• Georgia women's soccer shattered the NCAA attendance record with more than 25,000 fans at Sanford Stadium for its 6-0 win over James Madison on August 20, 2026.
• The historic match honored Sanford Stadium's legacy in women's soccer, where the U.S. defeated China in the 1996 Olympic final, while continuing the sport's growth in Georgia.
• Georgia's record crowd and dominant victory aim to elevate the Bulldogs women's soccer program and inspire more opportunities for young female players ahead of future major events.

The University of Georgia's Sanford Stadium played an important part in the growth of women's soccer. This very stadium saw the historic United States' victory over China in the 1996 Olympic final, and it propelled their future international success. 30 years later, the beautiful game returns in an attempt to rewrite history.

On August 20, Georgia women's soccer team faced the James Madison Dukes in their home opener. They sought to break the women's attendance record of 14,410 set in 1999, and the men's record of 22,512 set in 1980, to be the highest attended NCAA soccer match ever.

They absolutely smashed that number, hosting more than 25,000 spectators on the afternoon.

Georgia's Head Coach Keidane McAlpine and JMU's Head Coach Joshua Walters Sr. are no strangers to breaking records. In 2017, they met at their previous school, USC and UCLA, respectively, and set a new NCAA regular season attendance record at 11,925.

Wanting to capitalize on the momentum swing of soccer in Georgia after the World Cup and the announcing of an NWSL team coming to Atlanta in 2028, McAlpine said the opponent for the match up in Sanford was a coincidence.

"The timing of the football schedule and the timing of our season, it just so happens that was the game on the schedule," said McAlpine. "I had a feeling he would be on board when I called him and said, 'hey, would you be up for doing this?' So it was an easy sell for him because we had experienced it before.”

McAlpine said the players felt a mix of shock, excitement, and nervousness about playing in front of thousands in a football stadium.

Member of Georgia's inaugural women's soccer team and soccer administrator Stephanie Ransom also shares the same excitement.

"It gives us an opportunity to celebrate the women that played in Sanford Stadium at the Olympics 30 years ago," Ransom said. "So I hope that it's an overall great experience for our student athletes. It's not something we do every day."

Ransom and McAlpine certainly had something to celebrate, as the Bulldogs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute, thanks to a left-footed strike from Maya Townes. Senior midfielder Honoka Hamano doubled the Bulldogs advantage in the 22nd minute. It was off to the races from there, as Georgia would ultimately drub the Dukes 6-0

"Definitely number one." said Graduate Goalkeeper Jordan Brown, ranking the game within her career "I think it's so special for us to be able to play in front of our fans and even break the record. We've worked so hard in rebuilding the program and also just being ready for the season at this moment."

McAlpine said the program has been in contact with the US Soccer Federation in hopes of having a representative at the game, and would also like to host members of the '96 team to show them love for what they have done for the women's game.

Both Ransom and McAlpine hope this game brings more attention to the program and pushes women's soccer even more forward ahead of the Women's World Cup. McAlpine especially hopes it shows girls in Georgia that there are opportunities for them to develop in the state.