Are There Seats With Backs in Sanford Stadium

GREENSBORO — UGA athletic director Josh Brooks reiterated the messaging he's put out recently for the football season ahead when he addressed the athletic board at its meeting on Thursday.

He went even further this time, saying he's expecting 92,746 fans again at Sanford Stadium this fall after a 2020 season with reduced attendance.

"We're committed, we're excited to have 100 percent capacity in the fall," Brooks told the board at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge on Lake Oconee. "We plan to be full crowd for that first game Sept. 11 vs. UAB. I cannot wait for that first home game."

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Coach Kirby Smart in a video message to the athletic board said "we're excited to have packed stands this fall….Hopefully things get back to as close to normal as possible."

Fans will see price cuts of close to 50 percent for some concession stand items including at Sanford Stadium: $2 Bottled water, $2.50 bottled soda, $2.50 hot dogs, $2 candy and $2 for a small popcorn and $5 for a large popcorn bucket.

"I've been in enough of our venues and I've watched a family walk up to a concession stand," Brooks said. "I don't want that family of four to pay $40 or more to feed their family. That's not the experience I want to create."

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He said the model is similar to what is done at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena in Atlanta and Augusta National Golf Club.

Georgia will continue to use mobile only ticketing that it implemented last season during the pandemic. That cuts down on expenses for printing and shipping and the move to lower concession prices is passed along to fans.

"It's not always about profits at every turn," he said.

Yet Georgia will be making a move at Sanford Stadium that will generate more revenue.

The school is going forward with a conceptual study for moving the Sanford Stadium press box to create more premium seats at a prime viewing area near the 50-yard line. Brooks called it "the greatest location in the stadium for seating."

There is no timeline yet and Brooks didn't detail exactly how many premium seats that would create.

"It could be a hybrid of maybe a couple of suites and maybe some loges," he said. "Depending on the need, it can fluctuate and vary."

A new press box would be built on the Southwest corner of the stadium. Similar seating for media is already in place for the SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz and some college stadiums including at Auburn.

Georgia is also planning on upgrades to the concourse on the South 100 sections of Sanford Stadium, where Brooks said many loyal, longtime fans sit.

"We're going to get in there soon and start looking at conceptual designs of how we can improve circulation," Brooks said. "That may be blowing out that concourse and doubling the width and building new concessions and restrooms around that."

Brooks said the school is not planning on introducing alcohol sales to the general public for this football season. Many SEC schools have already done so.

"If we did that, we're going to always take a very cautious approach," he said. "Most places when they do it, they do it at a smaller venue like basketball or baseball to trial it and learn and grow from it."

Are There Seats With Backs in Sanford Stadium

Source: https://www.onlineathens.com/story/sports/college/bulldogs-extra/2021/05/27/capacity-crowds-uga-football-games-get-lower-concession-prices/7465808002/

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