ATHENS – Drones may be present. The chance of fireworks exists. There will undoubtedly be a light show. For their football game versus Tennessee at Sanford Stadium on Saturday night, Georgia Athletics is going all out. And with good reason.
After spending over a month away from home, the Bulldogs have taken in every team’s top road performances this season. These days, that applies to both the field and the sidelines that go along with SEC home games. For the first time in 35 days, No. 12 Georgia will host a home game on Saturday when the seventh-ranked Volunteers come to town. The Bulldogs now have the opportunity to perform.
Tennessee vs. UGA Tennessee football plays Georgia football in another crucial game. Georgia gets ready for a variety of situations while the Tennessee quarterback is in concussion protocol. Bradley’s News: What is Georgia’s actual quality? Cunningham: Georgia receives indications from the playoff committee: If you win, you’re in. Check out our comprehensive coverage of UGA football and the game.
Both ESPN’s “College GameDay” and SEC Network’s “SEC Nation” pregame shows were drawn to town because of the extremely high stakes that were riding on the game’s outcome. However, this will also be the Bulldogs’ first home game of the season on a real night. ABC is set to broadcast the nationally televised game at 7:49 p.m. This means that before, during, and after the game, UGA will have a unique chance to fully utilize the stadium’s multimillion-dollar LED lighting and sound system.
planned, they’re not disclosing anything. The UGA administration wants to add the element of surprise to it, whatever it is. According to Alan Thomas, associate athletic director for external operations at UGA, “that is all part of the fun in showing up, to see what happens.” “We can definitely make better use of several of our fan-experience tools when we play at home at night.”
Georgia has had several chances to observe the fan-engagement strategies of other teams. The Bulldogs played all but two of their games away from Sanford Stadium during a nine-week, seven-game run during which they were treated to some amazing performances. When Georgia came to Lexington for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff in Week 3, Kentucky’s supporters were still upbeat and enthusiastic. On the field, the Bulldogs gave it their best and managed to win 13–12. Between the third and fourth quarters, however, the Wildcats also entertained the 61,663-strong crowd with an amazing light show with a blue theme.
The Bulldogs may have had the most heated atmosphere of all when they played Alabama the following week. Bryant-Denny Stadium felt and sounded like a concert hall, with a state-of-the-art sound system linked with giant display boards in all four corners of the 101,000-seat enclosed stadium. Georgia lost 41-34 after falling behind 28-0 early and fighting its way back.
When the Bulldogs traveled to Austin, Texas, on October 19, for the first time since 1958, they experienced the most amazing setting. The Texas Longhorns, who are ranked first, didn’t cut any corners. Texas’ third-to-fourth quarter transition featured a fantastic music-coordinated drone show in addition to their usual highlights, which include the school turning San Jacinto Drive into “Bevo Boulevard” for home games. All the way back to Georgia, Bulldogs fans were giddy over that and the team’s shocking 30–15 victory.
UGA Athletics received a lot of suggestions about how it could improve the Bulldogs’ home-game atmosphere as well. On game days, fans bombarded the athletic administration with requests for a drone show akin to this over Sanford Stadium.
But there are two issues with that. Drones are currently prohibited from flying over or around Sanford Stadium due to its close proximity to neighboring university facilities and Ben Epps Airport.
Drones weren’t present. Saturday in Oxford, Mississippi, but Ole Miss’s customary light-and-music extravaganza at the end of the third quarter for home games was accompanied by a spectacular fireworks display. The plan had one flaw: it failed to take into consideration the amount of moisture in the air caused by the rain that had been falling all day. The stadium was engulfed in smoke from the ground-based fireworks, which took a few minutes to clear. Georgia held the ball at its own 21-yard line and was behind 22-10 at the time. Now, a dense cloud of smoke covered the field, forcing officials to postpone the game until the smoke cleared.
The stadium was engulfed in smoke from the ground-based fireworks, which took a few minutes to clear. Georgia held the ball at its own 21-yard line and was behind 22-10 at the time. Now, a dense cloud of smoke covered the field, forcing officials to postpone the game until the smoke cleared. “We had a play called, and we were worried,” Smart said. We made an effort to wait. I believe that Lane (Kiffin), the coach of Ole Miss, was anxious and was attempting to persuade them to wait as well. We didn’t want that to impact the game. However, we could hardly see the field, and no one in the box could see the field. It made me think of a fog bowl.
Saturday night is not expected to see any rain. Additionally, UGA makes an exemption during the spring commencement at Sanford Stadium, even though it normally forbids fireworks near the center of campus. According to reports, there is a high probability that some explosives will be set off on Saturday. UGA hopes the explosives aren’t just fireworks since the Bulldogs need to win badly against Tennessee to maintain their dwindling prospects of making the College Football Playoffs. No matter what additional efforts the school’s game-day operations teams make, the Bulldogs are difficult to beat at Sanford Stadium, as demonstrated by Georgia’s school-record 28-game home win streak.
Smart has never shied away from urging Georgia supporters to turn up thevolume during home games, and this week hasn’t been any different. He stated that he wanted the home fans to be “loud, loud, loud, and more loud” on Saturday. We really need any advantage we can get in the competition. Therefore, if you’re angry and frustrated, speak up. When they have the ball, you need to go really loud. Every time they break the ball, we must make a loud noise.
The last time Georgia lost a home game was Oct. 12, 2019, when it fell to South Carolina 20-17 in two overtimes. The problem that day was it was a noon kickoff and the Bulldogs were more than three-touchdown favorites. In recent games such as they will have Saturday, Georgia has proved to be literally unbeatable.
The Bulldogs defeated then No. 1-ranked Tennessee 27-13 at Sanford Stadium on the way to winning the 2022 national championship. Likewise, Georgia rolled over No. 10 Ole Miss 52-17 in November 2023, No. 11 Kentucky and No. 8 Arkansas in October 2021, No. 7 Auburn in 2020 and No. 7 Notre Dame in 2019.
“It’s a night game versus a top-ranked opponent at Sanford Stadium. As they have done every season, we are confident that our supporters will contribute,” Thomas stated. “Throughout the game, we will urge and motivate them to fully support our coaches and players. It has always been difficult for opponents to play in Sanford. It is believed that UGA was among the first educational institutions in the nation to include songs and lights during the changeover from the third to the fourth quarter. Fans lift their lit cellphones and sway them to the beat of the song “Krypton” as part of the 2019 “Light Up Sanford” tradition.
Since this fall, Thomas has been a frequent guest on the “Morning Show” on the Athens radio station 960 The Ref every Tuesday. He has asked the crowd during his one-hour visits what songs they would like to be performed in specific scenarios and what else they would like to see added to Georgia’s repertoire on game days. Thomas has had plenty of time to work with Emily Deitz, assistant AD for fan interaction, and senior event producer Anna Pence to implement some of those features on Saturday because Sanford Stadium hasn’t hosted any games in the last five weeks. Therefore, don’t be shocked if some wrinkles are revealed on Saturday night.
Georgia players definitely appreciate the efforts. To probably no one’s surprise, they tend to prefer night games to any other time. “Night games, the atmosphere is electric,” sophomore tight end Lawson Luckie said. “It’s not the best waiting around all day in the hotel, but when you get out there, it’s worth it. It gets the fans extra riled up.”
Smart also enjoys it. He has personally seen what the Bulldogs have faced this season while traveling. Other than requesting that supporters be noisy, he stays out of Georgia’s planning and organization of the home game environment. Regarding fireworks and the like in the fourth quarter, Smart remarked, “It’s just part of the entertainment.” “My knowledge of what transpires throughout that period is limited. I don’t really care either because I’m so engrossed in the game. … What they do and its entertainment value are irrelevant to me. All I can hope for is that our work is competitive.
This week, that is the plan.
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