DOOLEY FIELD AT SANFORD STADIUM
Nothing like being "Between the Hedges" at Georgia's Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium
Filled on Saturdays to its 93,033 capacity, Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium has long been one of the country’s most beautiful and electrifying arenas for college football. Georgia’s average home attendance has ranked among the nation’s top 10 for more than two decades. Surrounded by its famous hedges, Georgia’s home field is one of the legendary facilities in college football.Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium was chosen by Athlon Sports as one of the Top 5 College Football Stadiums in the country.With a $25 million expansion completed in 2003 and another $8 million in 2004, Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium added a second upper deck on the north side and 27 new north side SkySuites brought the new stadium capacity to 92,746, the fifth largest on-campus stadium in the country. Named for the late Dr. S. V. Sanford, former president of the University and Chancellor of the University system, Georgia's Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2004. An overflow crowd of 30,000 saw the stadium's first game on October 12, 1929, when Yale University made its only trip South. Georgia won the now famous game when a young sophomore end from Macon, Vernon "Catfish" Smith, scored all 15 of the Bulldogs' points. Final score, Georgia 15, Yale 0.
Through the years, the stadium has experienced various expansion projects. In 1940, lights were added to the field level paving the way to the first Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium night game, a 7-7 tie between Georgia and Kentucky on October 26, 1940.
Eventually, the East end of the stadium was enclosed, more lights added, and the capacity increased to 82,122. The 1991 project cost the University Athletic Association $3.7 million and enclosed the West end. The price tag was rather hefty, considering that the original price to build the stadium was a mere $360,000.
Legendary Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium added yet another chapter to its history by hosting the medal round of the 1996 Olympic men's and women's soccer competition watched via television by over 3 billion people around the world.
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Dooley Field
The playing field at Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium is named in honor of Vince Dooley, the Bulldogs' all-time winningest head coach. Dooley served as head football coach of the Bulldogs from 1964 through 1988 and director of athletics from 1979 to 2004. As head coach, he won 201 games, one national championship and six SEC championships. While Dooley was athletic director, UGA won 23 national championships and 78 SEC team championships.Â
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