After extensive structural reviews by several leading engineering firms, Stegeman Coliseum will be open for business in time for the 2023-2024 basketball season.

Georgia’s gymnastics teams will also be able to compete in Stegeman for the 2024 season. Only the Bulldog volleyball team, which opens its season in August, will have to relocate temporarily back to the Ramsey Center, it's previous home from 1995 to 2017.

The most recent engineering report by Walter P. Moore and Associate, Inc—a peer review of work previously done by Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE)—affirmed the structural integrity of Stegeman Coliseum.

The study agreed with WJE that thermal movement, the daily expansion and contraction of building materials that all buildings undergo, and misalignment and tight precast joints from the original construction of the facility in 1964, are the primary contributors to recent incidents of chipping.

Athletic director Josh Brooks said the job will be at least a seven-figure repair. The cost of the project will be shared between the university and the UGA athletic association because it is a shared venue.

“We are pleased with the solution that has been identified by these structural engineering firms,” Brooks said. “We are going to be able to reopen Stegeman Coliseum for our teams and fans this fall, and over the summer.”

The results of the engineering studies were as follows:

• No indication of structural deficiencies in the roof structure that may lead to failure or collapse.

• No distress was observed in the main arches.

• Damage is limited to concrete spalling (chipping) and chips at joints between the precast elements.

• Roof leakage is not a primary contributor to the stresses in the roof structure.

• Corrosion of embedded steel is not a primary contributor to the stresses of the roof structure.

• Concrete materials are not a primary contributor to the stresses in the roof structure.

• Sound system vibrations, while not causing structural damage or stresses in the roof stresses in the roof structure, could potentially dislodge pre-existing spalls created by other causes.

• Per the engineering study, it was determined that the combination of small joint widths between precast forms and thermal movement of the roof structure may be contributing to the observed cracking and chipping at the roof nodes.

• Another possible cause could be deflection or change in behavior of the arches due to the scoreboard weight. As the roof structure moves throughout the day due to solar radiation, the nodes experience high-stress concentrations. This may reveal additional steps Georgia may take to reduce or eliminate the conditions that are causing the cracking and spalling. The structural analysis is in progress and is anticipated to be completed in two weeks.

• Sounding exiting joints to remove any loose concrete and making repairs (in progress).

• Saw cutting the joints at the nodes to relieve compressive stresses on the precast that are likely causing the spalls (in progress).

• Installation of the soft protective barrier, as an additional and reasonable safety measure (material is on-site).

• Walter P. Moore recommends conducting a detailed structural analysis of the roof structure that focuses on its global behavior under thermal movement and/or deflections due to the installation of the curtain walls and the central scoreboard. This may reveal additional steps Georgia must take to reduce or eliminate the conditions that are causing the cracking and spalling. The structural analysis is in progress and is anticipated to be completed in about eight weeks.

Over the last few weeks, crews have installed scaffolding throughout the facility to expedite work once the plan for repair was installed. Crews will now work to saw-cut relief joints at the precast corners of the roof and install a protective mess to keep future chipping from reaching the coliseum floor.

In addition, a separate “global” analysis of the roof, including the structural impact of the north and south end curtain walls added in 2010 as well as the large, central scoreboard added in 2017, is now underway. The further review, to be completed over the summer, will determine whether these factors are also contributing to the chipping.

Along with correcting the structural issues, Brooks has other plans in mind.

In a meeting with reporters Thursday afternoon, Brooks said plans are also in place to paint the ceiling a darker color. Brooks cited studies done at Madison Square Garden and State Farm Arena, as that giving those arenas a more modern look.

There’s more.

Brooks said he envisions removing the current scoreboard that hangs up at Stegeman and replacing it with a large video board with graphics to be installed on the non-horseshoe end of Stegeman, where photos of former Georgia greats can currently be seen.

“The life cycle of a video board is anywhere between seven, eight, and nine years. We’re probably a couple of years away from replacing the video board anyway, so the second time, what gives me a .001 percent less chance of spalling (chipping) or other issues, we’re looking at the possibilities of removing,” Brooks said. “Personally, always felt that angle was never the greatest when you’re sitting down low. I’ve always caught myself looking to the right anyway, so we’re going to look and see.”

An upgraded sound system, an LED light system, and premium seating are also slated to be included.

Brooks was asked by UGASports, why not just raze the current building, and replace it with a new facility.

“Trust me, that’s the first question we would ask, right? An arena of this size, I can’t give you an exact amount, but I can tell you of one this volume, this size, this much space, would be easily north of $200 million, and in escalation, who knows?” Brooks said. “So, you’re looking at a nine-figure expense. I can tell you, the first phases that we want to do is going to be a fraction of that, pennies on the dollar.”

Brooks compared the improvements being made over the decades at Sanford Stadium, improvements that continue today.

"Take a look at Sanford Stadium. There are things we want to keep improving there. You don’t just get rid of a venue because it’s got things you need to want to cure, you keep improving and making improvements. I’m proud of the work we’re doing at Sanford, and I’m proud of the work we’re putting in that we can take Stegeman further,” Brook said. “We did improvements in 2017, the video board, the new seats. I’ve had a number of guests, Ads at other schools come into Stegeman who haven’t been here in a while and go ‘Wow.’ The place looks completely different.

"We’ve taken it pretty far. Again, I think we’ve got great bones to work with that I think if we keep improving for pennies on the dollar, we can improve the experience for fans and student-athletes that will be pretty dynamic.”