Georgia Southern adds new university-sponsored clay target program

Georgia Southern University is now home to a new University-sponsored competitive clay target team, a first in University history, following the club clay target team’s remarkable success against both club sports programs and athletic department-sponsored programs. 

The new Georgia Southern University Clay Target team officially began practicing in the Fall 2026 semester. With a roster of 27 student-athletes, located on Georgia Southern’s Statesboro Campus, the team will travel and compete across southern regions of the United States throughout the year. Their first official competition, the Collegiate Fall Lower East Conference Championships, will take place from Nov. 6 to Nov. 8 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Collegiate Fall Lower East Conference Championships are organized by the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) and Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP).

“Being officially recognized as the Georgia Southern Clay Target Team is a significant achievement and opportunity that my teammates and I are extremely proud of,” said Connor Daniel, one of the Georgia Southern Clay Target team captains. “This elevated status reflects how far our team has come and motivates us to continue competing at the highest level, knowing we have the support of the University behind us. Being part of this team has been one of the best parts of my college experience, allowing me to compete in a sport I love while building lasting friendships with my teammates. I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish in the years ahead.” 

Because clay target shooting is not an NCAA-sanctioned sport, both the new University-sponsored program and the existing club sports team are administered through the University’s Shooting Sports Education Center. Georgia Southern Clay Target is funded through fundraisers, student fees and external sponsorships. The team hosts multiple Eagle Clay Day fundraiser shoots each year and other fundraising opportunities such as raffles and donor engagement.    

The team will be outfitted in custom shooting vests and other team gear representing Georgia Southern. 

In Association of College Unions International (ACUI)-sanctioned competition, teams will shoot up to six different clay target disciplines: American Skeet, American Trap, Sporting Clays, Super Sporting, Doubles Skeet and Doubles Trap. Each discipline is different and requires a different skill set. At the ACUI National Championship, athletes who compete in all six disciplines will shoot a total of 600 targets for score. The top five athletes in each discipline comprise the posted score for each team.

“We are committed to creating opportunities for our students to pursue their passions, develop as leaders and achieve excellence both inside and outside the classroom,” said Georgia Southern University President Kyle Marrero. “The success of our clay target team is a testament to the dedication, hard work and competitive spirit of these student-athletes. We are proud to recognize their accomplishments and look forward to seeing them represent Eagle Nation as an official University-sponsored program.”

In 2017, students organized the Southern Clay Target shooting club through Georgia Southern’s club sports program as a registered student organization. Since its first ACUI Collegiate Clay Target Championship in 2021, the Georgia Southern team has won four ACUI divisional National Championships, an All-Division American Skeet National Championship defeating over 106 collegiate teams, a National Collegiate Shooting Sports Athletic Association Division 1 Sporting Clays championship and more than 40 ACUI regional and national discipline and high overall titles.

While many student-athletes from the Clay Target club sports team have transitioned to the new University team, the original registered student organization remains active for students to join.

As the search for a full-time head coach is underway, volunteer head coach Marty Fischer, volunteer assistant coach Jeff Reed, along with volunteer coaches Joseph Haddad, Douglas Williams and Zac Guerrettaz, support and mentor Georgia Southern Clay Target’s athletes. Both accomplished clay shooters themselves, Fischer and Reed coached the Clay Target club sports team for many years as well as the Shooting Sports Education Center’s Eagle Clay Target summer camp.

More information about the team, including the roster, schedule and sponsorship information, can be found at georgiasouthern.edu/student-life/recreation/ssec/clay-target.