Sanford Stadium

Not to be confused with Stanford Stadium or Samford Stadium.

33°56′59.29″N 83°22′24.11″W / 33.9498028°N 83.3733639°W / 33.9498028; -83.3733639

Sanford Stadium
“Between the Hedges”
Sanford Stadium, September 2019
Map
Full nameDooley Field at Sanford Stadium
LocationSanford Dr and Field St, Athens, Georgia 30602 Coordinates 33°56'59.29"N 83°22'24.11"W
Capacity93,033 (2024–present)[3]

Former

List
    • 30,000 (1929–1948)
    • 36,000 (1949–1963)
    • 43,621 (1964–1966)
    • 59,200 (1967–1980)
    • 82,122 (1981–1990)
    • 85,434 (1991–1993)
    • 86,117 (1994–1999)
    • 86,520 (2000–2002)
    • 92,058 (2003)
    • 92,746 (2004–2023)
Record attendance2019 vs. Notre Dame (93,246)
SurfaceTifton 419 Bermuda Grass
Construction
Broke ground1928
OpenedOctober 12, 1929
Renovated1994, 2018
Expanded1949, 1964, 1967, 1981, 1991, 1994, 2000, 2003, 2018
Construction costUS$360,000
($6.39 million in 2023 dollars[2])
ArchitectAtwood and Nash
Heery International (1967 expansion)[1]
Tenants
Georgia Bulldogs (NCAA) (1929–present)

Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium is the on-campus playing venue for football at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, United States (also known as UGA). The 93,033-seat stadium is the ninth-largest football stadium in the NCAA (and in the United States), and the 17th-largest such stadium in the world. Games played there are said to be played "between the hedges" due to the field being surrounded by privet hedges, which have been a part of the design of the stadium since it opened in 1929. The current generation of hedges were planted in 2024 (Completed on May 4, 2024, as an NIL fundraising event.) after the originals were taken out to accommodate the football tournaments for the 1996 Summer Olympics.[4] The stadium is often considered one of college football's "best, loudest, and most intimidating atmospheres".[5]

Whereas many college football stadiums have artificial playing surfaces, Sanford Stadium from the outset had, and continues to have, a natural grass surface, planted with Tifton 419 Bermuda Grass.[citation needed]

  1. ^ "Sanford Stadium". stadiumdb.com.
  2. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  3. ^ "sanford stadium to have new seating capacity for 2024 season". Sports Illustrated. Christian Kirby II.
  4. ^ "Georgia announces plans for Sanford Stadium hedges to be 'revitalized'". Saturday Down South. 2024-01-25. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  5. ^ Miller, Andrew (June 30, 2017). "Top 20 College Football Stadiums You Must See in Your Lifetime". Fox Sports. Retrieved September 14, 2018.