UGA to redevelop Legion Pool, Legion Field to better serve and support students
The University of Georgia plans to redevelop the Legion Pool and Legion Field area to better serve and support its students. The decision comes upon the recommendation of a working group that has considered the highest and best use of this space, located in the heart of the Athens campus, for the last six months.
“Our in-depth study demonstrated that fewer than 2.5 percent of our students use Legion Pool, which is only open from late May to early August, yet its operation is predominantly supported by the Student Activity Fee,” said Dean of Students Eric Atkinson, who chaired the working group. “In addition, the pool loses an estimated 24,000 gallons of water a day through leaks and evaporation and loses nearly $90,000 per year, with this operating deficit covered by Student Activity Fee reserves. For all these reasons—usage, sustainability and cost of maintenance and operation—our working group concluded that an alternative use provided the best option for our students.”
That alternative is to remove Legion Pool, its pool house and the Legion Field concert stand, while Legion Field will be enhanced to create an expanded community green space and an outdoor amphitheater using the site’s natural topography. The project also will create 70 additional parking spaces—a critical need in a busy area of campus where thousands of students live and eat in residence and dining halls, take classes at the Miller Learning Center and the Business Learning Community, and enjoy the amenities of the Tate Student Center.
The redesigned Legion Field area is planned for completion in Fall 2026, complementing the opening of the adjacent West Campus Dining, Learning, and Well-being Center.
