DESTIN, Fla. – Kirby Smart touched on a number of subjects with reporters on Tuesday upon arriving at the Sandestin Hilton for this week’s annual SEC Spring Meetings.
Among the topics discussed, the status of Georgia’s current football facilities.
While the new indoor practice facility currently being built and scheduled to open in January of next year will be one of the best around, Smart said there are some areas in which the University can stand to improve.
“I think in some areas we’re right there on top of things. The indoor (practice facility) being built is going to be one of the best in the country, and also one of the newest,” Smart said. “But when it comes to places at the stadium right now we’re probably a little bit behind.”
Among the issues is the Bulldogs’ home locker room located under the stands on the East Side of Sanford Stadium, which have been in use for decades.
Fortunately, help is on the way there, too.
Last week, the UGA Athletic Association approved $1 million to serve as an initial exploratory step that ultimately will result in a major enhancement to the West End Zone of the stadium that once completed will include a brand new spacious locker room.
“I think everybody wants it happen because if you look at where our people dress and how long we’ve been there we think we can improve on it,” said Smart, who as a player in the late 1990s dressed in the same locker room that will be used this fall by his current team.
That’s not all.
Other improvements will include a space to host and entertain recruits on game day, as well as improvements to restroom and concession areas.
“I think in every sport you want to try and improve on your facilities and you want to make sure you’re getting the best you can out of your facilities because it helps you recruit,” Smart said. “So in that regard I think everybody wants to improve but also it improves the experience of the fans and different things like that.”
Otherwise, Smart said he has little complaints, including the team’s temporary practice field off of Milledge Avenue along with the student athlete residence hall, East Campus Village.
“Our current facilities’ that we work out in is comparative to some of the SEC schools and also where our kids live over at the ECV is one of the best in the country,” Smart said. “So that’s good.”
As far as the football offices and training facilities over at the Butts-Mehre Building, Smart has few complaints, but says it will be important to make sure the building stays as up-to-date as possible.
“I think we’ve got a great situation where everything is centrally located from where our academic center is located to where our student athletes eat to now our indoor being there,” he said. “But that said, I know we’re trying to improve different parts of the Butts-Mehre, and that’s just staying updated so you’re competing others in your league, which is also very important.”
