The University of Georgia announced on Thursday that it will be a taking significant step to honor former Georgia football coach and athletic director Vince Dooley. The school will be naming the football field at Sanford Stadium after Dooley.

Georgia president Jere Morehead released a statement on the matter Thursday morning. The official naming ceremony will take place on Sept. 7, which is Georgia’s home opener against Murray State.

“Coach Dooley’s many contributions to this university can be seen across campus,” Morehead said. “From Georgia athletics, where he achieved unrivaled success, to the learning environment, where today many academic programs and initiatives bear his name, such as the Dooley Library Endowment Fund to the Dooley Professorship in Horticulture. The university community will continue to benefit from his service and dedication for generations to come.”

Related: Bulldogs will welcome fans to ‘Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium’ in 2019

Many longtime Georgia fans have waited for the school to honor Dooley in a further way. Dooley does already have a statue on campus by the Georgia athletics complex.

Following the announcement of the news, many took to Twitter to celebrate the news honoring Dooley.

Dooley was the head coach of the last national championship football team at Georgia, which the Bulldogs won last in 1980. Dooley is the all-time wins leader in school history, as the Bulldogs went 201-77 in his time as head coach from 1964 through 1988. Dooley also worked as the Georgia athletic director from 1979-2004.

Some of the hires Dooley made as an athletic director are still at Georgia, such as men’s tennis coach Manny Diaz or men’s golf coach Chris Haack.

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart also shared his thoughts on the matter.

“I am pleased that we will have an opportunity to recognize Coach Dooley as we launch the next football season,” Smart said. “We will use this exciting development to galvanize private support around our capital fundraising efforts to expand Butts-Mehre for our football program.”

Georgia running back Herschel Walker, the greatest player to ever play for Dooley was also thrilled by the announcement.

“It’s a great day for the University of Georgia and its football program,” Walker said. “Coach Dooley was such a great mentor to me during my career at Georgia and beyond. Congratulations to Coach on this well-deserved honor.”

The Murray State game was shaping up to be kind of a down home-opener. But now with the school deciding to honor Dooley on the day of the game, it will certainly be something that a number of fans can look forward to.

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