University of Georgia president Jere Morehead and UGA Athletic Director Josh Brooks, speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of the University’s Athletic Department, made their first public comments regarding the January 15 crash that claimed the lives of Bulldog football player Devin Willock and football staffer Chandler LeCroy. Both expressed condolences to the families of the crash victims and spoke about the University’s ongoing investigation into the accident that happened on Barnett Shoals Road in Athens.
From Tray Littlefield, UGA Sports Communications...
The University of Georgia Athletic Association Board of Directors held its annual winter meeting Tuesday in Athens.
The 90-minute gathering included financial reports, updates on Georgia’s athletic teams — highlighted by a historic fall season — reports on current and future facility projects and the announcement of a Stegeman Coliseum revamped seating initiative.
A report from J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks took a prominent place on the meeting’s agenda.
Brooks began his remarks with a tribute to Devin Willock and Chandler LeCroy, members of the Georgia football program who were tragically killed in a car accident on Jan. 15. Brooks then honored a number of UGA legends, including Vince Dooley, Charley Trippi, Dick Copus, Anthony Cushenberry, John Mitchell, Steve Webber, Ernie Battinelli, and Lilly Kimbell, who all passed away this past year.
Among the topics Brooks discussed included:
• Recognition of the record-breaking fall athletics season for Georgia Athletics. In addition to the football team’s second-straight national title, the Bulldog volleyball and soccer programs each made the NCAA tournament in the same season for the first time in school history, and each advanced to the second round.
• An update on the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings, where Georgia recorded its highest point total (200) and tied for its highest-ever fall ranking (27).
• Praise for the hard work of Georgia’s student-athletes, who earned a combined 3.22 GPA this past fall, marking the highest overall GPA for a fall term in the Athletic Association’s history.
• Recognition of several Georgia coaches, including SEC Coaches of the Year Kirby Smart and Tom Black.
• An update on the Jack Bauerle event and this week’s Title IX celebration.
• A tribute to State of Georgia Sports Hall of Famers Mark Richt, Al Parker and Steve Webber.
• Updates on The Georgia Bulldog Club’s fundraising at an all-time record of $86.4 million in fiscal year 2022.
• Updates on several facility projects, including the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Tennis building, scheduled to completed December, 2023; the Sanford Stadium south side improvements, with Phase 1 on schedule to be complete August, 2023; and upgrades to the Jack Turner Softball Stadium and Foley Field, with construction to begin in the summer of 2023.
• An announcement of the renovation of the Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall Museum.
Revamped Seating for Stegeman Coliseum
Brooks then announced plans to revamp the seating in Stegeman Coliseum for men’s basketball games. Georgia Senior Deputy Director of Athletics Darrice Griffin provided more details on this project. Highlights included:
• Moving the students closer to the floor and expanding their seating to court-level in sections T, U and V.
• Switching the home and visitors bench areas.
• Developing a donor area seating in the horseshoe end of the arena.
• Griffin emphasized the amount of time and effort that went into making sure the Athletic Association maintains its commitment to longtime fans and supporters.
• The season ticket cost will remain the same for the 2023-24 men’s basketball season and 80 percent of seats will have the same or lower required per-seat contribution. Georgia men’s basketball season tickets will remain one of the most affordable in the SEC.
Academic Report
Faculty Athletics Representative, Prof. David Shipley gave an academic report. Highlights included:
• In addition to the record-breaking combined GPA this past fall, 354 student-athletes finished with a 3.0 or better.
• Twenty-four student-athletes graduated in December.
• Nine of Georgia’s athletic teams recorded their highest fall GPA ever.
• Volleyball had a 3.58 fall GPA; soccer recorded its best fall ever with a 3.55 team GPA.
• Women’s cross country led all teams with a 3.7 GPA.
• All women’s teams were at or above a 3.02 GPA.
• Men’s tennis had the highest GPA on the men’s side with a 3.68.
Quotes from J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks
On Foley Field renovations …
“When I first took the job, I met with Coach Stricklin and we knew improvements to Foley Field would be important, not just for recruiting but for student-athlete development. Right now, our pitchers are practicing in their bullpen outdoors, so having an indoor pitching area is important, not to mention the technology that goes along with it. We have seen the impact facilities can have on recruiting. When you look across the league in the SEC, the facilities arms race has gotten competitive across the board. To keep growing this program we thought it was important. In addition, it will create more premium seating in general to really keep improving.”
On Mike White’s reaction to revamped seating at Stegeman …
“Mike is a very pragmatic guy and he is really patient. This was one of the early things we wanted to do. One of the other things we are looking into is a new weight room for basketball in the Coliseum. That is something we are working on as well, but this was a big thing. When he first got here he said ‘look, this is a great arena, but we have to do something to make it more intimidating.’ I think the first evidence of that was Stegmania, where we had an opportunity to see what it looked like. Having those students down low, having that vision, we knew this could really impact a game.”
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