“It’s something we’ll always look at in the offseason.”

I don’t know what bugs me more about this Marc Weiszer piece, that Georgia sounds like it’s prepared to roll over for Auburn on scheduling (again!)…

The teams are slated to continue that familiar spot on the schedule in 2019, but Auburn wants to avoid having to play rivals Georgia and Alabama in the final three weeks of the regular season in future seasons.

Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity is open to the game being slotted earlier on the schedule.

“I think the one weekend we are focused on keeping is the Florida weekend due to the NFL dynamic and the plans that people have had,” he said of the game in Jacksonville. “As we’ll see later, they’ll be movement probably to other games. Who thought we’d be opening the (2019) season with Vanderbilt? The main thing is a rivalry will stay in place. We’ll continue to play Auburn on an annual basis for the near future.”

… or that both Smart and Mullen sound more than amenable to moving the Cocktail Party from Jacksonville.

Both Georgia coach Kirby Smart and Florida coach Dan Mullen voiced a desire before the game this year to consider playing the rivalry game on campus in the future.

Mullen said on his radio show, he could see the game being played home-and-home, then two years in Jacksonville, according to Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun.

Smart said on his own radio show the same night that he has “mixed feelings at times,” on the game being played in Jacksonville because Georgia misses out the chance to host top recruits at a home game like other SEC schools.

“I enjoy neutral site games,” he said. “They’re good one-offs. They’re good kickoff classics, meeting somebody from across the country and playing in these great venues.”

As for Georgia-Florida, he said “we both give up a lot. They give up the opportunity to have one of their greatest recruiting days and we give up our opportunity to have one of our best recruiting days. If that averages one player a year, that’s four or five good players. That’s tough where every other team we compete against, they get the opportunity to bring recruits. We don’t get the opportunity to bring recruits to this game. It’s a disadvantage when you’re talking about against a Tennessee or an Auburn or somebody who gets the extra home games.”

Jesus, it’s always recruiting ahead of fans with these guys.

I must have missed where Jacksonville’s killed Smart’s recruiting lately — “four or five good players”, my ass.

Let me know when somebody grows a backbone fighting for the folks doing most of the check-stroking and stands-filling.

90 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football

90 responses to ““It’s something we’ll always look at in the offseason.”

  1. CPark58@yahoo.com

    I’m sure there is but Is there a reason they can’t host recruits for that game aside from a self imposed rule? The fact that it is one of the last two remaining big time neutral site rivalries in an NFL stadium would make it unique for them to showcase to recruits.

    O yea and screw auburn. Whatever they want, say no.

    Like

    • PTC DAWG

      Not enough seats for recruits/parents etc..and the pure logistics of hosting it out of town…that’s what I’ve heard both sides say.

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      • Debby Balcer

        Funny how both Texas and OU overcome that issue in the Red Tiver Rivalry.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Gaskilldawg

        The fact UGA coaches have to travel with the team early Friday means that the coaches would have less “schmooze” time with recruits that weekend. My expectation is that the NCAA would not allow us to have high school kids on the team plane. In any event, high school kids would have to miss a full day of school to make the team plane if the NCAA would allow it. I understand why the coaches would not want to use their one official visit weekend during a weekend when the coaches would have less available time to interact with the kids.

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  2. Otto

    Recruiting does become before the fans because as was discussed in Mullen’s filling the Swamp topic Wins brings fans. Recruits bring wins, wins bring fans, fans fund the athletic department and funded athletic department renews and up their Coach’s contract.

    The WLOCP should not be moved from Jax, recruits should be allowed in Jax. My support for Smart can change quickly if he backs and succeeds in moving the game from Jax (not that it matters much).

    Like

  3. Debby Balcer

    Especially since the only thing stopping them from hosting recruits is an agreement they reached if they both want to host recruits they can do that.

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  4. Debby Balcer

    Oh and keep the Auburn game where it is just have Auburn come here twice in a row to get it back on schedule.

    Liked by 2 people

  5. willypmd

    Pencil me in as someone who would rather ditch Jacksonville.

    Being forced to tailgate around 100,000 drunk red neck gator fans is not my idea of a good time. Paying $1000+ and visiting a garbage city just adds insult to injury.

    I am a youngish fan (35) so I am certainly open to the criticism of “not getting it” when it comes to Jacksonville, but almost all of my epically awful football experiences took place there and I personally will never travel back for a UGA-UF game as long as it remains in Jacksonville.

    If it helps Kirby recruit, I’m even more in favor of ditching it.

    Like

  6. Gravidy

    I’m not looking to get nuked here, but I have a genuine question: Do we have any evidence that “the fans” want the game to remain in Jax? I know lots of people on both sides.

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  7. Jeff Sanchez

    But muh October golf!

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  8. Bright Idea

    Our fans travel well so why would we want to go to Gainesville every other year instead of Jax every year? 6K tickets instead of 42K makes no sense to me. If you don’t like Jax stay home. Kirby’s arguments will always be about recruiting though he couldn’t prove that home and home would be an advantage or Jax a disadvantage. Auburn’s problem should not be ours either.

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    • illini84

      How about I’d like to see a decent game . every other year instead of this bullshit we have?

      Like

    • Mayor

      Let me answer your question: JAX Municipal Stadium (or whatever they are calling it this week) seats about 67,164 (look it up). Half of those seats go to GA fans and half go to FU fans–in other words rounded up to about 34,000 UGA fans see that game each year, 68,000 total for 2 years. Plus its the same 34,000 all the time. Sanford Stadium seats 92,746 and the Swamp seats 91,916. Let’s just say 92,000 to keep figures round. Lets say the visiting team gets 10,000 seats each place. That means that 82,000 UGA fans in Athens plus 10,000 UGA fans in the Swamp get to see the Dawgs play the Gators over 2 years. A total of 92,000 Georgia fans. That’s 24,000 more Georgia fans get to see their team play FU than the current arrangement allows. If someone is really “for the fans” it isn’t even a close call.

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      • Official attendance at the Cocktail Party two weeks ago was 84,463.

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      • Gaskilldawg

        ee is correct, Mayor. The 67,164 capacity number is for the NFL games. The City of Jacksonville adds about 17,000 temporary seats for the Georgia/Florida game.

        As you say, “look it up.”

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        • The tickets I always get are in the end of the upper deck and they are tarped for NFK games so this aren’t really “temporary” but they do increase the capacity.

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        • Mayor

          Ok, so adding the “temporary seat” gets the Gator Bowl to about 84,000 seats. That’s still 8,000 seats short of 92,000 and over two years it’s still 16,000 fewer Georgia fans get to see the UGA-FU game. I’m always impressed with the logic of you pro JAX guys—“yeah, it’s a screwjob for Georgia to play there but not as BIG a screwjob as you say Mayor.” Sheeesh…..

          Like

  9. 79Dawg

    What is wrong with these people??? You have to play two tough games over the course of 3 weeks??? Cry me a river people… Why doesn’t Auburn just leave the SEC and play 12 I-AA teams if they want to be champs of something.
    Did Gus not notice how many empty seats they had for games against LSU earlier this season and Texas A&M this past weekend (large corners of the upper deck empty)? I’m sure those empty seats have nothing to do with overpriced tickets in shitty locations, ever-changing game times that make it difficult to arrange for travel, and so many crappy matchups already…
    There is something to be said for the season building towards a crescendo with the biggest matchups at the end…
    Everyday these asshole administrators and coaches who cannot look at the big picture to save their lives come closer and closer to running the U.S.S. College Football aground!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Georgia’s home slate this season is pretty terrible. Some of that is because the Vols are bad, but the biggest home game this season is Auburn? I guess the thought process is that you’re guaranteed a great home game every 2 years with Florida on the schedule. The flip side is going to play in the Swamp isn’t going to be easy.

    Like

  11. The Truth

    “Can’t recruit” needs to be translated as “can’t show off our facilities, campus, home crowd, etc.” Recruiting on some basic level could certainly be done, and might even be an enticement for S. Ga./Fla. recruits, but you’re not getting to sell your program’s infrastructure.

    I suppose doing something like a three-year rotation with home/away/Jax would possibly be a scheduling nightmare, but it would be a compromise and potentially make those Jax years even more special.

    Like

  12. Bulldog Joe

    Regarding the Auburn game, no decisions will be made made without the Georgia head football coach’s approval.

    This is no longer your big brother’s Georgia Way.

    Like

  13. Godawg

    Allow recruits. Switch between Jax and the Benz every year. Easy peasy..

    Like

  14. Chickamona

    I’ve done Jax many times and I was at the 1995 game/beatdown in Athens, but I do think seeing Florida come to Athens would be awesome. Would be an amazing atmosphere every year, regardless of how good the teams are entering it. And as a season ticket holder, not having our biggest rival ever come to Athens and having to shell out extra to get that ticket, plus drive 6 hours with hotel etc, makes the season ticket package a bit less attractive. I’m not as concerned about the recruiting aspects, though that game would probably be our most consistently excellent atmosphere to show off. UT ticket holders are guaranteed over any 2 yr period: Florida, UGA, Bama, and another SEC West team. (On other hand, they have to watch UT football.) We get Auburn, Tech, and SEC West team with occasional non conference though even those seem to be gravitating towards Atlanta kickoff games. Even Florida can at least give you FSU every other year. I suspect there are many of us who cut checks who want it to stay and many of us who cut checks who would be happy to see it leave. I don’t think the current admin will be able to sort that out so expect it to stay unless Kirby gets hot to move it and I think he’ll need at least a natty in the trophy case before he pulls that off.

    Proposal: two years home and home followed by two years Jax. Keeps the rotation consistent, lets more fans see our arch rival, every player gets a chance to play in JAX before they graduate or leave for NFL.

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  15. stoopnagle

    Sports isn’t that important, but this makes me irrationally angry.

    Like

  16. Bigshot

    They owe us a game

    Like

  17. NCDawg

    Why are we moving our game? Why not Aub and ALA?
    Because they know we(Magarity) are a pushover and Saban is not.

    Like

  18. Gaskilldawg

    I have been to more UGA/UF games than many of you are alive. It reached the point that going to Jacksonville is a bothersome downside to going to the game (but I go.) To me the strongest “for the fans” argument to keeping it in Jacksonville is that it is the South Georgia fans’ home game; their best opportunity to see UGA play in person.

    A lot of young folks are excited about going for their first time because they think of South Beach when they think of Florida. They are disappointed to learn that Jacksonville has more in common with Folkston than it does Coral Gables.

    Like

    • Otto

      Most of them don’t stay in Jacksonville. Further Georgia and Florida both have fun beaches in the area.

      Like

    • dawgfan

      South Georgia don’t mean squat. If that $2.6 million ears referred to dries up the games will be home and home faster than Swift through the Kentucky line.

      Like

      • Gaskilldawg

        True about The J. Reid Parker Director Of Athletics and Couch Coin Mining. He does not give a shit about any fans, regardless of location. The concern about South Georgia fans is my concern, not his.

        I am not a South Georgian, by the way.

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  19. Gaskilldawg

    Proof that McGarity is a wimp is if he agrees to move Auburn to the week before the Florida game.

    Like

    • Otto

      What does it matter if it is before the Florida game as long as UGA has a bye the week before the WLOCP? UGA’s schedule is usually back loaded, a move forward could help spread the schedule out.

      Like

    • If this ever happened, you could definitely say he’s a double agent.

      Like

    • dawgfan

      Florida was dumb enough to play Auburn the week before Georgia EVERY year in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s and it cost them dearly. It explains a lot about our dominance over them during that period. I didn’t believe until I looked it up.

      Like

  20. Gaskilldawg

    You “keep the game in Jacksonville every year” folks have a BIG ace up your sleeve, and it isn’t Butts-Mehre’s loyalty to your annual golf vacation at Amelia Island.

    Butts Mehre sends damn near every employee above the minimum wage level and athletic board member as part of its traveling party, so Mrs. Moorhead and Mrs McGarity get a mid autumn vacation on UGA’s dime every year. The wives and kids will be pissed if the suits make it home and away and take away the free vacation. Keeping peace at home may trump a recruiting weekend.

    Like

  21. CB

    What’s the justification for not making Auburn return the favor of two straight home games?

    Like

  22. Rampdawg

    Just my $.02. Keep it in Jax. Its been there since 1933, save for two, and traditions still mean something to a lot of folks.
    Plus their 20 year run is over. This decade we’re up 5-3 and it’s our time for 2 decades of putting annual ass whoopings on them, like it should be.

    Like

  23. AusDawg85

    Beware…Auburn’s whining could simply be the opening gambit to realign the divisions. Just when we’re ready to go on a run in the East, watch’em shift Bama and Auburn our way.

    Like

  24. Scrambledawg

    Enjoy the last few good years of CFB while y’all can. ADs, university presidents and Mickey will have completely ruined it by 2025. Eff ’em all. It’s they who will be without jobs when it all comes crashing down, not us.

    Like

  25. Tony Barnfart

    I think it should stay in Jax out of tradition, but I’ve always wondered why we signed off on Jax in 1933 when the cement was barely dry on a new Sanford Stadium, built in part because of a desire to host bigger games in Athens.

    Like

  26. UGA '97

    Recruiting? Us fans? McGarity? No one gives a rat but CBS they will not want this move.
    However they will either have to pony up to or sell to Mickey or Fox, who will negotiate with Sankey and Jax could be history.

    Like

  27. Russ

    Or, just allow recruits at the Cocktail Party. Pretty simple, no?

    BTW, Gus got the “vote of confidence” today. Who do they get to replace him?

    Like

  28. David Basham

    Have you ever met Greg McGarity in person? Not exactly a model of strength or leadership, by any stretch of the imagination.

    Like

  29. Jack Burton

    I read this as Kirby wanting the SEC to allow him to host recruits in Jacksonville. That’s all.

    (Didn’t read any of the GTP comments)

    Like

  30. cali_dawg

    I don’t want Gator fans infecting our campus and downtown Athens every other season. Keep the game in Jacksonville and those insufferable heathens quarantined in the state of Florida.

    Like

  31. JarvisCrowell

    Anything Kirby things will improve our recruiting should be enacted, full stop

    Like

  32. Cousin Eddie

    Before you decide to go home and home go to the swamp. Other than the fact it looks like satan threw up orange crayon juice all over the inside of the stadium it is a literal toilet bowl. The stair isle are very narrow and steep with no hand rails. The seats are crammed in with more weird angles than a sack of broken glass.
    The concourses are nice, if you can get over all the pictures of gators, and the urinals weren’t over flowing at halftime so it does have that.

    Like

  33. Bo

    Yep. It is all about recruiting Senator. To catch up to, and hopefully one day beat Alabama, it has to be.

    Like

    • Can you name a single recruit Kirby’s lost because of Jacksonville?

      Like

      • Jack Burton

        Pretty silly argument. Can you name a recruit who would’ve flipped or committed after being hosted by UGA in Jacksonville?

        Like

        • Read Kirby’s quote again:

          “we both give up a lot. They give up the opportunity to have one of their greatest recruiting days and we give up our opportunity to have one of our best recruiting days. If that averages one player a year, that’s four or five good players. That’s tough where every other team we compete against, they get the opportunity to bring recruits. We don’t get the opportunity to bring recruits to this game. It’s a disadvantage when you’re talking about against a Tennessee or an Auburn or somebody who gets the extra home games.”

          He’s the one making the argument. I’m just asking the obvious question from it.

          Like

      • Bo

        No Senator, I don’t follow recruiting that closely. I just know that Alabama is still doing it better than us and we’re chasing them.

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      • DavetheDawg

        Montego Powers.

        Like

  34. stoopnagle

    Didn’t someone already mention that any talk about moving the WLOCP is wholly dependent on the money working out better in a home-and-home situation than it does by playing in Jax? The last I recall we make more every year in Jax than we would every other year at home, so we’re in essence making over twice as much money over two years in Jax than we would in h/h series.

    Also, if having a big home game is so damn important to recruiting, why are we giving up marquee OOC h/h match-ups to play one-offs at a neutral site in ’20, ’22, and ’24. Wouldn’t a home game against Clemson offer more recruiting juice than a game at the Benz? Wouldn’t the promise of a trip to Eugene be more interesting than a game in the Benz? Am I the only person not getting why a traditional neutral site game is bad, but a new-fangled one is good?

    Like

  35. Bigshot

    The new tangled ones are not good when you already have a neutral site game. It should be one or the other or none.

    Like