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UGA cancels events at Stegeman Coliseum after part of ceiling falls in

The gymnastics meet between Georgia and Arkansas scheduled to be inside Stegeman Coliseum Friday night has been canceled at the arena and moved.

ATHENS, Ga. — The University of Georgia is being forced to cancel all immediate future sporting events at Stegeman Coliseum due to the university performing repairs that need "immediate attention," according to 11Alive's UGA insider Anthony Dasher.

A spokesperson with the university said that the school is taking action after a "small" part of the ceiling was discovered to have fallen to the ground on Wednesday. No one was injured.

The gymnastics meet between Georgia and Arkansas scheduled to be inside Stegeman Coliseum Friday night has been canceled at the arena and moved to the Gas South Arena in Duluth, the team announced on Twitter.

"Safety is the University's top priority, the building will remain closed until the necessary repairs have been completed," UGA Assistant Vice President Greg Trevor said. "We do not know how long that will take at this time. The university has begun notifying groups that have reserved the coliseum and has advised them to find alternate locations."

There are not any other details at this time on what repairs are being done to the facility, but 11Alive's UGA insider said the university has started to tell groups that have had the arena reserved to now find other locations.

The almost 60-year-old facility was built in 1964 and was initially intended to be a multi-purpose facility that could host a plethora of events that also had a removable basketball floor, according to UGA's Office of University Architects for Facilities Planning.

Stegeman Coliseum has undergone multiple renovations during its time -- a considerable $11 million transformation in 2011 that changed the exterior appearance with a facade made of all glass. In 2017, the university renovated the entire seating inside the stadium with new black seats, an upgraded LED lighting system, a brand new sound system, and featuring retired jerseys inside the arena, according to the university's website.

Today, the building known simply as "The Steg" hosts UGA sporting events, the fall commencement ceremony and local Athens-area high school graduations.

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