Traditionally, Georgia and Georgia Southern play in football about every four years. But the schools have agreed to move up their next scheduled game a year, to Nov. 21, 2015. The game originally was scheduled for Nov. 19, 2016.
“Both schools agreed to do it,” said UGA athletic director Greg McGarity, who completed the $850,000 deal with Georgia Southern AD Tom Kleinlein on Jan. 27. “We just wanted to move it up to complete our non-conference. It’s not an addition. We just moved it up a year.”
The move cost Georgia an extra $325,000. The original contract called for the Bulldogs to pay Georgia Southern $525,000. But that deal was made when the Eagles were an FCS football program. They’ve since moved to FBS.
A signed memo of understanding was provided to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in compliance with a freedom-of-information request for information on future game agreements.
The move completes Georgia’s non-conference schedule for 2015. The Bulldogs open against Southern University on Sept. 5, play host to Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 7 and close the season as usual against Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Nov. 28.
As for 2016, the Bulldogs have only the Tech game solidified among non-conference games that season. “But it gives us more time to fill that,” McGarity said.
Georgia and Georgia Southern have played five times and every four years since 2000. The Bulldogs are 5-0 in those games, having last won 45-14 in 2012.
Coaching interest: In addition to the four defensive coaches Georgia hired over the past month, at least four other coaches came to Athens to interview for coaching vacancies on the staff. According to documents obtained by the AJC via an open-records request, former UGA and Indiana assistant Jon Fabris, former FSU assistant Jody Allen, Miles College coach Reginald Ruffin and Camden County High defensive coordinator Byron Slack all had on-campus meetings with Georgia coach Mark Richt in January.
The Bulldogs hired Jeremy Pruitt as defensive coordinator/secondary coach Jan. 14, Kevin Sherrer as strongside linebackers/nickel-backs coach Jan. 22, Tracy Rocker as defensive line/weakside linebackers coach Jan. 25 and Mike Ekeler as inside linebackers coach (and later co-special teams coordinator) Feb. 6.
