Stegeman Coliseum is a 10,523-seat multi-purpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

Athens, Georgia Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the sta ...

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. The arena opened in 1964 in honor of C. Sal Stegeman. It is home to the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

Bulldogs

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

and

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teams. It was also the venue of the rhythmic gymnastics and preliminary indoor volleyball matches during the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

, as well as the 1989, 1995, and 2008

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gymnastics championships. As a multi-purpose facility, the Coliseum also hosted a variety of other kinds of events, including many large indoor rock concerts during its early history, as well as the university's Graduate School commencement exercises. At its opening it replaced Woodruff Hall, a 3,000-seat field house built in 1923.

Design

The ceiling is barrel-shaped, with the Sanford Drive side being curved as well. The resulting inside seating is in a "U" shape, with the flat end, which includes the scoreboard, not having the upper levels of seating. The Sanford Drive side was decorated with the Olympic insignia and other markings for the 1996 Olympics. Also, the roof is a separate structure from the coliseum itself, and is connected by an aluminum bellows which allows the roof to rise and fall with the temperature. The roof has four outward supports in an arc style, which were often used in fraternity initiations until gated off. The former Georgia Coliseum received its current name on March 2, 1996, in honor of Herman Stegeman, a longtime basketball coach at UGA who was a pioneer in the development of the original

Southern Conference The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly k ...

basketball tournament in 1921.

Renovations

The university has undertaken several renovations. Originally, Stegeman Coliseum had a stage at one end. Today, a scoreboard, a new section for student seating and banners commemorating the accomplishments of the teams that call Stegeman Coliseum home occupy that space. In anticipation of the 1996 Olympic Games, Stegeman Coliseum received new scoreboard systems, including the first video replay board in an SEC basketball venue. In 2000, all of the old, wooden seats in the lower level were removed, the concrete was resealed, and new cushioned seats were installed. More recently, new LED "ribbon" boards have been installed around the upper ring of the Coliseum (not a 360-degree ribbon but three segments of ribbon on each of the non-video-board sides). The building has also undergone several cosmetic changes to the exterior in the past few years. Currently, the university has preliminary plans to undertake a drastic overhaul of the building, including dropping the event level down several feet to increase capacity. In October 2006, an adjoining practice facility for men's and women's basketball and gymnastics was finished. The Coliseum underwent a $13 million expansion and renovation after the 2009–10 season. The main concourse level of approximately was fully renovated, including modernization and addition of restrooms, upgrades to concession area, a new merchandising area, a first aid room, a new ticket sales area, and new graphics and way finding signage. Also included were of expanded lobby space (including both sides) and of renovated concourse, restrooms, and concessions. Renovations began on May 12, 2010, and were functionally complete in time for the 2010–11 basketball season. The expansion was officially dedicated on January 18, 2011.

Notable events

Georgia upset arch-rival Georgia Tech in the Coliseum's first game on February 22, 1964, 81–68, under the leadership of head coach Harbin "Red" Lawson. The inaugural game set an attendance record of 13,200 that has never been surpassed. The original design afforded the Coliseum 11,200 seats, but in the excitement of the opening of "The Jewel of North Georgia", officials let anyone come inside that showed up. This would be the first and the last time that this was done. The Coliseum also hosted the Mideast Regional of the 1971 NCAA men's basketball tournament. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers won the regional with an 81–78 win in overtime over the Ohio State Buckeyes. At the close of the 2014-2015 season, Georgia's men's basketball teams had amassed a home record of 484 wins and 221 losses (.686). On April 13–16, the arena hosted the inaugural

FIRST Robotics Competition FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international high school robotics competition. Each year, teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors work during a six-week period to build robots capable of competing in that year's game that weig ...

Peachtree District State Championship. 41 teams from the state of Georgia attended the championship, with Global Dynamics, East Cobb Robotics and Walton Robotics winning the event. In addition, Kell Robotics won the District Championship Chairman's Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the FIRST Robotics Competition. They, along with 8 other teams, qualified for the FIRST Championship.

Jake Scott Jacob E. Scott III (July 20, 1945 – November 19, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a free safety and punt returner from 1970 to 1978 for the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NF ...

, a member of the

1968 Georgia Bulldogs football team The 1968 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the Georgia Bulldogs of the University of Georgia during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. The team was named national champion by NCAA-designated major selector Litkenhous. ...

once rode a motorcycle over the arches of the stadium. Later renovations added special railings to make sure the event didn't occur again.

References

Sources

1996 Summer Olympics official report.
Volume 1. p. 544.
1996 Summer Olympics official report.
Volume 3. p. 457.

External links

* {{Olympic venues volleyball University of Georgia campus Georgia Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs basketball Basketball venues in Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia Gym Dogs venues Indoor arenas in Georgia (U.S. state) College basketball venues in the United States College gymnastics venues in the United States Venues of the 1996 Summer Olympics Olympic gymnastics venues Olympic volleyball venues Sports venues in Georgia (U.S. state) Sports in Athens, Georgia 1964 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Sports venues completed in 1964