Georgia made out well amid the SEC football schedule reshuffling madness. But that wasn’t the result of any politicking, UGA athletic director Greg McGarity.
McGarity said the Bulldogs went into the year-long discussions to remake the 2014 schedule with only two requests: the weekend of the Georgia-Florida game be preserved and Auburn remain its permanent cross-divisional opponent. Both were granted.
As for everything else, McGarity said it merely was the luck of the draw. Georgia retained a bye week before the Florida game and gained a bye before South Carolina.
“There wasn’t any fighting at all,” McGarity said of the regular meetings between SEC athletic directors. “There are certain things you want to protect. For us it was protecting our common crossover rival and preserving the date for the Georgia-Florida game. Each school had the opportunity to submit a date that is somewhat prioritized. … I have no idea what the other 13 schools asked for.”
Georgia, which picked up LSU on its 2013 schedule and will play the Tigers at home on Sept. 28, won’t have to return that game in 2014. Instead they go to Arkansas.
Another change is Georgia lost its game with South Alabama and picked up Troy. It was part of a switch with South Carolina that was facilitated by the SEC office to accommodate the movement of conference games.
“There are so many factors that go into scheduling,” McGarity said. “You really don’t have an opportunity to weigh in for a preference, nor should you. The conference has to make those decisions. … We were not involved in the discussions other than to say ‘OK.’”
It will all be reshuffled again for 2015 and ’16. SEC ADs will move into discussions for the 2015 schedule, which again will be a “standalone year.” After that, McGarity said the league hopes to finalize a 12-year schedule for 2016 and beyond.
Dress rehearsal: Georgia had its first practice-game scrimmage Wednesday night at Sanford Stadium. The Bulldogs did everything they could to simulate an actual home game, riding a bus from the Butts-Mehre football complex 1 1/2 hours before the 8 p.m. That's the same time they'll kick off on the road against No. 8 Clemson on Aug. 31. For the first time in the preseason, Georgia's varsity players went against the scout team, which simulated the Tigers' plays and formations. Sophomore quarterback Christian LeMay played Tajh Boyd on the scout offense Wednesday night.
Tickets available: Because Missouri returned some of its ticket allotment, a limited number of seats are now available for the Bulldogs' home game against the Tigers on Oct. 12. Tickets are $75 each and can be purchased online or by calling 1-877-542-1231.
About the Author