Georgia on Tuesday celebrated the end of one long-awaited facility project... by moving forward with another long-awaited facility project.
The Bulldogs opened their new indoor facility with an announcement that the UGA athletics board has approved a $63 million project to improve Sanford Stadium. Of that $63 million, $53 million will come from fundraising by the athletics department with the final $10 million pulled from the athletics department’s reserves.
Inside Georgia's new indoor facility. pic.twitter.com/lV8HMHjpIS
— Seth Emerson (@SethWEmerson) February 14, 2017
The project will move the home locker room from the east to the west end of the stadium with a new recruiting area to be built around it. Additionally, a recruiting plaza with around 500 seats will be constructed on top of the student section. The scoreboard will move back 30 feet to accommodate the new space.
Georgia athletic board approves plan for $63 million renovation at Sanford Stadium https://t.co/rHt8qIykY1 pic.twitter.com/q1wk04bTws
— Anthony Dasher (@AnthonyDasher1) February 14, 2017
UGA president Jere Morehead said Tuesday the project -- which is the Bulldogs’ most expensive in some time, more than twice the price tag of the indoor facility -- is expected to take 17 months to complete, with the team ready to move into its new locker room in time for the 2018 season, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.