ATHENS — Sanford Stadium’s south-side construction project is on budget and is expected to be completed on time before this fall, according to Georgia Athletic Director Josh Brooks.
The athletic association’s chief executive briefed the facilities and development committee Monday morning in advance of the end-of-year, full-board meeting later this week.
“We’re still looking good for everything being on time for the season,” Brooks told the group. “The new press box and the new suites will be completed on the southwest corner and the old press box will be a new premium (donor) area.”
Brooks revealed that the new donor area, which is taking over over the club-level space previously occupied by the Dan Magill Press Box, will be called the “1929 Club” in recognition of the year the stadium was first opened. Interest from season-ticket holders to meet donations requirements to qualify for seating in the new space reportedly has resulted in increased revenue for the football program, according to a recent finance committee report.
“Seat selection for that area went very well,” Brooks said. “So we’re really excited to open up what will be our best premium area in the stadium this year. ... That project is still underway but will be completed on time.”
A new press box is being built in a tower addition in the southwest corner of Sanford Stadium. That’s Phase II of a $68.5 million improvement project that began in 2022. UGA also in the process of getting a refrigeration upgrade to support alcohol sales at the stadium this fall. Costs figures for that were not immediately available.
Georgia just completed construction on a new $26.7 million indoor tennis facility, which already has been in use, and continues to work on the new $38.5 million building for softball outside left field at Jack Turner Stadium. That project is scheduled to completed in October, Brooks said.
Phase two of a $48 million expansion and renovation of Foley Field, UGA’s baseball facility, will get underway as soon as the season ends. The Diamond Dogs have completed the regular season but hope to become a regional host and possibly a Top 8 seed for the NCAA Tournament, which begins at the end of the month
“That’s a good key to success: You try to schedule construction projects to begin when a season is over and, ultimately, what happens is that team will go as long and far as possible (in the postseason),” Brooks quipped. “So that’s been a good rule of thumb.”
Brooks also confirmed that ground-breaking on construction of the recently approved track and field facility on South Milledge Avenue will begin in August and is expected to open in the spring of 2026. That project will cost $59.8 million. The $2 million “Champions Rotunda” recently opened inside Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall.
“This obviously has been a very busy, busy time for us with facilities,” Brooks told the committee. “We’re wrapping up some, we’re in the middle of some and we’re about to start some projects. So, this has been probably — the last six months and the next six or 12 months — our busiest time from a facilities standpoint maybe that we have ever had.”
For those keeping count — and the state’s Board of Regents certainly is — that’s more than $240 million worth of ongoing sports facility projects. Soon to come also is a new video board and premium donor area at Stegeman Coliseum for basketball supporters. The university already has spent about $9 million to repair the interior ceiling, make roof repairs and other improvements in that 60-year-old building, which is leased by the athletic department.
One of the conditions of all these Regents-approved projects is that UGA raise at least half of the funds for construction in advance. Brooks said he will provide a fundraising update at this week’s board meeting but indicated it is “going well.”
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