It takes a lot to honor University of Georgia football legend Vince Dooley — about a $1 million more than was originally planned, it turns out.

The UGA Athletics Association's board of directors voted unanimously last week to double the budget for the garden plaza that will surround a 14-foot bronze statue of Dooley about a mile from Sanford Stadium next to the Bulldogs training facility.

When the Board of Regents approved the project in February, officials set the cost at about $1 million. But that figure wasn't a real estimate of how much it would cost, said Arthur Johnson, the associate athletic director for internal operations.

Grading and landscaping at the site, at the corner of South Lumpkin Street and Pinecrest Drive, was more expensive. And the project was fast-tracked so the gardens would be ready for the start of football season, Johnson said.

"We knew the number would be higher," he said.

Private donors are footing the bill for the $225,000 statue depicting Dooley being lifted onto the shoulders of two players during the 1980 national championship. The piece, created by Athens artist Stan Mullins, will be completed before the end of the season, Johnson said. The Athletics Association will fund the rest of the project with reserve funds, he said.

The school's athletics facilities will be re-named the "Vince Dooley Athletic Complex," an honor some fans and former players have grumbled is not enough. The gardens and statue were something of a compromise to those who had wanted Sanford Stadium renamed for the winning coach. UGA President Michael Adams quickly quashed that movement, saying "the stadium already has a name."

Dooley was Georgia's head coach from 1964-1988. He became the winningest coach in school history during that span, with 201 victories, six SEC championships and one national championship.