ATHENS, Ga. — The University of Georgia women’s soccer team opens its home schedule on Thursday. And the match could break a NCAA record.
Georgia will play James Madison for “Soccer in Sanford” to honor the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Women’s National Team winning gold in the 1996 Summer Olympics at the stadium.
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The program will not only honor the historic moment, but also wants to set a new NCAA women’s soccer attendance record.
UGA head coach Keidane McAlpine says this match isn’t just big for Athens. It’s a reflection of how much soccer means to the state overall.
“I mean I look at it, we’ve got U.S. Soccer moving in. We’ve got, NWSL Atlanta coming in. We’re trying to continue to grow our program and we have over the past few years. And so this is a win all the way around,” he told Channel 2’s Luke Hetrick.
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The current NCAA women’s record of 14,410 was set during the 1999 national championship. The overall NCAA soccer attendance record is 22,512 for a men’s match at Busch Stadium in 1980.
All seats for Thursday’s match will be in the 100s sections. Tickets can be reserved for free here.
“Come to the game, be loud, be proud, come make history. This is a history making moment. We’re going to celebrate history, but we’re going make history,” McAlpine said.
Football head coach Kirby Smart is also encouraging Dawg Nation to show up Thursday. He says he and his entire team will be in attendance along with the other Bulldog student athletes.
“I’m excited for that opportunity and think it’s awesome that Keidane and his staff have decided to challenge Dawg Nation in our fan base. To do something that hasn’t been done,” Smart said Tuesday.
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