Site of Georgia-Florida game a hot topic

By Tim Tucker

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

You knew the future site of the Georgia-Florida football game would come up at SEC Media Days.

Georgia defensive tackle Jeff Owens, a Sunrise, Fla., native, said Thursday he would like to see the game alternated between the two states after the current contract with Jacksonville expires.

“I think we should change it up a little bit, move it to the [Georgia] Dome for a year,” Owens said. “Switching it back and forth [between the states] would be great.”

Georgia coach Mark Richt, who said at a Bulldog Club meeting in the spring that Jacksonville is not a neutral site, resisted questions about the matter Thursday.

“This is what I want to do: I want to focus on winning that game,” Richt said. “That’s all I want to focus on when it comes to that game.”

Asked if that means he doesn’t care where it is played, Richt said: “I really just want to focus on trying to win that game. ... That will be my pat answer from here on in.”

The current contract with Jacksonville runs through the 2010 game, and UGA has said it is open to all options after that. Florida coach Urban Meyer on Thursday reiterated that the Gators want the game to remain in Jacksonville annually.

“I just love that game,” Meyer said. “I love the atmosphere. It’s one of the unique ones in college football.”

Recruiting report

Georgia’s recent successes on the recruiting trail brightened Richt’s summer vacation.

“I remember when I was on the Bulldog Club tour [in late spring], and people were like, ‘My gosh, we’re not doing very well [in recruiting],’ ” Richt said Thursday. “And I was like, ‘It’s OK. We’re evaluating. We’re offering the right people. It’s going to be fine.’ ”

Since early June, commitments have come fast — many while the Georgia coaches were vacationing.

“Things started flying,” Richt said. “I’m laying on the lounge at the lake, and the phone rings: ‘Hey, I’m committing.’ Or I’m working out, and it’s: ‘Hey, I’m committed.’ ”

Georgia is up to 18 commitments, only three short of the number of players it expects to sign in the 2010 class.

Richt said NCAA rules do not permit him to comment on the situation that earlier this week resulted in Carver (Columbus) High coach Dell McGee banning Georgia coaches from the school as retaliation for UGA rescinding a scholarship offer to a Carver player.

Etc.

As reporters continued to try to unravel the mystery of which SEC coach did not vote for Florida’s Tim Tebow as the first-team quarterback on the All-SEC preseason team, Richt said he, indeed, voted for Tebow. “That guy might be the greatest player-slash-leader — the greatest one ever in college football.” ... Richt said he doesn’t know if the Bulldogs will wear black jerseys at any point this season. He said “blackouts” work only if fans buy into them emotionally, and “after what happened against Alabama last year, I’m not sure everybody would.”

Staff writer Kristi E. Swartz contributed to this article from Atlanta.