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 Sanford
Stadium
Athens, GA
Sanford Stadium is home to the
University Georgia Bulldogs, however, fans from around the world may
not know that it is a football stadium. How could this be you ask?
Sanford Stadium played host to the 1996 Olympic Games for the medal
round of the finals in soccer which was watched by over three billion
people worldwide. But for those who are passionate about their
football in Athens (Georgia that is) Sanford is home to one of the
most exciting stadiums in college football. With its 92,746 seats
filled to capacity every game, one of the largest on campus stadium in
the country provides a comforting environment for the Bulldogs and a
frightening experience for first time visitors.
Football has been a part of UGA since 1892 when the team played at
Herty Field. In 1911, Georgia President Dr. Steadman V. Stanford moved
the Bulldogs games from Herty Field to a centralized location on
campus that was named Stanford Field. Georgia's rival with Georgia
Tech in the 1920s led to a new stadium being constructed for the team.
These rival games were played at Georiga Tech's home, Grant Field
because Stanford Field was not large enough. UGA wanted a stadium that
would rival Grant Field and began raising money for construction, led
by Dr. Stanford. Built at a cost of $360,000 Stanford Stadium opened
on October 12, 1929 when Georgia played Yale before 30,000 fans.
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Perhaps the trademark
of the stadium are its two most recognizable features. Its not any
man made feature either. Sanford Field’s famous hedges surrounding
the field and their mascot UGA, a white bulldog. The enormous home
field advantage has not come cheap over the years, with an estimated
$71 million price tag over the years. There have been six major
expansions over the years in 1949, '64, '67, '81, '91 and 2003. These
expansions enclosed Stanford Stadium, added an upper deck and luxury
areas. The improvements are definitely
worth the price as Sanford Stadium has finished in the top seven in
attendance 21 of the past 24 years. With the continued success of the
Bulldogs over the past few years, as well as a schedule that is
consistently filled with national contenders, these attendance figures
show no sign of letting up. |
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FACTS & FIGURES |
-Tenant:
Georgia Bulldogs
-Conference: SEC
-Capacity: 92,746
-Surface:
Grass
-Opened:
October 29, 1929
-Cost: $34 Million (expansions)
-Seating Chart
-Georgia Bulldog Sports
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BULLDOGS TIDBITS |
NEXT GAME |
2009 SCHEDULE |
Famous Players:
Herschel Walker, Champ Bailey,
Garrison Hearst, David Pollack, John Rauch, Bill Hartman
School Traditions: Silver Britches,
Redcoat Band, Clean-Old Fashioned Hate rival with Georgia Tech,
Deep South's Oldest Rival with Auburn
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HOTELS NEAR SANFORD STADIUM |
DIRECTIONS TO SANFORD STADIUM |
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