the 2006-07 year. Montevallo’s departure for the Peach Belt Conference dropped the number to 14 in 2009-10. North Alabama completed its final year with the GSC in 2017-18, as the Lions accepted an invitation to go Division I and join the Atlantic Sun Conference. The GSC moved away from divisional play after the 2010-11 season after its six Arkansas members broke away, dropping the membership to eight. The league implemented a five-year expansion plan in 2012 resulting in the addition of new members Shorter University (2014-15), Union University (2014-15), Lee University (2015-16) and Auburn University at Montgomery (2019-20) along with the return of Mississippi College (2016-17) and Montevallo (2017-18). Auburn Montgomery became a provisional member in 2017-18 as they advanced through the NCAA membership process. The Warhawks are on track to be a full member, eligible for all awards and postseason opportunities, in 2019-20. The conference also adopted affiliate memberships to boost its ranks, resulting in sport-specific members, Fla gler (women’s lacrosse), North Greenville (football), Spring Hill College (men’s and women’s soccer and women’s golf), and Young Harris College (women’s lacrosse).
Baseball (6)
Women's Golf (3)
West Florida (2011) Troy State (1984, '86, '89)
Delta State (2004)
Jacksonville State (1990, '91) Women's Gymnastics (2)
Troy State (1986, '87) Jacksonville State (1984, '85)
Men's Basketball (3)
Men's Hockey (2) North Alabama (1979, '91) Alabama-Huntsville (1996, '98)
Jacksonville State (1985)
Women's Soccer (2)
Women's Basketball (7) West Florida (2012)
Delta State (1975, '76, '77, '89, '90, '92) Christian Brothers (2002)
Southeastern Louisiana (1977)
Football (13)
Softball (2)
Valdosta State (2012)
Valdosta State (2004, '07, '12, '18) North Alabama (2015)
Delta State (2000)
West Alabama (1971)
West Florida (2019)
Men's Tennis (6)
West Florida (2004, '05', '14, '17)
North Alabama (1993, '94, '95) Valdosta State (2006, '11)
Jacksonville State (1992)
Troy State (1984, '87)
Men's Golf (5)
West Florida (2001, '08)
Men's Track and Field (1)
Southeastern Louisiana (1975)
Women's Volleyball (1)
Troy State (1976, '77, '84) North Alabama (2003)
Lee (2022)
* Mississippi College vacated national title in 1989 / Men's Hockey not GSC Sponsored Sport
