Breaking:WHY….

As generations of Bulldog fans would tell you, there’s no line of shrubbery as iconic to sports as the hedges of the University of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium. The Chinese privet bushes that frame Dooley Field have seen every Georgia home game since 1929.

The hedges were removed this February for the third time in Georgia’s history. They were revitalized off-site, including a complete soil replacement, irrigation and drainage work. The hedges were replanted with the same lineage in time for the 2024 G-Day game.

Named after Dr. Steadman Vincent Sanford, a pivotal figure in Bulldog athletics, Sanford Stadium’s roots trace back to the early 20th century. Sanford’s vision was to provide UGA with a football venue that compared to its in-state rival, Georgia Tech.

The catalyst for the stadium’s construction came in 1927 when Georgia suffered a controversial defeat at Grant Field, sparking Sanford’s determination to build a stadium “bigger than Tech.”

To realize his vision, Sanford devised a unique funding strategy, inviting members of the athletic association to sign notes guaranteeing a bank loan for construction in exchange for lifetime seats. The response was overwhelming, and in 1928, construction began on the stadium with a total cost of $360,000, supported by fans and alumni.

The hedges were introduced in 1926 when a UGA employee at the Rose Bowl noticed the red rose bushes surrounding the field. In Athens, Sanford had begun constructing what he felt would become the South’s most decorated college football stadium. The employee suggested that rose bushes be planted around the field, and the idea was received well, with one change in mind. Instead, Chinese privet, given to the university by an Atlanta donor, would be planted as a result of Athens’ climate being unsuitable for rose bushes.

Once the two arrived at the stadium, workers planted the hedges overnight with mere hours to spare until the game against Yale the next day. The group, however, was successful in getting the hedges planted in time and, as a result, the 1929 Georgia-Yale game was the first played in the newly-dedicated Sanford Stadium and was the largest athletic event ever held in the South at that time. Thirty thousand fans and the governors of nine Southern states were in attendance – a fitting crowd for Georgia’s first victory between the hedges.