Live updates: Georgia vs. JMU women's soccer at Sanford Stadium

We took a walk around the stadium earlier this afternoon, taking in the sights before the stadium fills up.

Down at field level, just outside of the locker room, you can see the Olympic Flame, commemorating the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. The plaque reads:

"The Olympic Flame, commemorating the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, was run through Sanford Stadium on July 15, 1996, by Billy Payne,

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, and donated in loving memory of his parents, Porter and Mary Payne, Both Porter Payne (1946-47-48-49) and Billy Payne (1966-67-68) were

outstanding performers for the Bulldogs."

Nearby is a carved mural on a brick wall, depicting Georgia football players and USWNT players on either side of the Greek goddess Athena and the Georgia mascot, UGA, and inscriptions of "USA" and "UGA" adorning the top.

Hey there soccer fans!

We are on-site at Sanford Stadium in sunny Athens, Georgia. Kickoff is just over an hour away, and we're getting settled in.

The pitch is HOT. It's over 100 degrees at field-level here, but that won't stop the Georgia faithful from showing up for their Bulldogs' home opener. UGA classes started on Monday, and the tickets to tonight's matchup are free, so expect a good turnout. We've heard that over 30,000 tickets were claimed, which would surpass the NCAA record of 22,512.

With a capacity of over 93,000, Georgia's Sanford Stadium is one of the largest college football stadiums in the country. The Bulldogs are looking to set a new NCAA attendance record for men's or women's soccer.

Current attendance records:

Women's: 14,410

Women's (non-NCAA tournament): 11,925

Men's: 22,512 (Busch Stadium, St. Louis)

Sanford Stadium held 76,489 fans for the 1996 Olympic gold medal game. Tickets to tonight's game are free, with the first 3,000 students receiving a Soccer in Sanford t-shirt. The first 4,000 spectators will receive a Soccer in Sanford poster, and a fireworks show will follow the conclusion of the match.

We have boots on the ground in Athens tonight to give you live updates throughout the evening. Here's everything you need to know for tonight's match:

How to watch the match

You can watch the match on SEC Network. Click or tap here for live stats.

What time is the match?

The Georgia vs. JMU women's soccer match will kick off at 7 p.m ET.

The matchup

Georgia was ranked No. 19 in the preseason United Soccer Coaches poll before falling to 25 after Week 1. JMU did not receive any votes in either poll.

No. 25 Georgia is looking for its first win of the season in its first home match after opening with two draws against Illinois and Minnesota.

JMU opened the season with a home loss to NC State before a bounce back win against George Mason. Tonight marks JMU's first road trip of the season.

Georgia and JMU have met only once before, in 2008, when JMU blanked Georgia, 1-0, in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

College football is back.

Wait, not that football.

College soccer is back, and Georgia is taking things up a notch, hosting JMU at Sanford Stadium, home of Georgia football.

The Georgia Bulldogs are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the U.S. women's Olympic team's 1996 gold medal. The U.S. and China played the gold medal match at Sanford Stadium, with the USWNT winning its first-ever Olympic gold in a 2-1 victory in front of 76,489 fans.

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