How to See a Georgia Bulldogs Football Game

Game-day rules for Sanford Stadium in Athens, from the University of Georgia’s own pages. Georgia plays home football at Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium on the University of Georgia campus in Athens.

Home dates come live from our calendar; parking, bag and gate rules are as the team or venue last published them. Every fact below was read on the cited official page and checked October 27, 2026; anything we could not read is listed under What We Could Not Confirm instead of guessed.

Getting There and Parking

• Reserved priority parking areas are controlled by digital permits issued by the Athletic Association; vehicles in campus lots must not be oversized and must fit a conventional parking space. (georgiadogs.com)
• Game day parking hotline: 706-425-3052. (georgiadogs.com)
• There is no designated ride share or taxi pick-up area, and no designated bicycle parking; the A-Z guide lists Tate Center for bike parking. (georgiadogs.com)
• Accessible single-game parking is at the East Deck on River Road. Complimentary wheelchair-accessible shuttles run continuously from there starting 3-1/2 hours before kickoff and drop off outside Gate 6 until 15 minutes after kickoff; once the East Deck is full, shuttles begin at the Intramural Fields. (georgiadogs.com)
• The Gillis Bridge on Sanford Drive between the stadium and Tate Plaza is closed to vehicles and pedestrians for home football games (including G-Day) beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Fridays. (georgiadogs.com)
• Because of road closures near the stadium there is no drop-off location near the stadium; the university recommends parking at the East Campus Deck or Intramural Fields and taking the complimentary shuttle. (georgiadogs.com)

Bag and Gate Rules

• All gates open two hours prior to kickoff. (georgiadogs.com)
• Permitted bags (UGA’s 2017 clear bag announcement): clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags not exceeding 12″x6″x12″; one-gallon clear plastic freezer bags; small clutch bags not exceeding 4.5″ x 6.5″. Each ticket holder may carry one large clear bag plus a small clutch. (georgiadogs.com)
• Prohibited bags include purses larger than a clutch, briefcases, backpacks, cinch bags, non-clear or oversized fanny packs, luggage, and computer, camera and binocular bags. (georgiadogs.com)
• The 2025 A-Z guide says bags must be clear, backpacks are not allowed, and coolers, strollers and umbrellas are not allowed. (georgiadogs.com)
• Medical bags do not have to be clear or meet size requirements if inspected at the Medical Bag Check at Gate 6 or Gate 10. (georgiadogs.com)
• Fans may bring one unopened bottle of water, 20 ounces or less; all other outside food and drink is prohibited. (georgiadogs.com)
• Alcohol may not be brought in. Artificial noisemakers (air horns, cowbells) are not permitted. Signs on stadium walls are prohibited. The stadium is smoke and tobacco free. (georgiadogs.com)
• Cameras are allowed but not detachable lenses or tripods (A-Z guide). (georgiadogs.com)
• Event staff may inspect patrons entering to remove hard objects and containers. (georgiadogs.com)

Tickets

• All persons must have a ticket regardless of age. The ticket holder is restricted to the section, row and seat on the ticket. (georgiadogs.com)
• All sales are final; tickets cannot be refunded or replaced if lost, stolen or destroyed. (georgiadogs.com)
• No re-entry at any gate; if you leave you need a new ticket. Spectators inside cannot leave to use an ATM and re-enter; ATMs are outside in the Tate Center plaza and none are inside. (georgiadogs.com)
• Ticket problems and patron Will Call go to the East End ticket window off East Campus Road next to the Georgia Letterman’s Club; the west side has a Ticket Resolution Office off Tate Plaza. (georgiadogs.com)
• Student ticket holders enter through Gate 1, Gate 3 and Gate 4A and must show a valid student ID. (georgiadogs.com)
• Accessible-seating exchanges: call the UGA Ticket Office at (706) 542-1231; on game day exchanges are at the West End Ticket Office (across from Gate 2, next to the UGA Bookstore) or the East End Ticket Office (between Gates 5 and 6 on East Campus Road), first come, first served. (georgiadogs.com)

Kids and Accessibility

• There is no age restriction, but all persons must have a ticket no matter their age (A-Z guide). Strollers are not allowed inside. (georgiadogs.com)
• Two Mamava nursing suites: one at the Gate 2 100-level elevator lobby and one outside Section 222. Baby changing stations are listed in restrooms at Sections 102, 105, 110, 124, 129, 131, Reed Plaza, 302, 308, 315, 318, 324, 326, 331, Gate 6 and the 600 level. (georgiadogs.com)
• Gates 2, 4, 6 and 8 are accessible for entering and exiting; any ticketed guest may use them. (georgiadogs.com)
• Elevators are near Gate 2, Gate 4, Section 119, Gate 9 and Gate 10 (accessibility page); wheelchair seating is in the West Endzone upper plaza, Sections 114, 126, 136 and the 600 Level (A-Z guide). (georgiadogs.com)
• Closed captioning is available on multiple boards inside the stadium. (georgiadogs.com)
• Sensory Room: behind section 127 on the south side, open only when the stadium is open for events, monitored by an attendant, first come first served. Sensory kits (headphones, marble fidget, noodle fidget) can be checked out for an ID at any First Aid station or in the Sensory Room. (georgiadogs.com)
• Service animals are welcome; emotional support animals and pets are not permitted. (georgiadogs.com)
• Family restrooms are in the West Endzone, Reed Plaza, the south side of the 100-level concourse, the south side of the 300 level and the north side of the 600 level. (georgiadogs.com)

What to Know About Game Day

• Fan text message system: text DAWGS plus the issue and location to 69050 (standard SMS rates apply). (georgiadogs.com)
• Portable toilets are placed around campus; permanent restrooms are open in the Tate Center, Student Learning Center and Georgia Center. (georgiadogs.com)
• Merchandise stands inside open at Gate 2, Gate 7, Reed Plaza and Sanford Bridge when gates open until the end of the game. (georgiadogs.com)
• Game programs are not printed; they are free digitally at georgiadogs.com/publications. (georgiadogs.com)
• The A-Z guide lists Dawg Walk in the Tate Center parking lot on the west side of the stadium about 2 hours and 15 minutes before kickoff. (georgiadogs.com)
• Misting tents for all games in September are in Reed Plaza near Gate 2, Gate 7 and the West Endzone field level. (georgiadogs.com)
• Aramark is the official concessionaire; seat backs are rentable at Gates 2, 6, 7 and 9, and personal seat backs cannot be larger than 16 (A-Z guide; unit not captured in text extraction). (georgiadogs.com)

Keep Planning

• Athens in November
• Events in Athens
• Georgia-Florida game guide
• Day trips from Athens

FAQ

What time do the gates open at Sanford Stadium?

All gates open two hours before kickoff. (georgiadogs.com)

Can I bring a backpack to a Georgia football game?

No. Backpacks are not allowed; bags must be clear and meet the size limit, with a medical bag check at Gates 6 and 10. (georgiadogs.com)

Are strollers allowed at Sanford Stadium?

No. Strollers are not allowed inside. (georgiadogs.com)

Can I leave and come back in?

No. There is no re-entry at any gate. (georgiadogs.com)

What We Could Not Confirm

• Stadium seating capacity: georgiadogs.com stadium page gave no usable detail; not confirmed, so omitted.
• Mobile-ticket rules for Georgia football: no fetched georgiadogs.com page states whether tickets are mobile only; not confirmed.
• Published single-game or parking prices: not found on the policy, accessibility or A-Z pages fetched.
• Exact current bag-size text: the 12″x6″x12″ size comes from UGA’s 2017 clear-bag announcement; the 2025 A-Z guide text was garbled in extraction after “no larger than 12”. The policies page is under a 2017 URL but shows 2026 copyright. Confirm on georgiadogs.com/clear-bag-policy.
• Accessible-parking location differs by page: accessibility page says East Deck on River Road; policies page says East Campus Parking Deck; A-Z guide says Ramsey Center Parking Deck. Presented as written; not reconciled.
• Transit: no georgiadogs.com page fetched mentions bus or other transit to the stadium.
• Pages are for UGA athletics generally; football gameday page (static.georgiadogs.com gameday 2021) was not usable.

How we checked this guide: Dates, hours, admission and parking prices, and access details were verified against the official sources listed below on October 27, 2026. Operators change schedules and raise prices without notice, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you drive. The figures in this guide also feed our Georgia Attraction Transparency Index and Family Day-Out Cost Index.

Sources

• Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium – Policies & Procedures
• Georgia Bulldogs Accessibility
• A-Z Guide for Sanford Stadium 2025 (PDF)
• UGA Implements SEC Clear Bag Policy in 2017

About Hank Whitlock

Hank Whitlock is the pen name of the It's Georgia editor. Every guide is built around the questions a busy family actually asks before a trip: how long is the drive, what does parking cost, can the stroller make it, are dogs allowed. Details are checked against official park, city, and venue sources, and each guide shows the date it was last updated.