Walk through North Campus to the stadium. Boutique hotels near the bars, breweries and music venues. Groome's airport shuttle stops at Hotel Indigo and SpringHill Suites by reservation.
UGA Georgia Center hotelVisiting fans pick this
Walk across campus. On campus at Carlton Street and Sanford Drive, across from Stegeman Coliseum, with a game-day bar and bistro. Groome stops here by reservation.
Atlanta
80 miles. Drive I-85 North to GA 316 or GA 129. Far more rooms, but a long game-day drive each way and slow traffic after the game.
Around the stadium
From a specialist guide
Downtown Athens, on Broad Street at the edge of North Campus. Bars, restaurants and breweries sit a short walk from the North Campus tailgates and the stadium.
Map of the area
Tap a pin to see the place.
Getting to Sanford Stadium
From Hartsfield-Jackson
Checked at the source
ATL Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, about 80 miles from Athens. Groome Transportation runs a shuttle from ATL to Athens about every hour, from $55 online.
On game day
Checked at the source
S Stadium Loop bus to Gate 6, Sanford Stadium. Groome airport shuttle. Groome terminal, 3190 Atlanta Hwy, or by reservation at the Georgia Center, Classic Center, Hotel Indigo or SpringHill Suites. Walk from downtown. Through North Campus to the stadium gates.
Parking and tailgating at Sanford Stadium
Tailgating
Checked at the source
Tailgates fill nearly every lot around campus. The big gathering spots are Myers Quad and North Campus, and you can tailgate on Herty Field, where UGA football began. No tailgating at the Intramural Fields. No tailgate setups before 7:00 AM Saturday. You can park in open university spaces earlier if gear stays in the car and you stay quiet. Charcoal grills are allowed. No open wood fires, no propane tanks or turkey fryers; disposable propane canisters of 17 ounces or less are fine. Bring your own power for a TV. North Campus (Broad, Lumpkin, Baldwin and Jackson streets, including Herty Field) bans kegs, generators, TVs, amplified music, grills of any kind and household furniture. Folding chairs are fine. No tents, tables or chairs set up in parking spaces. A canopy over your own tailgate must keep traffic lanes and other spaces clear. No corporate tailgates, bartenders, DJs or private security. The E23 Park and Ride RV lot sells by season pass only ($1,050). NPS Athens sells single-game RV permits online at athensparking.com.
Game day at Sanford Stadium
Getting in
Checked at the source
Bag policy: Clear plastic, vinyl or PVC tote up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, a one-gallon clear freezer bag, or a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. No backpacks, fanny packs, diaper bags or camera bags.
Cashless: All concessions and merchandise inside are cashless: Mastercard, Visa, Amex and Discover. There are no ATMs inside.
Touring the stadium
From a specialist guide
Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall houses the Georgia Bulldog Hall of Fame and a large memorabilia collection. UGA Special Collections Libraries run Friday football tours with memorabilia and stories from Bulldog history.
After the final whistle
Checked at the source
Police send post-game traffic to the Georgia 10 Loop around Athens, and routes change game to game, so follow the officers. Tune to AM 1650 for traffic. The S Stadium Loop bus runs from Gate 6 back to the East Campus Deck for at least an hour after the game.
One thing to avoid
From a specialist guide
Don't bring cash for parking: campus lots do not take it. Pay in the ParkMobile app.
Food and drink at Sanford Stadium
Bars near the stadium
Checked at the source
Christine Bernal, Google Maps
Allgood Lounge
256 East Clayton Street, Athens, GA 30601
Two full bars on two floors plus a tiki bar on a rooftop patio. Big screen TVs upstairs, downstairs and outside, so you won't miss a play.
Away fans: a big downtown party bar for 21 and over, with game TVs on every floor.
Meghan Channon, Google Maps
Cutters Pub
120 E Clayton St, Athens, GA 30601
Downtown pub with Georgia craft beer, a deep bourbon list, pool tables and an upstairs tiki bar.
Away fans: neighborhood bar that welcomes everyone.
Creature Comforts Downtown Taproom and Brewery, Google Maps
Creature Comforts Taproom
271 W. Hancock Ave., Athens, GA 30601
Taproom in a former tire shop with communal tables and a big patio. It runs game watch parties and pours its own Tropicalia IPA and Classic City Lager.
Away fans: athens' best-known brewery; it shows Dawgs games rain or shine.
Jack Armstrong Local Guide, Google Maps
The Place
229 East Broad Street, Athens, GA 30601
Refined Southern food from local farms, with lunch, dinner and a drinks menu.
Away fans: sit-down Southern food and drinks before or after the game.
Things to do around Sanford Stadium
Listed in the order they happen on game day. Each one earns points.
Outing40 points
Georgia Museum of Art
This is the state's official art museum, with permanent collections and traveling shows.
Free. The day before
Photo40 points
The Tree That Owns Itself
Local legend says this white oak owns itself and the land eight feet around it. The tree standing today grew from an acorn of the original.
Free. The day before
Landmark40 points
The double-barreled cannon
This Civil War cannon was an experimental design that never saw battle, and now it just sits on the lawn of Athens City Hall.
Free. The day before
Tailgate75 points
Tailgate on Herty Field
UGA played its first home game here back in 1892, right on historic North Campus. Leave the grill at home though, no cookers are allowed.
Free. 5 hours before kickoff
Ritual90 points
Line the Dawg Walk
Two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff, the Redcoat Band and cheerleaders lead the team off the buses on Lumpkin Street and into the stadium through a tunnel of fans by the Tate Center.
Free. 2 hours 15 minutes before kickoff
Photo50 points
Photo between the hedges
The privet hedges have ringed the field since 1929, so get your shot with them once you're inside.
Free. 1 hour before kickoff
Outing40 points
State Botanical Garden of Georgia
There are five miles of nature trails here, plus gardens, a conservatory and a birding area, good for a slow Sunday after the game.
Free. The day before
Seats and views at Sanford Stadium
Where each part of the stadium sits, and what you see from it.
100 level101 to 144200 level201 to 237300 level301 to 337600 level601 to 611Tap any part of the stadium to see its view.
