NEW ORLEANS -- One of the rites of summer for college football coaches is the annual conference media gathering, and Georgia State head coach Trent Miles made his first appearance at the Sun Belt Conference Media Day Monday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Miles and the Panthers look forward to their first season in the Sun Belt.

"Coming into the new conference, we have to learn what everybody does," Miles said. "You can see them on film all you want, but actually going to these places and lining up against these teams on the field is the only thing that will help us understand the level of competition."

Miles was asked about his expectations for his first season at Georgia State.

"Our expectation for our football team is to go out and compete at a high level for every game we play," Miles said. "We want to win and we expect to win, but this is a program that has only been playing football for three years. Most schools that make this jump have been established powers; we've played football for three seasons. This is a process and it's going to take some time. Our young men are going to go out and play hard every game with the expectation of winning.

"We have a bunch of young men who want to do well, and they are learning how to do it at the next level. They are showing a sense of urgency to get things done."

Likening the development of a football program to a construction project, Miles said, "It's like having a chance to build your own home. You want to see the foundation poured, pick the floors and the cabinets that you want. Winning is never easy, but when you take over something and do it from scratch, it's more fulfilling.

"When you're building a program, the first thing you have to do is teach them to compete. That's the phase that we're in. Then you teach them how to compete to win, and then how to compete to win championships."

In addition to the head coaches of the eight teams that will compete in the Sun Belt this fall, the head coaches of the four incoming programs - Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Idaho and New Mexico State - also attended Media Day.

"We definitely have a chance to create some great rivalries," Miles said when asked about the additions of Georgia Southern and Appalachian State to go along with Troy and South Alabama in close proximity to Atlanta. "Geographically it's great for us, especially for our fans. But first we have to compete and win games. That is our focus - getting to a level that will make us rival. Winning games is what makes a rivalry."

Offensive tackle Ulrick John, one of the Panthers' senior leaders, accompanied Miles to Sun Belt Media Day.

John, a native of Hinesville, Ga., discussed the team's preparation for the upcoming season.

"Workouts with [strength coach Ben] Pollard have been really intense, and the intensity has even picked up as we get closer to the start of fall camp. He is really getting us ready for this season," John said.

John's offseason work also included rehabilitation from offseason shoulder surgery that kept him out of spring practice, but he is fully cleared.

"Spring practice was terrible for me," he said. "I did not like having to watch everyone else work and get better while I was standing on the sideline. It was so frustrating."

In addition to his work on the field, John said that he has been trying to step into the role of being a team leader. But it hasn't been all work and no play.

"We've been to Six Flags a few times," John said, noting that his favorite ride is the Goliath. "We've taken some of the new guys with us. We have bonded as a team more than in years past. We are trying to do more things to get know each. Some of us are going to a Braves game soon."

John was asked to describe his new head coach and new offensive coordinator, Jeff Jagodzinski.

"Coach Miles is a very intense coach, and he is always making sure that we are doing things as close to perfect as possible," John said. "He's tough on us, but that's what we want.

"Coach Jags blows my mind every day with the amount of football that he knows. I've learned so much already."

Miles, John and the Panthers now turn their attention to the start of practice on Aug. 3. Georgia State opens the 2013 season on Friday, Aug. 30, hosting Samford at 7 p.m. at the Georgia Dome.