There are some incredible college football atmospheres out there, but the authentic flair that Georgia football brings to the table sets them apart from the rest of the country.
As the oldest public university in America, the University of Georgia is full of history and traditions.
Those traditions grow as college football evolves, especially at Sanford Stadium. After the renovations, the addition of the recruiting lounge, bigger jumbo screen, LED lights, the tunnel, smoke, and every other little detail they’ve implemented in the last six years has elevated them to a level every other college team wants to be on.
Even Alabama wants to be like Georgia, surprising, right?
The last home game with a full crowd was when the Dawgs welcomed Texas A&M to the stadium for the first time for a sold-out showdown. I was there, and little did I know it would be the last time in 658 days that beautiful stadium would host a full house.
A pandemic rocked the world last year, and while some fans got to go to games, it wasn’t the same — not even close to being the same.
However, that is all about to change on Saturday as Georgia is 100% open, and even though it’ll be a game against UAB, that stadium will be packed to the brim.
So many people have missed their happy place, and being around 93,000 of their closest friends cheering on a team, we all love and loath at times. The memories people have from games at Sanford Stadium are unlimited.
Not every opposing fan base thinks it’s all that, but this atmosphere is the greatest in college football to Georgia fans. I started going to games at 4-years-old, and I have more memories at Sanford Stadium than I do at any other place in my life.
I have chills writing this story because thinking about people getting to be there again without restrictions makes everything feel a little better.
Then the game day trailer came out, and DJ Shockley’s voice hit me like a brick wall.
https://twitter.com/GeorgiaFootball/status/1436111177738768390?s=20
His words spoke to me and made me realize just how special it is to have football back in our lives in this capacity. While we all still need to be kind and show respect because Covid is still around, this game brings back some normalcy.
There will be a Dawg walk, a solo trumpet player in the corner belting out the Battle Hymn, which has the prettiest notes in all of college football, the red coats playing all our favorite jams, lighting up Sanford Stadium, and of course the football team that has the tenacity and grit to go all the way.
While we’re not all on the same page with some of the head coach Kirby Smart’s choices, it shouldn’t matter come kick-off. Nope, all those worries will disappear because football is back between the hedges and bringing an atmosphere people wish their schools had.
They call Athens the Classic City for a reason. Classic is a great way to put what Georgia football brings to the table, and it hits differently than anything else.
So while the Dawgs play UAB on Saturday, I expect the Dawg nation to treat it as an SEC matchup. Be loud, Georgia fans, bring that energy you brought to Charlotte, N.C. last week, and show the world how excited you are that Georgia football is back between the hedges.
It’s the greatest place in the world, now act like it and prove it this weekend because this return only happens once, and that city needs to rock like it’s never rocked before.