The University of Georgia plans to redevelop the Legion Pool and Legion Field area, according to a UGA Today press release. The decision follows the recommendation of a working group that has discussed the best use of the space for the last six months.
The study of the working group revealed 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,” according to Dean of Students Eric Atkinson.
Further, the pool loses around 24,000 gallons of water a day through leaks and evaporation and loses nearly $90,000 a year, which is 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,” Atkinson said.
The University of Georgia is redeveloping the Legion Pool and Legion field area to create a new, expanded green community and event space for students. The plan will also add 70 new parking spots. It is set to be completed fall 2026. (Courtesy/UGA Division of Student Affairs).
The alternative is to remove Legion Pool, its pool house and the Legion Field concert stand to create an expanded community green space and an outdoor amphitheater using the remainder of the Legion Field. The project also will create 70 additional parking spaces in the Legion Lot.
The project is planned for completion in fall 2026, following the opening of the adjacent West Campus Dining, Learning and Well-being Center.
“It is incredibly exciting to see this vital area of campus redeveloped to better support our student body,” Michelle Cook, vice president of student affairs, said. “By creating a beautiful green space and gathering area, as well as an expanded venue for events and concerts, this reimagined site will foster enhanced well-being and connection among our students while providing a unique asset for our more than 850 student organizations.”
To come to the re-development conclusion, the working group analyzed Legion Pool and Legion Field usage reports, financial records and a Counsilman-Hunsaker swimming pool audit, as well as a Legion Field planning study and a historical resource study.
Members toured the site, conducted a benchmarking analysis and solicited input from student leaders and campus units impacted in the area. The group’s final report was submitted on Aug. 1.
Members of the working group included several student leaders as well as the university architect, associate vice president for student well-being and associate vice president for public safety, among others.
The report of the working group on the Future of Legion Pool/Legion Field can be found here.
In recent years, Legion Field and Legion Pool have been increasingly underutilized, according to the press release. Legion Field is unused approximately 92% of the time, hosting 26 scheduled events per year.
Annual visits to Legion Pool have dropped more than 30% since 2019, with about half of the visits coming from UGA summer camps and about 20% from the local community.
UGA summer camps and Athens locals can relocate their swimming activities to Ramsey Student Center, which also offers passes for purchase, or at any of the Athens-Clarke County outdoor public pools.
Over the last five years, Legion Pool’s total net revenue losses have amounted to $438,645, with the pool realizing a net loss of almost $90,000 in Fiscal Year 2025 alone.
When the Legion Field site is redeveloped, Student Activity Fee reserves previously used to offset these annual deficits will be redirected to support initiatives that directly benefit students, such as the UGA Food Pantry, among other programs, according to the press release.
Concept view of a portion of Legion Field looking south with the existing fence and stage removed, new security lighting, amphitheater elements, and pathway connections to the new West Campus Dining, Learning, and Well-being Center which is under construction and opening Fall 2026. (Courtesy/UGA Today)
“The Student Activity Fee is meant to support the student body, and this redevelopment plan will do exactly that,” Student Government Association President John Neely, who served on the working group, said. “This beautiful green space will act as the ‘backyard’ of several first-year residence halls, offering a place for students to socialize, study and relax on campus.”
A historic resource study commissioned by UGA’s Office of University Architects for Facilities Planning recommends that Legion Pool, its pool house and Legion Field qualify for eligibility on the National Register of Historic Places.
The University will follow appropriate procedures required by the State Historic Preservation Office, the Georgia Environmental Policy Act and the University System of Georgia. The reenvisioned area will retain the name, Legion Field.
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