Breaking: New Sanford Stadium press box should bear the name of Claude Felton
Longtime Georgia Sports Information Director Claude Felton has retired, and there could be no more fitting tribute than to name the new press box at Sanford Stadium after him.
Sanford Stadium is undergoing a $69 million facelift, and part of phase 2 of this project is to replace the press box with a new state-of-the-art facility.
The home of the Bulldogs football team is named after Steadman V. Sanford, who served as President of the University of Georgia from 1932 until 1935, and then Chancellor from 1935 until 1945.
The playing field was dedicated and named after longtime legendary head football coach Vince Dooley in 2019, and now there’s one more name that should be rightly placed within the hallowed structure in Athens, Georgia.
The new press box at Sanford Stadium should bear the name of retired Sports Information Director, Claude Felton. All credit to a brilliant suggestion from longtime WSB and Georgia Bulldogs broadcaster, Chuck Dowdle.
While Felton’s name might not be recognizable to the average fan or member of the student body, his contributions to making not only Georgia football great, but all aspects of athletics at the University of Georgia are practically unmatched in his field.
Every member of the press corps who has ever had the privilege of coming to Sanford Stadium, Stegeman Coliseum, or any other venue on the university campus owes a debt of thanks to Felton and everything he’s done to make information and interviews as accessible as possible.
To pay tribute to the 45 years of service by Felton by naming the press box after him is perhaps the most fitting way to honor a man who’s career was marked by assisting the press at every turn.
Felton’s impact goes far beyond the University of Georgia campus. Tributes and thank-yous from press members and SIDs nationwide poured in at the announcement of his retirement. In a world where the word “legend” is painfully overused, it’s very appropriate when it comes to Claude Felton.
Say it with me, Bulldog Nation…
The Claude Felton pressbox overlooking Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium.
That has a lovely ring to it.
