New UGA track and field complex called 'mind-blowing'

The $59.8 million facility features a 9-lane 400-meter track, 4 long/triple jump pits, 4 pole vault pits, and more.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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The University of Georgia has opened a new state-of-the-art track and field complex, which was dedicated on Wednesday. The $59.8 million facility features a 9-lane 400-meter track, 4 long/triple jump pits, 4 pole vault pits, a shot put arena with amphitheater seating, and more. Current and former UGA track and field coaches were on hand to celebrate the new complex, which will host the Georgia high school state meet and the SEC Outdoor Championships in the coming years.

Why it matters

The new UGA track and field complex represents a major investment in the university's athletics program and will provide world-class training and competition facilities for the Bulldogs' track and field teams. It also creates more space for the football program by replacing the old track facility. The new complex is expected to elevate UGA's track and field program and attract top talent to the school.

The details

The new UGA Track & Field Complex includes a 9-lane 400-meter track, 4 long/triple jump pits, 4 pole vault pits, a shot put arena with amphitheater-style seating, a 5-lane 100-meter indoor warmup area, and a 6-lane 110-meter outdoor warmup area. The $59.8 million project was designed by the architecture firm Perkins+Will, who came up with the unique amphitheater design for the shot put arena. The new facility seats over 4,000 spectators and has room for a future indoor track facility to be added.

  • The new complex was dedicated on Wednesday, February 19, 2026.
  • The high school Classic City Track and Field Invitational will be the first event held at the new track next month.
  • The UGA Bulldogs will race on the new track for the first time during the Spec Towns Invitational in April 2026.
  • The Georgia high school state meet will be held at the new UGA track later in 2026.
  • The SEC Outdoor Championships are scheduled to take place at the new complex in 2027.

The players

Caryl Smith Gilbert

Georgia's Director of Men's and Women's Track and Field since 2021.

Wayne Norton

Former UGA track and field coach from 2000-2015.

Lewis Gainey

Former UGA track and field coach from 1975-1989.

Petros Kyprianou

UGA track and field coach from 2015-2021, who elevated the men's and women's programs to new heights.

Don Babbitt

Associate head coach and throws coach for the UGA track and field program since 1996.

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What they’re saying

“I loved the old track, but this one, I never thought that I would be a part of something so outstanding, so excellent. It's mind-blowing.”

— Caryl Smith Gilbert, Georgia's Director of Men's and Women's Track and Field (Albany Herald News)

“Petros did a great job, and I don't want to let his legacy down, or Coach Norton, or Coach Gainey. There are a lot of people that I think are very important, and I want them to see that all their hard work wasn't in vain.”

— Caryl Smith Gilbert, Georgia's Director of Men's and Women's Track and Field (Albany Herald News)

“Our world-class athletes deserve nothing less than world-class facilities.”

— Jere W. Morehead, UGA President (Albany Herald News)

“As a track dad that's been from Sacramento to Eugene to Kansas to Jacksonville to Charlotte, I can promise you, there's not a better facility in the country.”

— Josh Brooks, Georgia's J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics (Albany Herald News)

“I think I was screaming. I was screaming and jumping, because it just looks so nice.”

— Kaila Jackson, UGA graduate sprinter (Albany Herald News)

What’s next

The high school Classic City Track and Field Invitational will be the first event held at the new UGA track next month, and the Bulldogs will race on the new facility for the first time during the Spec Towns Invitational in April 2026.

The takeaway

The new $59.8 million UGA track and field complex represents a major investment in the university's athletics program and will provide world-class training and competition facilities for the Bulldogs' track and field teams. The state-of-the-art facility, which features a 9-lane 400-meter track and other top-of-the-line amenities, is expected to elevate UGA's track and field program and attract top talent to the school.