Historic UGA Memorabilia Showcased in Vidalia

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University of Georgia (UGA) Bulldog fans had the unique opportunity to see rare artifacts and relics from the University’s athletic program on Thursday, June 25, as the “UGA Athletics in Your Town” tour stopped in Vidalia.

The temporary exhibit showcased memorabilia from numerous sports, and even featured oldest piece in the UGA Athletics archive – the famous “Silver Chalice,” which is a trophy awarded to the UGA Football Team in 1894, before they were even known as the Bulldogs, after a victory over Auburn University. Other items on display were old tickets to games; a program from the first football game ever played at Stanford Stadium in 1992; a handwritten playbook from the Wally Butts era; football helmets from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1980s; and more.

During the exhibition, University of Georgia Athletics History Specialist Jason Hasty spoke with attendees, as he explained the athletic teams and coaches are not required to donate relics to the Athletic Archive, but often offer items from memorable events. He even shared that most recently, he had been promised memorabilia from the University of Georgia Women’s Track and Field 2026 National Championship and the University of Georgia Men’s Baseball’s historic run at the College Baseball World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

Vidalia was just one of the summer tour’s eight stops, as the relics also were displayed in Suwanee, LaGrange, Carrolton, Warner Robins, Alpharetta, Cartersville, and Rome.

This unique opportunity is just one of the numerous engaging and exciting programs and events that the Dr. Mark and Tonya Spivey Public Library has hosted. For information on future events, call (912) 537-9283, or visit the library’s website.