University of Georgia Athletics
Turner Soccer Complex
June 22, 2008 | Soccer
| Capacity: | 1,750 |
| First game: | vs. Mercer (1998) |
Address | Directions:
2330 South Milledge Ave.
Athens, GA 30605
Photo gallery | Buy a brick
The UGA Soccer Complex/Georgia Softball Stadium is the home of the Bulldogs' soccer and softball programs. The soccer portion of the complex opened September 1, 1998 when Georgia played host to Mercer, winning 1-0.
In 2006, the Georgia Soccer locker room and offices were renamed the Turner Soccer Complex, recognizing the contributions and support received from the Hoyt “Jack” Turner family of Athens.
Turner's significant financial contributions have helped to provide the Georgia soccer program with the top-notch facility that it now enjoys. Turner is a former Georgia baseball (1951) and basketball (1951-52) player who also has served as the volunteer chairman of the Athletic Scholarship Endowment Program. In addition to its contributions made to the soccer program, the Turner family has endowed 10 scholarships for football, men's and women's basketball, gymnastics and baseball.
A 1953 graduate of UGA's Terry College of Business, Turner received a Distinguished Service Award from the college in 2002. The retired chairman of American Funds Distributors, he established the Turner Family Foundation in support of local charities.
In 2000, the complex served as the site of the Southeastern Conference Women's Soccer Tournament. Host school Georgia welcomed thousands of fans, several media members, and the other seven competing teams and staffs to Athens for the four-day event. The Bulldogs felt right at home as they advanced to their first-ever tournament final, facing eventual champion Florida in front of 2,265 fans, the fourth largest crowd in facility history.
Already one of the finest Division I soccer facilities in the nation, the evolution of the Turner Soccer Complex continued during 2006 with the construction of brand new players' locker rooms. Inside the clubhouse, aesthetic improvements are constantly being made, including the display of past team photos and awards and the addition of new lightboards to highlight the program's past successes.
Other recent improvements to the complex have been made with the intention of enhancing the fan experience. Such projects include new restrooms, an expanded concession stand and promotions booth, all located just underneath the grandstands.
In 2004, the complex saw the completion of a brand new clubhouse which features state-of-the-art video and training equipment, a full-service kitchen and catering area, players' lounge and coaches' offices.
In 2005, the complex saw the addition of a new DAKTRONICS scoreboard with a a digital video and graphics display. Some of the new equipment's capabilities will include the display of video headshots of players and coaches, highlight videos and promotional and crowd-pumping messages.
