DESTIN, Fla. — As SEC football programs sort out their non-conference scheduling philosophies in light of the new College Football Playoff, it sounds as if Georgia's approach to scheduling will remain largely unchanged.
Coach Mark Richt, in an interview shortly after arriving at the SEC’s spring meetings here Tuesday, noted that Georgia’s annual game against ACC member Georgia Tech satisfies the recently imposed SEC requirement that each school schedule at least one game per season against an opponent from another “power” league (ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big 12). In addition to the Tech game, Richt suggested Georgia will continue to work in periodic games against other high-profile opponents while also continuing to play one FCS opponent in most seasons.
“We’ve had the Arizona States of the world; we had Oklahoma State a couple of times, and we’ve got Clemson a couple of times,” Richt said. “And I think in the future there will be a few more goodies to come.”
As for FCS opponents, Richt said he believes it is in the best interests of college football to continue to be willing to schedule games against them.
“I’m for doing it because I’m on the board of trustees with the American Football Coaches Association, and there are some FCS representatives in that room, and what I’m learning is that if we … don’t have those games with the FCS schools, a lot of them have a very difficult time making their budgets,” Richt said. “I think college football is too important at all levels to hurt them by setting criteria that would not allow you to play them.”
