Perhaps no one was more excited than Barbara. November 10, 2007: In the first blackout game, the Bulldogs surprised the black-clad crowd by wearing black jerseys for the first time in school history. ''I didn't think it was appropriate for me to say anything in that regard. Brown's 1975 novelty song "Dooley's Junkyard Dogs" was played during the ceremony, which had Barbara clapping her hands jubilantly while her more reserved husband swayed a bit and pointed his fingers along with the catchy number. 30 luxury suites were added above the south stands in 1994, and were expanded to 50 suites in 2000. Low near 45F. That saw the stadium grow from 39,000 seats to 92,746, which Sanford Stadium sits today. So we thought it was appropriate [to name the field after Dooley].”. Don't miss breaking news!Sign up for the DawgNation Newsletter! He stayed on as athletic director for another 16 years until an acrimonious departure forced by then-university president Michael Adams. “[Adams] said, ‘You’ve done a good job here, Vince, but you never want to stay too long. ''The Board of Regents and I look forward to reviewing the proposal to name Dooley Field during our May meeting.''. UGA President Jere Morehead has forwarded a motion to the University System of Board of Regents to name the football field that sits between the hedges after Vincent J. Dooley. "I can't say that I was the most well-received coach who has ever been hired," Dooley said, chuckling. Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium is expected to be crowned Sept. 7, when the Bulldogs face Murray State in the home opener. The university community will continue to benefit from his service and dedication for generations to come.”. [9] A county extension agent in Athens, however, claims online that the hedge is composed of Chinese privet, Ligustrum sinense.[10]. [16], The stadium played host to the Olympic medal competition of men's and women's Olympic football (soccer) at the 1996 Summer Olympics. During the Olympics, Nigeria and the United States won the men's and women's football gold medals, respectively, at the hedge-less stadium. “I’ll never forget him walking in, and somebody was late, and he said, ‘OK, just thought I’d pass it on to you, from now on, anybody that’s late, every minute, you’re going to run a quarter of a mile.’ Nobody was late after that,” Davis said. [25], For Stanford University's football stadium, see, I have played in many stadiums, but to me there are only two special stadiums –, soccer tournament for the 1996 Summer Olympics, List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums, "Sanford Stadium to temporarily increase seating for Notre Dame game", "Top 20 College Football Stadiums You Must See in Your Lifetime", "Stadium Spotlight: Meet the Caretaker for Georgia's Famous Hedges", "UGA plans to name football field after Vince Dooley", "Notre Dame vs. Georgia - Game Summary - September 21, 2019 - ESPN", "Georgia adds seats for Notre Dame football game", "Georgia Approves $63 Million Renovation to Sanford Stadium", "Georgia Unveils New Sanford Stadium End Zone, Locker Rooms", "Taking a Look Back: The Top 10 Games in Deep South's Oldest Rivalry", "Bobby Pope: Georgia-Alabama Game Brings Back Memories of Key Flea-Flicker", "Georgia Football: 5 Most Memorable Games Played at Sanford Stadium", "2011 Georgia Football Media Guide pgs 129-131", College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, School of Public and International Affairs, Stone Mountain Park Archery Center and Velodrome, Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sanford_Stadium&oldid=982421742, American football venues in Georgia (U.S. state), Buildings and structures in Athens, Georgia, 1929 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state), Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 1949, 1964, 1967, 1981, 1991, 1994, 2000, 2003, 2018. They named it Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium to honor Dooley. that is degrading to another person. And you need to have something named after you,’” Dooley wrote. For 89 years, Sanford Stadium’s field has remained nameless. To do so, you must be a registered user on the DawgNation forum. Would you like to receive DawgNation news alerts? Near the existing Sanford Field was a low area between the historic North Campus and the Science Campus (to the south) with a small creek (Tanyard Creek) running through it, creating a clearly preferable choice for the location of the new stadium. Dooley won six SEC championships, one national championship and finished with an overall record of 201-77-10 as Georgia’s head coach from 1964-88. [citation needed], To fund his vision, Sanford had an idea that members of the athletic association would sign notes guaranteeing a bank loan to fund the stadium construction. “These rumors had been circulating for years and years and years,” Barbara said. His supporters have lobbied for years for his name to be placed on the stadium. Dooley was the Bulldogs’ football coach from 1964-1988 and the schools’ director of athletics from 1979 to 2004. Dr. Sanford also was at this game, and attended many Georgia games at the stadium named in his honor until his death on September 15, 1945. On October 12, 1929, a capacity crowd of over 30,000 paid $3 per ticket to watch the Bulldogs, under coach Harry Mehre, beat Yale 15–0 in Sanford Stadium's dedication game. He later became the faculty representative to the athletics committee and would eventually become president of the University and Chancellor of the entire University System of Georgia. The positive surprise from Morehead and McGarity was the announcement Georgia plans to name the field at Sanford Stadium in honor of Dooley, the former longtime coach. Georgia went on to defeat #20 Auburn, 45–20. “The Board of Regents and I look forward to reviewing the proposal to name Dooley Field during our May meeting.”. ''The university community will continue to benefit from his service and dedication for generations to come.''. “He was the chief promoter of the brand. [6] Sanford arrived at the University of Georgia as an English instructor in 1903. Although they had their disagreements, Goff said he could always count on Dooley for his honesty and knowledge when the two worked together as head coach and athletic director, respectively. Return to Board. ATHENS, Ga. – On Oct. 12, 1929, Sanford Stadium was dedicated and named for Steadman V. Sanford, who would go on to become president of the University of Georgia and chancellor of the University System of Georgia. Some political maneuverings reported in January by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia basketball player arrested for traffic incident, 4 face discipline, Former Georgia baseball player Adam Sasser files suit against UGA, In the doghouse: COVID rule means no sideline presence for Georgia mascot ‘Uga’, Georgia football’s high-priced recruiting part of ‘return on investment’, Kentucky’s John Calipari says don’t write off Georgia basketball just yet. Sanford Stadium is home to the University of Georgia Bulldogs. Some political maneuverings reported in January by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution could be related to this development. "It feels great. Brian Kemp also played a big part in helping the cause gain momentum. The UGA Media Guide claims that the hedge is an "English privet hedge". In addition to the new upper decks, this first major addition included a new pressbox and club seating. (Photo/Rebecca Wright), A statue of Vince Dooley is located outside of Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019, in Athens, Georgia. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. For 89 years, Sanford Stadium’s field has remained nameless. Through the 1994 season, the field only had the basic markings required for play. “He was kind of like a vocabulary book,” Goff said. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a Page. [11], On September 21, 2019, Sanford Stadium would set an attendance record of 93,246 in the Bulldogs victory against #7 Notre Dame. Dooley won six Southeastern Conference titles and the 1980 national championship before his retirement after the 1988 season. Community. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Dooley, 86, said his wife of 59 years, Barbara, was “more than pleased.”, “She was in a hallelujah stage of emotion, which she is capable of,” Dooley said. “I was very pleased for the family and pleased for all the ballplayers who have been so loyal and for all the friends and supporters,” Dooley told The Associated Press. The 92,746-seat stadium is the tenth-largest stadium in the NCAA. Dooley was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994. The ceremony to dedicate Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium is scheduled for Georgia’s 2019 home opener on Sept. 7 against Murray State. Georgia won a national championship in 1980 and six SEC championships under Dooley’s leadership as football coach.