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The University of Georgia has closed Stegeman Coliseum until further notice. The university issued a statement to say the indefinite closure of the arena comes after a small piece of the ceiling was discovered to have fallen.
Luckily, no one was injured.
Stegeman Coliseum is home to the Georgia men’s and women’s basketball teams and the Gym Dogs gymnastics team.
“Safety is the University’s top priority, the building will remain closed until the necessary repairs have been completed,” UGA Assistant Vice President and University spokesman Greg Trevor told UGASports in a statement.
“We do not know how long that will take at this time. The university has begun notifying groups that have reserved the coliseum and has advised them to find alternate locations.”
Stegeman Coliseum opened in 1964 and recently received an $8 million renovation in 2017.
As for the impact the closure will have for Georgia athletics, it will not impact the men’s or women’s basketball teams because their regular seasons have concluded, but the gymnastics team will be forced to move some meets.
The Gym Dogs were set to host Arkansas on Friday, March 3, but have moved the meet to Gas South Arena in Duluth.
“The gymnastics meet between Georgia and Arkansas, originally scheduled to take place this Friday in Athens, has been moved to the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Ga., due to unexpected maintenance inside Stegeman Coliseum,” the university said in a statement.
“Due to the need to perform repairs that require immediate attention, Stegeman Coliseum will be closed until further notice. The university has begun notifying groups that have reserved the coliseum and advised them to find alternate locations.”
A scheduled home meet against Michigan on Friday, March 10 — which is the team’s home finale — is also likely to be impacted.
