The Board of the University of Georgia’s Athletic Association is meeting on Lake Oconee, with a vote on a $192 million UGA athletic department budget anticipated today.
From Tray Littlefield, UGA Sports Communications…
A fiscal year 2025 budget of $192.7 million was unanimously approved by the University of Georgia Athletic Association Board of Directors at its annual two-day spring meeting that concluded Friday.
The budget projection for 2025 represents nearly a 10 percent increase from the 2024 budget of $175.2 million.
Day two agenda items included a student wellness report, presentations from student representatives Caterina Don and Parker Duncan and a treasurer’s report from Ryan Nesbit.
Don thanked the board for their dedication to student-athlete well-being. She highlighted several community service projects, including the MLK Day of Service, the Special Olympics event at Foley Field and Dawgs for Pups. She also mentioned several personal development events that were vital to student-athlete success this season. Overall, 55 student-athletes secured internships and admission into field study or study abroad programs.
Duncan discussed the increased student attendance at Georgia men’s basketball games this past season and thanked the board for action taken to move the student section closer to the court. The student body responded by showing up in large numbers. The average student ticket scan went from 1,139 per game in 2022-23 to to 1,740 in 2023-24 — a 52.7 percent increase. When looking at SEC home games at Stegeman, the average numbers of students that attended jumped from 1,364 in 2022-23 to 2,130 in 2023-24 — a 56.1 percent increase.
The next UGA Athletic Association Board of Directors Meeting will take place Sept. 6, 2024 in Athens.
A glowing academic report, updates on facility projects and presentations from University of Georgia president Jere W. Morehead as well as J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks highlighted the first day of the UGA Athletic Association Board of Directors spring meetings on Thursday.
Also in attendance were Georgia basketball coaches Mike White and Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, who both participated in a panel discussion.
Below are a few highlights from Thursday’s meeting.
Report from J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks
- Brooks began his report by paying tribute to longtime supporter and former football player Don Leebern, Jr. and longtime athletics staff member Mark Delafchell, who both passed away recently.
- It was a record-breaking semester for Georgia student-athletes. The Bulldogs compiled a 3.24 cumulative GPA for the spring, which is the highest of any semester in school history.
- UGA swimmer Abby McCulloh earned SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year honors and equestrian rider Caitlin Lyons was a 2024 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Award Winner.
- Georgia is ranked No. 4 overall in the SEC in the Learfield Directors’ Cup over the past five years (including new members Oklahoma and Texas).
- Football coach Kirby Smart has compiled the most wins by a head coach in his first eight seasons in college football history.
- Georgia track and field star Christopher Morales Williams set the world record in the 400M indoor and had a nation-leading time in the 400M outdoor.
- Brooks has made several head coaching hires over the last few months. Cecile Canqueteau-Landi and Ryan Roberts now lead UGA gymnastics and Erika Brennan heads the women’s golf program.
- Women’s Tennis won the SEC championship and finished national runner-up in Drake Bernstein’s first season.
- Behind Charlie Condon’s record-setting season, baseball is gearing up for a NCAA regional, while softball is at UCLA in a NCAA super regional.
- Wes Johnson has earned the most wins by a first-year head baseball coach in Georgia history.
- The Georgia Bulldog Club has raised a record $113 million in fiscal year 2024. That beats the previous record of $102 million in 2023. The Capital Campaign, which ends June 30, 2027, has raised $176 million toward the $300 million goal.
- Brooks introduced Matt Brachowski and Tanner Stines to give a few facility updates.
Facility Updates from Sr. Associate AD Matt Brachowski and Associate AD Tanner Stines
- The Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Tennis facility is complete, and both teams made good use of it this spring.
- The Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall Circle of Champions is now complete.
- Foley Field expansion construction begins this June with an estimated completion date of Winter 2025.
- Construction is on-going at the Jack Turner Softball Stadium, with an estimated completion of Fall 2024.
- Phase 2 of the Sanford Stadium South Side Improvements, which includes a new press box, is estimated to be completed by August.
-There will be updates to the Sanford Stadium refrigerators. Of the projected $1.95 million budget, $1 million will be funded by concessionaire grant and $950,000 from operating reserves.
-The estimated start for construction on the new track and field facility is August 2024 with an estimated completion date of January 2026.
-The estimated start date on the new videoboard at Stegeman Coliseum is March 2025, with an estimated completion of Fall 2025.
Report from Faculty Athletics Representative Professor David Shipley
- Georgia student-athletes boasted a 3.24 cumulative GPA this spring, marking the highest semester on record (not including the COVID 2020 spring semester). The previous high was a 3.22 GPA in the fall of 2022.
- 71 percent of UGA student-athlete earned a 3.0 or above this semester, which is also a school record.
- Women’s swimming and diving had the highest team GPA this semester with a 3.64, edging out volleyball, which had a 3.635.
- Men’s tennis led all men’s teams with a 3.60 semester GPA.
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