Georgia basketball set to face Georgia State in exhibition opener in Atlanta

ATHENS — Coach Mike White is taking his Georgia basketball team to downtown Atlanta for an exhibition game against Georgia State.

The Bulldogs, coming off their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 years, will play the Panthers at 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at the 8,000-seat Georgia State Convocation Center.

The exhibition game marks the first time Georgia has played Georgia State in men’s basketball since 2018 and is part of The CareSource Invitational.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to play exhibition games, especially one so close to home,” White said in the UGA release. “It’s a meaningful way to spotlight mental health — an issue that touches countless lives — and to use our platform to raise awareness and support.”

Georgia State men’s basketball coach Jonas Hayes, a former UGA men’s basketball player (2001-04) and assistant coach (2013-18), was in agreement.

“We are excited to be able play Georgia in an exhibition game and help raise awareness surrounding mental health topics,” Hayes said. “We are thankful to able to bring awareness to support mental health as it impacts so many people.”

Georgia State and Georgia have played eight regular-season games dating to the Bulldogs’ 1983 Final Four campaign.

Georgia has a 5-3 edge in those matchups, but the Panthers won the most recent contest, a 91-67 victory at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic.

Georgia State went on to earn an NCAA Tournament bid that season.

The exhibition game marks the second matchup of the teams in Atlanta and the first in the GSU Convocation Center.

The Panthers are 1-0 in Atlanta against UGA after defeating the Bulldogs in the Georgia Dome in 2001 in a game played as a “test event” for the facility to host 2002 Final Four.

Georgia again has a daunting schedule that will see them play at least 16 games against teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season — 15 of them against other SEC members.

The Bulldogs open the regular season with five consecutive home games before facing Xavier at 9 p.m. Nov. 21 in Charleston, South Carolina.

Georgia basketball schedule

(some SEC midweek game dates not finalized)

• Nov. 3 Bellarmine (Athens)

• Nov. 5 Maryland-Eastern Shore (Athens)

• Nov. 9 Morehead State (Athens)

• Nov. 14 Georgia Tech (Athens)

• Nov. 17 Florida A&M (Athens)

• Nov. 21 Xavier, 9 p.m. (Charleston, S.C.)

• Nov. 23 Clemson/ West Virginia (Charleston, S.C.)

• Nov. 29 Tennessee Tech (Athens)

• Dec. 2 Florida State (Tallahassee)

• Dec. 18 Western Carolina (Athens)

• Dec. 22 West Georgia (Athens)

• Dec .29 Long Island (Athens)

• Jan. 3 Auburn (Athens)

• Jan. 6/7 at Florida (Gainesville)

• Jan. 10 at South Carolina (Columbia)

• Jan. 13/14 Ole Miss (Athens)

• Jan. 17 Arkansas (Athens)

• Jan. 20/21 at Missouri (Columbia)

• Jan. 24 at Texas (Austin)

• Jan. 27/28 Tennessee (Athens)

• Jan. 31 Texas A&M (Athens)

• Feb. 7 at LSU (Baton Rouge)

• Feb. 10/11 Florida (Athens)

• Feb. 14 at Oklahoma (Norman)

• Feb. 17/18 at Kentucky (Lexington)

• Feb. 21 Texas (Athens)

• Feb. 25/26 at Vanderbilt (Nashville)

• Feb. 28 South Carolina (Athens)