From the sporting spotlight to the stage, Stephen O’Hearn '26 is a student-athlete at Mercer University who ditched his cleats and picked up a script in a dramatic change of career path after graduating college. Standing on set, he waits in eager anticipation for the director’s action call, with the same excitement he used to have to hear the referee’s whistle during his college soccer career.
Mercer quarterback Braden Atkinson '29 became the first Southern Conference player and first player in Mercer football history to win the coveted Jerry Rice Award, an award that honors the best freshman football player in the FCS, on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
No. 7 Mercer football (9-2, 8-0 Southern Conference) will face No. 11 University of South Dakota (9-4, 6-2 Missouri Valley Football Conference) in the second round of the NCAA FCS playoffs this Saturday, Dec. 6.The Coyotes are coming off of a decisive first-round victory against Drake University on ...
Halfway through his time at Georgia State University, Stephen O’Hearn ‘26 entered the transfer portal unsure of where he would end up. The former Panthers goalkeeper now says Mercer offered the fresh start he didn’t realize he needed.
Mercer football (9-2, 8-0 Southern Conference) lost to Auburn University (5-6, 1-6 SEC) 62-7 on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. The following day, the Bears were awarded the No. 6 seed in the FCS Playoffs, and they will receive a first-round bye in their third-straight playoffs appearance. It will be their first Saturday off since Oct. 19.
Mercer football (9-1, 8-0 Southern Conference) won its second-straight SoCon title Saturday after a dominant 63-17 win over the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (5-6, 4-3 SoCon). The No. 8 Bears have not lost to a SoCon opponent at home since Oct. 14, 2023.
Students walking past the University Center this fall have been greeted by sign draped around the roaring bear statue, standing around 12 feet tall, just outside of the University Center when there is a home football game.
Mercer football (8-1, 7-0 Southern Conference) will host their final game of the regular season Saturday as they take on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (5-5, 4-2 SoCon) at Five Star Stadium.
After an unprecedented run to the finals of the Southern Conference Championship, the women's soccer (10-7-3, 3-3-3 Southern Conference) lost to Samford University (13-2-5, 7-0-2 SoCon) on Sunday, Nov. 9, 4-1.
Mercer football (8-1, 7-0 Southern Conference) beat conference foe No. 24 Western Carolina University (6-4, 5-1 SoCon) this Saturday, Nov. 8, 49-47, to get within one win of the program's second straight SoCon title. The win also solidified the No. 12 Bears' position in the NCAA FCS Playoffs for the third straight year.
Women’s basketball (1-1, 0-0 Southern Conference) opened its home slate with a challenging matchup against Clemson University (2-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) on Thursday night, Nov. 6, falling 72-51.
Mercer football (7-1, 6-0 Southern Conference) takes on Western Carolina University (6-3, 5-0 SoCon) on Saturday in a battle for the sole lead of the conference. The matchup is also a contest between the only two teams left undefeated in SoCon play, with the No. 12 Bears traveling up to Cullowhee, N.C. to take on the No. 24 Catamounts.
The men’s basketball team started off the 2025-2026 season with a loss, falling short 76-61 to No. 18 University of Tennessee on the road on Monday. The Bears were outscored in every quarter of the game, but put together a relatively strong performance against a tough, ranked SEC opponent.University ...
In a back and forth brawl, Mercer football (7-1, 6-0 Southern Conference) bested the Furman Paladins (5-4, 3-3 SoCon), 52-28 on the road, remaining undefeated in conference play.
Mercer football (6-1, 5-0 Southern Conference) is set to take on Furman University (5-3, 3-2 SoCon) this Saturday, in a game t that has been billed as the conference's biggest rivalry by Mercer Athletics.
Solutions by The State News
