Death, taxes and cupcakes

Fans, please give a warm Georgia welcome to the Indiana State Sycamores, a proud member of the Missouri Valley Conference, who have just been added to the 2023 home schedule for the low, low price of $500,000.00.  They’re coming off a helluva season, too!

In their first season under new head coach Curt Mallory, the Sycamores finished winless at 0-11 and 0-8 in conference play.

The tradition continues.

Georgia now has four FCS opponents on their future schedules. The Bulldogs are set to host Austin Peay in 2018, Murray State in 2019, ETSU in 2020, and Indiana State in 2023.

Just another point of Bulldog Pride…

70 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football

70 responses to “Death, taxes and cupcakes

  1. tbia

    I was thinking of a smart ass comment, but I have nothing.

    #Yale2029

    Like

    • Russ

      Yep, if we’re going to play high school teams, at least add Yale for the 100th anniversary of Sanford Stadium.

      Maybe Larry Bird can suit up for the Sycamores. They’d stand a better chance.

      Like

    • I would love to see Yale for the 💯th anniversary of Sanford with a special commemorative ticket. No way it’s going to happen, but it would be awesome.

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      • Mayor

        Yeah. I vote for that. Pay the Yalies enough and they’ll do it, too. Somebody call McStupid and put a bug in his ear about this.

        Like

  2. Ok. I don’t get it. Why are we not playing Savannah State or any other in-state cupcake to at least keep the money local?

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  3. Athens Dog

    It’s part of the process…………………. Sigh

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    • Otto

      The process would have UGA play an early season big Out of Conference game.

      This is McGarity channeling his inner Gator.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Kirby is just as complicit in this. If he didn’t want these cupcake games, he would tell McGarity not to schedule them. The underlying schedule issue we have that Bama doesn’t is the Florida game (not advocating change even though I don’t go) and the tech game (a yearly OOC rivalry).

        Liked by 1 person

        • PTC DAWG

          That’s it in a nutshell…

          Like

        • 202dawg

          I’d add in the DSOTR out-of-sequence issue that McG doesn’t have the clout to push Sankey on. He basically rolled over on that one.

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        • Otto

          Again that did not stop Evans from scheduling OOC.

          Smart has to pick his battles. McGarity wants the revenue, Smart wants the facilities and coaches.

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          • People also raked Richt over the coals for the 2 losses that happened OOC on the road. We aren’t going to play a high profile OOC team every year.

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            • Mayor

              At least play a Power 5 doormat OOC every other year. A Wake or UVA or an Illinois or Indiana. And if we’re going to play FU in JAX every year at least “balance the schedule” with paying UT at Mercedes Stadium every year with Georgia as “home team” in years when FU is the “home team” in JAX. Of course, FU is the “home team” in JAX every year really.

              Like

  4. Greg

    Larry Bird!!!!

    Like

  5. Bright Idea

    Too much stooping this low for sure but I bet B-M is having a heck of a time finding games right now while trying to get 7 home games most years. UGA should avoid FCS schools at least every other season.

    Like

    • atlasshrugged55

      It’s embarrassing, but B-M doesn’t care. As long as those season tix are sold-out they’ll continue to do this crap.

      Maybe one day we’ll get the 5 major conferences breaking off & ONLY playing one another. If you want to be the man you gotta beat the man.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Greg

        Agree……….and never want to see Georgia Southern on the schedule either.

        “If you want to be the man you gotta beat the man.”

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      • I think the future split will be between the revenue drivers and the coattail riders. By the time the next media negotiations come up, we will probably have a pretty different landscape as far as consumption, delivery and subscription avenues.

        Big Data is going to reveal who pulls what weight as far as viewers and you’re going to see about 32 teams (did someone say NFL lite ?) consolidate and either all be independent or 1 super conference, however you want to look at it. Whether it’s the advertisers or the delivery middle man, before too long there will no longer be a windfall of cash for delivering Kentucky vs Mississippi State to your television.
        /JMO

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        • Mayor

          Somebody’s gotta lose, man. If everybody in such a super conference is Oklahoma or Bama or Georgia or Ohio State or Southern Cal or Texas who is gonna be at the bottom? None of that crowd wants to play a schedule with teams like that every week. You gotta have Vandys and Kentuckys in your league so you can have Bamas, Georgias and LSUs. THAT’S why Vandy gets to stay in the SEC and get paid all that conference dough.

          Like

      • PTC DAWG

        Without games like this, the lower tiers of football would go away. Not sure that’s good for anyone either.

        Like

        • Why is it necessary for Georgia season ticket holders to subsidize the athletic departments of universities who can’t afford a football program?

          Liked by 1 person

          • PTC DAWG

            Why not just play 8 SEC games then? Maybe one home/home with a power 5….I’m just baffled that folks are shocked at this news.

            Like

        • Russ

          Is that a bad thing? Why does Indiana State feel compelled to suddenly move to big time football? If I was paying tuition there, I’d question the use of the money. 90% of these small programs run deficits.

          Let them play in smaller leagues where the expenses are less.

          Like

    • Personally, I don’t really have a problem with these games other than the price of admission. I also believe if the UGA AA really cared about the fan experience, they would lift the parking and tailgating restrictions for the FCS games and give people more of an opportunity to enjoy a day in Athens.

      These games are a great way to introduce young kids to UGA football. I thought the Samford game last year was a great environment because the game was at night rather than in the broiling noon day heat.

      Like

  6. RedStripeDawg

    Can’t play Savannah State because they are dropping down to Division II in 2019.

    Like

  7. I wish we could schedule SEC west opponents as non-conference games. It is insane to me that Texas A&M will be in their 13 SEC season before Georgia comes to College Station for the first time.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. dawgfan

    Tech home and home and UF in Jacksonville will always give us a home schedule of SEC games and three cupcakes. Every other year gets us SEC games, two cupcakes and Tech. A nine game SEC schedule would help. SOS.

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    • Russ

      Why 3 cupcakes? Jax and Tech have nothing to do with this. Just schedule good teams.

      Liked by 1 person

      • dawgfan

        It has everything to do with it. Georgia isn’t going below 6 home games in any year. “Good” teams aren’t coming to Athens without a return game. We give up a home game with a good opponent every other year we play in Jacksonville. Not auguing the merits of that just stating a fact. The math isn’t that tough if you try. smh

        Like

        • Russ

          When we played at Arizona State and at Oklahoma State, we still had 6 home games. I agree that the math isn’t hard.

          Like

    • Otto

      It didn’t under Evans…..

      Like

  9. PTC DAWG

    Not sure why this bothers anyone…our rivals do it.

    Like

    • How many years have you bought season tickets?

      Liked by 2 people

      • PTC DAWG

        Not in the last 5 or so…but I stand by my point, or maybe I’m wrong, which of our rivals don’t schedule cupcakes? Folks act like we are out on an island here.

        Like

        • Since I’m not buying season tickets from any of our rivals, why do I care whom they schedule?

          Speaking only for myself, I’m acting like I don’t enjoy spending big bucks to watch cupcakes. I’d say YMMV, but since you don’t buy season tickets…

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          • Mayor

            I know you and I disagree on the WLOCP site remaining in JAX and I’m not trying to change your mind but aren’t you being a bit inconsistent when you gripe about the UGA home schedule being so lousy when the Dawgs have to go to JAX every year when we could be having the Gators improve the UGA home schedule every other year? Just sayin.’

            Like

  10. Normaltown Mike

    I want a home and home with the Sycamores

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  11. Greg

    I remember McGarity saying when he was first hired that he would subscribe to the same non-conference scheduling process as he was accustomed to at Florida with most seasons including 3 cupcakes along with their in-state rival, but occasionally bringing on a 2nd big-name opponent. With the continued relative weakness of the East and the fact that GT is not anything close to FSU most years, McGarity is playing with fire scheduling this way. We really need at least two competitive non-conference opponents to avoid the schedule being looked at critically by the playoff committee. This years schedule really could cost us a playoff bid…it’s actually a good thing that we get both LSU and Auburn from the West this year to prop up the rest of the schedule. Next year, we’ve got ND
    in Athens and, in 2020, we’ve got UVA in the Dome…though UVA is still struggling to get back to respectability. After 2020, McGarity desperately needs
    to set up some quality home and home
    non-conference matchup’s, especially since Ohio State bailed on us.

    Like

  12. I just don’t understand (from anyone’s perspective aside from the AD) why you would play these games. Just shorten the regular season as opposed to doing this. Or move to a 9 or 10 game conference/Power 5 schedule and cut that extra game. When I lived closer to Athens, I never thought much of this type of game – just another opportunity to sit in Sanford. Now that I’m 5+ hours away, I couldn’t care one ounce less about these games.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. I HATE these games! Just let the team scrimmage and charge for that. I bet if you ran the numbers, they would make more from the scrimmage, by not having to pay the team coming in. And, by the way, if they insist on playing lower level teams, then keep it in the state and let a LOCAL school benefit from it.

    Stupid, Stupid, Stupid

    Like

  14. If we’re going to play an FCS opponent, put ND State or James Madison on the schedule. Otherwise, find a P5 like Kansas who won’t/can’t demand a return game or will agree to take their home game somewhere like Arrowhead. Hell, do a 2 for 1 with a service academy over this.

    Like

  15. Greg McGarity

    Feel free to send in your 2019 money as soon as possible!

    LMAO

    Like

  16. doofusdawg

    I have to think that Kirby has as much to do with this as adgm. To think that he has complete control of the football program and nothing to say about scheduling is questionable.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Stoopnagle

    Hey, it’s about time we played Syracuse again. There’s no reason we should have a losing record against… wait, what?

    Like

    • PTC DAWG

      I was at that Peach Bowl….miserable weather…in fact, I think every Peach Bowl held before the move to the Dome was in miserable weather.

      Like

      • Russ

        I believe it was a law of nature. I went to the second Peach Bowl with WVU and South Carolina. The weather was miserable, but as a kid, I thought it was cool.

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        • 92 grad

          Those of us that were redcoats in the early 90’s feel the pain. The peach bowl was nothing more than Shreveport closer to home.

          Like

  18. ChiliDawg

    This is absurd. I don’t want to hear any arguments why it’s OK. It’s inexcusable. I felt that way when Florida and Bama were doing this, and I’m not changing my opinion because Georgia is now doing it.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Couple thoughts:
    1. I see both sides of the argument. I lean towards not liking this–a lot of unintended consequences flow from making every single thing just a means to an end. So many things seem to be done for nothing other than enriching the coffers or always with an eye towards something else when, in fact, the game itself should be the important thing (i.e. “but we might lose if we play somebody tough!”…….”we need X home games for recruiting!”). Games like Notre Dame are an end unto themselves, not some preparation or window dressing for something else that may or may not ever come.

    I’d rather just dispense with the Tech game and save everybody the hassle about arguing over this. That game is just a boring space filler at this point.

    Like

  20. JTPruett

    I understand 1 game like this (meaning playing a nobody) each year, just not the 2 or 3 we get EVERY year (UMass, Austin Peay, Middle TN…give me a break)! In the world of the CFP, too many of these games are a losing proposition if you don’t win by enough points.

    Like

  21. dawgfan

    Buying UGA season tickets is like paying for cable or satellite, you have to pay for the crappy stations too to get the stations you really want.

    Like

  22. If they’re going to schedule FCS teams, book Kennesaw. Keep it local, good tune up for the nerds, and you’ll fill a bunch of those seats that would be empty for teams like Austin Peay.

    Like

  23. UGA '97

    This is an example of the CFP diminishing the importance of the regular season, we are pushing towards 16-17 games and playoff expansion. McGarity playing right into the hands Mickey Mouse and the Dollar Makers. And our season seat prices will just keep on rising.

    Like

  24. AusDawg85

    Do two hot dogs and a Coke come with those tickets?

    Like