Athletics officials at the University of Georgia (UGA) asked media members to refrain from taking photos or shooting video when taking a tour of the new press box Aug. 20 at Sanford Stadium in Athens. Once inside, that request was understandable.
The stadium's construction still has a long way to go.
The Journal-Constitution in Atlanta noted that quite a bit of work is needed to complete Phase II of the stadium's $68.5 million renovation project.
But Tanner Stines, who oversees facilities and capital projects for the Georgia Athletic Association, assured everyone that the 95-year-old football facility will be ready to go for the home opener Sept. 7 against Tennessee Tech.
"We might have to give y'all a paint brush," Stines joked to reporters.
Indeed, a few of the truly important needs are set as far as Bulldogs fans are concerned.
The stadium's Dooley Field looks to be in fine shape, sans the trademark power "G" at midfield and other paint-on-grass features. And the iconic hedges, also replaced after last season, are almost fully grown. The top of the fence that runs between the two rows of privet that have encircled UGA's field since 1929 can be seen on the eastern end of the field, but the hedges need trimming everywhere else.
But as far as the stone, steel and glass, there remains much work to be done on the exterior façade of the newly expanded South grandstands. The tension was palpable as hard-hatted construction workers scurried about throughout the newly erected interior spaces putting the finishing finishes on work that has been ongoing since the Bulldogs completed their final home game of 2023 against Ole Miss on Nov. 11.
For UGA fans, the most interesting development is, at the end of all, the Bulldogs will have a slightly larger stadium than before. The new press box tower and other additions gave Sanford Stadium an additional 287 seats, which raises the venue's capacity to 93,033, the first permanent seating increase since 2004.
When the stadium is full, however, that capacity will not break the record for the most fans ever to attend a Georgia football home game. That remains the Notre Dame game in 2019, when the Bulldogs installed 500 temporary seats to raise capacity to 93,246. UGA also packed in 93,000 fans, although many believe several thousand more were on hand, when head coach Kirby Smart renamed the 2016 G-Day spring game "93K Day."
But as far as regular fall Saturdays, Sanford Stadium remains the ninth-largest on-campus facility in the country, and sixth among Southeastern Conference stadiums, behind Texas A&M's Kyle Field, Louisiana State University's Tiger Stadium, Tennessee's Neyland Stadium, Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium and the University of Texas' Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium — all of which can seat 100,000 or more fans.
New Club Seating, Shifted Sight Lines Result From Work
The latest construction at Sanford Stadium represents the second phase of a renovation project that began after the 2022 season to widen concourses and add restrooms and concession areas on the south side of the facility. In the process, the Magill Press Box, which had occupied the South's 200 level since 1967, has been converted into a premium space for donors and renamed "1929 Club."
Those seats have sold out for the 2024 season, according to UGA. That is no small accomplishment considering its invitation-only occupants that must contribute an additional $7,500 per seat to sit in the area occupied for the past 57 years by sports writers and radio/TV reporters.
Going forward, the press has been moved out of that valuable real estate and into the top of a new tower that was connected to the west end of the existing south-side section. The view has shifted the sight lines considerably, the Journal-Constitution noted, from the midfield to "500-level" and from midfield to roughly the back line of the West end zone.
But Georgia has dressed up the press box nicely with various amenities and conveniences. There will be multiple wide-screen monitors mounted throughout the facility to provide closed-circuit and broadcast feeds, as well as real-time statistical data.
Additionally, the area below the press box will feature six new premium-seating suites. The initial phase of the construction project added a single row of seats to the South's lower level.
UGA could further expand the stadium's capacity by closing in the west end of the stadium, but the school currently has no plans to do so. Rather, the Bulldogs like the horseshoe design of the facility that allows an end-zone opening that faces toward the university's beautiful campus.
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