University of Georgia Athletics
Rankin M. Smith, Sr., Student-Athlete Academic Center To Be Dedicated Saturday, 11 a.m.
October 02, 2002 | General
Main Facilities Page
ATHENS, Ga. --The University of Georgia Athletic Association will unveil its newest facility on Saturday before the Bulldogs' football game with Tennessee.
A ceremony dedicating the Rankin M. Smith Sr., Student-Athlete Academic Center will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m., followed by a tour of the inside. The Smith Center is adjacent to Stegeman Coliseum on the former site of Alumni House.
The cost of the Smith Center was more than $7 million. The family of Rankin M. Smith Sr., the former owner of the Atlanta Falcons and a UGA alumnus, gave a gift of $3.5 million toward the center, which is part of the "Investing in Champions" Athletic Association initiative. The gift is being administered by the UGA Foundation.
"As is the case with all our facility construction, no State or University dollars have been used to finance this new center," said Vince Dooley, Georgia's Director of Athletics. "Rather, contributions from generous alumni and friends to the Athletic General Endowment Fund have made this facility for our 500 student-athletes a reality.
"The generosity of some of the Smith family members is overwhelming and the gift is genuinely appreciated by all those connected with both the Athletic Association and the University," Dooley added. "Many in the Smith family have been dedicated, long-time supporters of our sports program, and this will be an enduring legacy to Rankin's loyalty to Georgia and his commitment to excellence in both academics as well as athletics. He was a loyal and dedicated friend to me for many, many years."
The 31,000-square-foot facility consists of computer labs, a multi-media classroom, 20 large and small group tutoring rooms, a writing center, counselors offices, and a large assembly area with seating for 250. Georgia's student-athletes will begin utilizing the new facility immediately.
Members of the Smith family, other generous donors, former Georgia Gov. Carl Sanders, a classmate of Rankin Smith, Sr., and UGA President Michael F. Adams will be on hand for the dedication.
"This academic center is very important to provide a necessary opportunity for student-athletes who must meet the demands of academic expectations as well as the strenuous disciplines of practice and performance in today's sports programs at UGA," Sanders said.
