Sanford Stadium - Stadium Expansions

Stadium Expansions

In 1940, field-level lights were added, and Georgia played its first night game against Kentucky to a 7–7 tie. Six thousand seats were also added to the south side of the stadium in 1949, bringing total capacity to 36,000

During the 1960s, many universities in the South were significantly expanding their stadiums, and Georgia was no different. Soon after the arrival of head coach Vince Dooley in 1964, UGA began updating Sanford Stadium, removing the field-level lighting (which obstructed views from the stands) and adding 7,621 temporary end-zone seats, which brought total capacity to 43,621. Architects Heery and Heery of Atlanta were then hired to plan a major expansion. This expansion planning was very tricky, since by that time the stadium was closely enclosed on both north and south sides by academic buildings. The plans went forward, however, and an "upper deck" of seats was added to each side of the stadium in 1967 without the need to demolish or alter any of the surrounding buildings. In addition to the new upper decks, this first major addition included a new pressbox and club seating. In total, 19,640 seats were added to the stadium (bringing total capacity to 59,000), at a cost of $3,000,000. The new addition was christened with a victory over Mississippi State in 1967.

In 1981, the east endzone stands were enclosed for a cost of $11.5 million, creating a "horseshoe-shaped" stadium and eliminating the free view enjoyed by the "Track People". This addition added 19,000 seats, bringing total stadium capacity to 82,122. The first game in the newly-expanded stadium was on September 5, 1981, against Tennessee, with Georgia delivering a 44–0 drubbing.

Lights were re-installed in the stadium in 1981. This time, the lights were not located at field level, but attached to the top of the upper level, thus not obscuring fans' views of the field. The first game under the "new lights" was a 13–7 victory against Clemson on September 6, 1982.

In 1991, a portion of the west endzone stands was enclosed, creating a "partial bowl" around the lower level of Sanford Stadium. The west stands could not be completely enclosed due to the proximity of Gillis Bridge (usually called "Sanford Bridge"), a major campus transportation artery, to the stadium. This expansion cost $3.7 million and added 4,205 new seats, bringing total capacity to 85,434.

Thirty luxury suites were added above the south stands in 1994, and were expanded to 50 suites in 2000. These expansions cost a total of $18 million, and raised total capacity to 86,520.

In 2003, another upper deck was added to the north side of the stadium. This added 5,500 new seats to the stadium at a cost of $25 million, bringing total stadium capacity to 92,058. Currently, most of these "upper-upper deck" seats are reserved for the fans of the visiting team.

In 2005, installation of a new video display on the West End zone was completed. Ribbon boards were also added along the sides of the stadium. These additions, constructed and maintained by Daktronics, establish Sanford Stadium as one of the most visually media intensive venues in the SEC.

The stadium reached its current capacity of 92,746 in 2004, when 27 SkySuites were added to the North side of the stadium at a cost of $8 million.

As of September 2008 Sanford Stadium could grow by more than 9,000 seats if a plan from University architects is approved. The seating expansion would wrap around the east side of the stadium and would bring the stadium's capacity to 101,766. University architect Danny Sniff said he considered filling in the endzone by the Sanford Drive bridge, but decided it was important to preserve the view of the Miller Learning Center and Tate Student Center. One alternative considered is to have a raised seating area which connects the upper deck area with the Sky Box section, maintaining the view from the bridge. There are other proposed additions which include increasing the number of concession stands and restrooms, as well as installing a Jumbotron outside the east end of the stadium to provide for the viewing of the game from outside the stadium.

The video board installed from 2005 underwent a $1.4 million overhaul before the 2011 season. The screen's size expanded from 25x46 feet to the full size of the scoreboard which is 52x76 feet. The new video board has full HD capability.