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Southern Miss officially opened the Bower Academic Center in the fall of 2020, but due to Covid-19 safety protocols the official ribbon-cutting ceremony could not be held until September 2021. Within one year of the facility being utilized, it has already supported immediate scholastic success for Golden Eagle student-athletes.

Named in honor of former player, assistant coach, and long-time head football coach Jeff Bower, the Bower Center features individual tutor/study rooms, a computer lab, classroom, quiet study space, and offices for student-athlete academic support staff. The 18,000 square-foot facility is four times the size of the previous academic support center and sits on the second floor of the Joseph Anderson Cook Library, which is located in the heart of the Golden Eagle campus.

“The Bower Center is a game-changer for Southern Miss Athletics,” said Southern Miss Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain. “With the daily demands placed on our student-athletes from an academic and athletic standpoint, this new facility provides top-level resources to exclusively assist with their academic needs. When studying in the Bower Center, our student-athletes are surrounded by our highly skilled academic staff and can enjoy a peaceful learning environment.”

In its first year of existence, the Bower Academic Center helped the student-athlete population produce its highest-ever grade point average of 3.11 during the 2021 fall semester. Eight of the nine women’s programs registered a 3.0 GPA or better during that semester and the cumulative GPA of 3.3 across women’s sports produced the second highest semester for that group on record. Leading the way was the women’s cross-country program, which earned a cumulative 3.67 GPA.

The men’s program collectively earned a 2.94 GPA, which is the second highest overall men’s sports GPA on record with men’s tennis posting a men’s best 3.35 GPA.  Additionally, men’s basketball and football both posted their highest semester team GPAs with 3.197 and 2.74 respectively.

– @USMGoldenEagles –