Sanford Stadium Guide: Between the Hedges Seating, Tailgating & Parking

Sanford Stadium is where Georgia Bulldogs football happens, and it's one of the few venues where the nickname — "Between the Hedges" — tells you more about the place than the official name does. Here's what you need to know before you go: how the seating is laid out, where the sun will cook you in September, how parking and permits work, what's allowed at a tailgate, and what the SEC's bag policy will and won't let through the gate.

Georgia has renovated the stadium repeatedly since 1929; the numbers below reflect the current, post-2024 layout.

Quick Facts

Between the Hedges: What It Actually Means

"Between the Hedges" isn't marketing copy — it refers to the privet hedges that have ringed the playing field since the stadium opened in 1929. The idea came from Charlie Martin, a UGA athletic department business manager who borrowed the concept after seeing hedges at the Rose Bowl. They do a practical job, too: a chain-link fence runs concealed inside the greenery, keeping fans off the field without a visible barrier cluttering the TV shot.

The hedges you see today aren't the originals. When Athens hosted the men's and women's soccer medal rounds for the 1996 Summer Olympics, the field had to be widened to international soccer dimensions, so the hedges came out. Cuttings from the 1929 plants had already been propagated at two off-campus nurseries as insurance — one about 70 miles away in Thomson, Georgia, the other roughly 280 miles away in Quincy, Florida. After the Olympics, hedges grown from those cuttings were transplanted back in, so the current hedges are direct descendants of the originals, just not the same plants.

The field itself was renamed Dooley Field ahead of the 2019 season, honoring longtime head coach and athletic director Vince Dooley. The full official name is Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium — most people just say Sanford Stadium, or Between the Hedges.

Seating Chart Explained

Sanford Stadium is built as a bowl with two full sideline decks and end zone seating, plus a smaller upper tier added on the north side in the 2003–04 expansion.

Lower level (100s): The main sideline and end zone bowl, sections roughly 101–143 — closest to the field, and where most general-admission seating sits.

Student section: UGA students sit in sections 109–114, 138–143, and 308–313, deliberately placed next to general seating rather than walled off in one corner, to keep energy up through the stadium.

Upper deck (300s): The second level running around the north, south, and east sides, added or expanded during the 2003–2004 renovation that also brought 27 new SkySuites.

600 level: A smaller upper tier that includes designated accessible seating, alongside lower-level ADA sections (104, 105, 107, 108).

Premium and club seating: UGA sells several tiers above general seating — the Champions Club, the Skyclub, South and North Club, and East Upper/Lower Club. These add better sightlines, closer food and beverage service, and in most cases climate-controlled access.

Gillis Bridge and Reed Plaza: Two landmark, ticketed viewing areas rather than seating sections. Gillis Bridge, the roadway connecting Gates 1 and 9, closes to traffic on gameday and opens to ticketed fans for one of the more photographed views in college football — the upper deck wrapping around three sides of the bowl. Reed Plaza, on the north side, is a redesigned concourse with concessions and restrooms, also ticketed on gamedays.

Best Seats at Sanford Stadium

Shade matters more than anything else here. Sanford Stadium runs roughly northwest to southeast, and for early-season afternoon kickoffs — most of September in Athens, with real heat and humidity — the south side stays shaded while the north side and both end zones sit in direct sun. For a noon or early-afternoon September game, take a south-side ticket: sections 127–136 and 327–335, plus the south-side club level, are what the press box and skyboxes shield from the sun. North-side sections (101–112, 301–312) and the 600 level bake all afternoon.

Best value: Sections adjacent to the student areas (102–105, 125–128, 134–137) put you near the loudest part of the crowd without premium prices, and on the sideline rather than in an end zone.

Best view: Sideline sections in the lower 100s, centered around midfield, give you a coach's-eye view and are close enough to see the hedges and field-level action clearly.

Best for families: Lower-level sideline sections away from the student areas are calmer, and the East Deck accessible shuttle (see Parking below) helps with mobility needs — though note infant seats and strollers themselves aren't permitted inside the stadium.

Splurge: The Champions Club and Skyclub tiers buy you shade, padded seating, and shorter concession lines, which matters more than it sounds on a 90-degree September afternoon.

If you're comparing Sanford Stadium to other big-name venues, The 15 Biggest College Football Stadiums in America is a useful reference, and if you've mixed this place up with its Bay Area namesake, Sanford vs Stanford Stadium: Why Everyone Confuses These Two — plus the Stanford Stadium Guide itself — sort out which is which.

Parking at Sanford Stadium

Parking on campus is permit-based, and permits are tied to a single vehicle in a single marked space — they can't be transferred, duplicated, or replaced if lost.

Official UGA lots and decks: The closest options are the Fine Arts lot and Tate Deck (roughly a 5-minute walk), and the South Deck lot and Green Park (under 10 minutes). Some overflow lots on campus's far edges mean a 30-minute-plus walk, so know your lot before you park.

Season parking passes sell through ParkMobile, first-come first-served, with no guaranteed renewal year to year. Recent pricing for on-campus decks (Carlton Street, East Campus, Health/Visitors Center, River Road) has run around $280/season or roughly $40/game; RV parking at the E23 Park & Ride lot has run around $1,050/season or about $150/game. Confirm current prices with UGA Transportation & Parking Services before buying — these change annually.

Downtown Athens: The College Avenue and Washington Street decks are the main downtown options, typically opening around 8 a.m. on gamedays with cash-only, first-come pricing, and a walk into North Campus and the stadium.

Park-and-ride / shuttle: The complimentary Stadium Loop shuttle runs from the East Campus Deck to Gate 6, starting 3.5 hours before kickoff and continuing after the game until traffic clears. This is also the accessible route — wheelchair-equipped buses run from the East Deck for fans with state-issued disability parking permits.

Arrive-by times: Tailgating and general parking areas open at 7 a.m. regardless of kickoff time. Given the walk from most lots and North Campus crowds, plan to be parked at least 2–3 hours before kickoff for a normal SEC game, earlier for a marquee matchup.

Tailgating in Athens

Georgia's campus tailgates are a genuine part of the gameday experience, not just a parking-lot formality.

Where: East Campus lots, Myers Quad, North Campus lawns, and the area around Tate Student Center are the traditional grounds. The official Bulldog Tailgating Club, based in Reed Quad, sells catered and tented packages if you'd rather not haul your own gear. For a family-friendly, alcohol-free option, Campus View Church runs a lot with a playground and restrooms.

Timing: No tailgate setups before 7 a.m., campus-wide. North Campus is more restrictive — not allowed until 5 hours before kickoff, though you can park earlier if gear stays in the car and things stay quiet.

Allowed: Charcoal grills, folding chairs, tents (with restrictions on North Campus), and portable speakers at reasonable volume.

Prohibited: Open wood fires, fire rings, or chimineas; propane tanks/cylinders larger than 17 ounces; household furniture; sidewalk parking. North Campus adds its own list — no kegs, generators, TVs, grills or cookers of any kind, amplified music, golf carts, or ATVs, and tables capped at 6 feet. Grills are also banned inside parking decks as a fire hazard, though fine in open lots.

Cleanup: Bag your trash. Haul it out yourself or leave bagged trash at your spot — UGA's cleanup crew works the lots after the game and collects it, with receptacles in high-traffic areas. Loose, unbagged trash isn't the deal either way.

If tailgating culture is a big part of why you're going, it's worth seeing how Athens stacks up against other campuses in 12 Stadiums With the Best Tailgating in America.

Bag Policy & Security

Georgia follows the standard SEC clear bag policy, and gate staff enforce it strictly.

Allowed:

• One clear bag (plastic, vinyl, or PVC) no larger than 12" x 6" x 12"
• Or one one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag
• Plus one small clutch bag, with or without a strap, no larger than 4.5" x 6.5"
• Bags containing necessary medical items, subject to inspection at a designated gate

Not allowed: Backpacks, purses larger than clutch size, briefcases, cinch bags, fanny packs, luggage, and camera/computer bags — clear or not, if it isn't a clear bag or the small clutch, it stays outside.

Also prohibited inside: bottles and cans, food and drink containers, coolers, strollers and infant seats, umbrellas, artificial noisemakers, laser pointers, weapons, and cameras with detachable lenses. Seat cushions up to 16 inches wide are fine as long as they have no arms or pockets.

Exceptions: Binoculars, phones, tablets, and cameras with lenses under 4 inches can be carried without a bag.

Re-entry: None. Leave the stadium and you need a new ticket to get back in — plan bathroom runs, concessions, and car trips accordingly. Every ticketed person needs a ticket, including infants.

Getting to Athens

Athens sits roughly 70 miles northeast of Atlanta, and the drive from downtown Atlanta or Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) typically runs about 75–90 minutes outside gameday traffic — plan for longer on a Saturday with a home game, especially on the final stretch into town. There's no direct rail or transit line from Atlanta, so driving or a rideshare/shuttle is the practical option. ATL is the airport almost everyone flying in uses; there's no closer major commercial airport.

Gameday Timing

Gates open 2 hours before kickoff and stay open through the start of the game. Premium ticket holders (Champions Club, Skyclub, SkySuite) can also enter at the 2-hour mark through designated gates.

The Dawg Walk happens 2 hours and 15 minutes before kickoff — before gates even open — in the Tate Center parking lot. The team buses in from Lumpkin Street, and players walk through a corridor of fans, the Redcoat Band, and cheerleaders into the stadium through Gate 1. It's free to watch and one of the better pregame traditions to catch if you're arriving early anyway.

Between the Dawg Walk, tailgating, and the walk into the stadium, most Athens veterans treat "2 hours before kickoff" as the latest reasonable arrival, not the target.

FAQ

How many people does Sanford Stadium hold? 93,033, after renovations completed for the 2024 season — the 9th-largest on-campus stadium in the country and 6th-largest in the SEC.

Why is it called Between the Hedges? Because the field has been ringed by privet hedges since 1929, with a concealed fence inside them as the actual crowd barrier. The phrase became shorthand for playing — or beating a team — at Sanford Stadium specifically.

Are the hedges the original 1929 plants? No. They were replaced with nursery-grown descendants after the 1996 Olympic soccer competition required a wider field, propagated from cuttings of the originals.

What's the SEC clear bag policy at Sanford Stadium? One clear bag up to 12"x6"x12" (or a one-gallon clear freezer bag) plus one small clutch bag up to 4.5"x6.5" per person. No backpacks or non-clear bags, except bags containing necessary medical items.

Can I leave the stadium and come back in? No. There's no re-entry — once you exit a gate, you need a new ticket to get back inside.

Where should I sit to avoid the sun? The south side (sections 127–136 and 327–335, plus the south club level) stays shaded through most afternoon games due to the stadium's orientation and the press box. The north side and both end zones get full sun.

When does tailgating start on gameday? 7 a.m. campus-wide; North Campus specifically doesn't allow setups until 5 hours before kickoff.