After the bowl game, we all noticed the dramatic change in direction that Butts-Mehre made on the management of the football program. There’s been plenty of speculation about who did what to make that happen.
But maybe we should be giving some of the credit to ESPN.
Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity said it became clear by January that SEC Network money would roll in this year, earlier and larger than expected. That is when Georgia’s spending began to accelerate.
“We knew the revenue was coming in, so we knew we could cover those expenses,” McGarity said…
Another spending increase is in football recruiting. Georgia’s budget for next fiscal year allocates $1.25 million for football recruiting and coaches’ travel, up from the $638,000 that was contained in this year’s budget and was far exceeded.
“Call it a new approach. Call it a more aggressive style in recruiting,” McGarity said. “We responded to that and basically have budgeted what we have spent this past year.”
McGarity appears comfortable with both the revenue and expense sides of Georgia’s ledger.
“We are spending more,” he said, “but we really have been able to always work within our means.”
Spend like drunken sailors and keep the reserve fund purring along? No wonder he’s comfortable.
Get The Picture 
If he can do both, it’s good for everyone. Now he needs to take some PR classes at the Grady School to learn some media skills especially in crisis.
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He really expects folks to believe that radical transformation is due to an uptick in the amount of expected dollars? That alone shows how out of touch this guy is. I understand he is looking to save face after he was obviously given new marching orders but this is the best he can do after several months?
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That doesn’t sound like the same person. But I saw a piece of that new money went to a salary increase for the AD. Coincidence? Ha. Funny how that works.
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Everyone else is spending too, and have been for a long time. Only the Mississippi schools and newcomer Missouri remain between us and the bottom of the league in their reported athletic budgets.
What may look like a radical change at Georgia certainly is not when compared to the rest of the SEC.
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I don’t count as well as I used to, but from where I sit, it looks like there are a half-dozen SEC schools who spent less than Georgia in the last reported fiscal year.
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In your link, click on “Total Expenses”.
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Ah, crap, you’re right. The spreadsheet doesn’t reset on expense by conference.
Told you I wasn’t as good in the counting department. 😉
That being said, Georgia’s within $3 million of four other schools. I’d still call that middle of the pack spending.
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Hopefully, this isn’t a one-time “appease the masses” deal and we truly commit to moving up to where we should be.
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McGarity was told what to do before by Adams and now he takes his marching orders from Morehead. The changes are because Adams is out and Morehead has a better agenda. End of story.
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The SEC Network is just a convenient CYA for McGarity instead of having to admit he was called on the carpet.
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