ATHENS, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Sanford Stadium has seen decades of historic moments, from legendary Georgia football games to the 1996 Olympic Games. And on Aug. 20, the venue added a historic soccer chapter to its legacy.
A crowd of 25,433 fans packed the stadium to watch the University of Georgia women’s soccer team defeat James Madison in a 6-0 shutout, setting a new NCAA Division I women’s soccer attendance record.
It marked the first time the women’s soccer program had ever played on the field inside Sanford Stadium.
Georgia goalkeeper Jordan Brown (1) leads the team through a banner before the match against James Madison at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, ahead of a one-off match commemorates the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Olympic women’s soccer gold-medal match played at Sanford Stadium. (Evan Frilingos/The Red & Black via AP)(Evan Frilingos | AP)
“This was a professional stadium crowd… most soccer stadiums are 22, 25 thousand and we got to play in front of that tonight,” UGA head coach Keidane McAlpine said. “This was a major win for the University of Georgia. It was a major win for our program. It was a major win for collegiate soccer.”
The Bulldogs dominated the action on the pitch while absorbing the energy of the historic crowd. Sophomore forward Mya Townes said the scale of the support was unforgettable.
“We went out there and showed everybody exactly what Georgia soccer was,” Townes said. ”Just to be able to look up in the stands and see so many people riding for us and supporting us and just doing it on a really large scale was really something special.”
Graduate goalkeeper Jordan Brown credited the team’s mental preparation for keeping them focused amidst the massive atmosphere.
“Just being ready for the season and this moment, think we did really well being able to handle our emotions but also going out and getting the win,” Brown said.
Pulling off the historic night in Athens required coordination across the athletic department, including strong backing from Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart.
McAlpine noted that Smart was fully on board, even speaking directly with the soccer team ahead of the match.
“He was locked in. Came and spoke with them before,” McAlpine said. ”As we talked about the buildup, he involved us in the football stuff… I can’t thank him enough for being willing and jumping on board with it.”
McAlpine hopes the historic evening in Athens sets a precedent for programs nationwide.
“I hope this continues to grow in communities across the country. I hope more schools do it because I think the women deserve to play in front of crowds like this,” she said.
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