Georgia Southern University (GS) is a national public university located on a 700-acre (2.8 km) campus in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1906, it is part of the University System of Georgia and is the largest center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia offering 100 academic majors in a comprehensive array of baccalaureate degrees and master's and doctoral programs. The university is the fifth largest university in the University System of Georgia, with a fall 2009 enrollment of 19,086 students (Fall 2009), Georgia Southern is classified as a Doctoral and Research University (2006) by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Georgia Southern University's intercollegiate sports teams, known as the "Georgia Southern Eagles", compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and the Southern Conference. Georgia Southern University began as First District Agricultural & Mechanical School'; its inaugural academic year began in 1908 with four faculty members and 15 students.