From OnlineAthens.com
May 4th, 2016 06:10 PM
MACON--The first two Septembers in Kirby Smart’s time as Georgia’s football coach will bring some high-profile nonconference matchups.
His first game is against North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in the Georgia Dome Sept. 3. The Bulldogs go to Notre Dame for a game on Sept. 9, 2017 and the Irish return the game to Athens on Sept. 21, 2019.
Those games were already on the books when Smart was hired, but he’s discussed with athletic director Greg McGarity and special assistant Mike Cavan scheduling nonconference games going forward.
So how does he envision Georgia’s nonconference slate looking in the years to come?
“To be honest, we haven’t looked way far out,” Smart said Wednesday evening before speaking at a UGA alumni event at the Walnut Creek Shooting Preserve. “Some of it I inherited. Some of it philosophically, will it change? Probably not. It’s important to me that you play a good nonconference opponent outside of (Georgia) Tech. I think that helps you. When you get to do that, I think it helps your program when you open with a really good team. I’m always in favor of playing somebody (like that) opening. We won’t get a chance to do that every year, we won’t get the venue, but when we get the opportunity, I’m excited to do it.”
Alabama, where Smart spent the past nine seasons. opens against Southern California at the Cowboys’ stadium in Texas. That’s where the Crimson Tide played Wisconsin to open last season. Alabama played in the Georgia Dome against West Virginia in 2014, against Virginia Tech in 2013, against Michigan in Dallas in 2012 and at Penn State in 2011.
The Tide has games scheduled in 2017 against Florida State in the new Atlanta stadium and against Louisville in Orlando in 2018,
“It makes for a great offseason, a lot of energy, kids tend to work harder,” Smart said. “I’m in complete support of that. …I think it’s a great opportunity to expose your program, to get publicity, to go recruit outside your footprint. Those are all great things that you can do for your program.”
Georgia signed contracts this spring for games in 2018 in Athens against Massachusetts and Murray State, but there is not a high-profile nonconference game that season except for the annual game with Georgia Tech. Smart can influence attractive games for 2020 through 2024.
Georgia has a home-and home with UCLA in 2025-2026.
...READ MORE HERE...
May 4th, 2016 06:10 PM
MACON--The first two Septembers in Kirby Smart’s time as Georgia’s football coach will bring some high-profile nonconference matchups.
His first game is against North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in the Georgia Dome Sept. 3. The Bulldogs go to Notre Dame for a game on Sept. 9, 2017 and the Irish return the game to Athens on Sept. 21, 2019.
Those games were already on the books when Smart was hired, but he’s discussed with athletic director Greg McGarity and special assistant Mike Cavan scheduling nonconference games going forward.
So how does he envision Georgia’s nonconference slate looking in the years to come?
“To be honest, we haven’t looked way far out,” Smart said Wednesday evening before speaking at a UGA alumni event at the Walnut Creek Shooting Preserve. “Some of it I inherited. Some of it philosophically, will it change? Probably not. It’s important to me that you play a good nonconference opponent outside of (Georgia) Tech. I think that helps you. When you get to do that, I think it helps your program when you open with a really good team. I’m always in favor of playing somebody (like that) opening. We won’t get a chance to do that every year, we won’t get the venue, but when we get the opportunity, I’m excited to do it.”
Alabama, where Smart spent the past nine seasons. opens against Southern California at the Cowboys’ stadium in Texas. That’s where the Crimson Tide played Wisconsin to open last season. Alabama played in the Georgia Dome against West Virginia in 2014, against Virginia Tech in 2013, against Michigan in Dallas in 2012 and at Penn State in 2011.
The Tide has games scheduled in 2017 against Florida State in the new Atlanta stadium and against Louisville in Orlando in 2018,
“It makes for a great offseason, a lot of energy, kids tend to work harder,” Smart said. “I’m in complete support of that. …I think it’s a great opportunity to expose your program, to get publicity, to go recruit outside your footprint. Those are all great things that you can do for your program.”
Georgia signed contracts this spring for games in 2018 in Athens against Massachusetts and Murray State, but there is not a high-profile nonconference game that season except for the annual game with Georgia Tech. Smart can influence attractive games for 2020 through 2024.
Georgia has a home-and home with UCLA in 2025-2026.
...READ MORE HERE...
