
Mark Richt and Will Muschamp have passed on the opportunity to entertain recruits for their annual showdown (AJC)
Georgia and Florida won’t be taking advantage of a new SEC rule change for recruiting when they play yearly in Jacksonville.
The SEC amended its rules last week to allow member schools to give complimentary tickets to recruits if they were the “home team” for a game at a neutral site. It was already permissible by the NCAA.
Despite the potential recruiting benefits, Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity said both schools have reached an agreement to not provide recruiting tickets for the annual showdown because of logistical concerns.
“It’s very difficult to do that on the road, as far as personnel and tickets involved,” McGarity said. “Right now, it’s such a difficult ticket for that game, and you would need in the neighborhood of 500-600 tickets for recruits that you would have to free up. Obviously, those seats would have to be good seats.
Georgia gets approximately 40,000 tickets for the game, and has sold out its allotment for the last 20 years.
“Who do you take those recruiting tickets from? You’re not going to take your top boosters and bump them,” McGarity said. “That’s a lot of tickets. And what’s the final number? All of sudden, if you have [a top recruit] come in and you can’t accommodate them, what do you tell them? There’s just more flexibility when you’re at home, and you already have your support staff and amenities in place on your campus.
“I don’t think either institution is in a position right now to go down that road.”
UGA traditionally recruits heavily in the Jacksonville area and state of Florida. This past February, the Bulldogs signed 5-star offensive lineman John Theus from Jacksonville. UGA’s top commitment for 2013, RB Derrick Henry, lives about 30 miles above the city.
It’s an interesting decision because it would’ve allowed many Florida prospects attracted to UGA to see the Bulldogs in person without having to make the long drive to Athens.
Thoughts? Please post below.
THE LATEST HEADLINES
WHEN DOES FOOTBALL SEASON START?
– By Michael Carvell, AJC Recruiting Blog

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193 comments Add your comment
Spike 80DF
June 5th, 2012
9:44 pm
if Langley commits to Bama he should probably sit out his SR year to avoid injury just to be safe. did Saban offer him a scholarship or a “guaranteed scholarship” because apparently there is a difference.
intheknow
June 5th, 2012
10:35 pm
Hey Thomas Brown……do you think anyone on this blog really gives a sh-t about your stats and your opinion. What a bunch of wasted energy….are you trying to impress someone with all the BS you claim to know?….please do everyone a favor and go away….we don’t care what you have to say!
Dawg89
June 5th, 2012
11:27 pm
Too much arse kissing when it comes to recruits anyway. The whole system has gotten way out of hand.
Blackoutanyone?
June 5th, 2012
11:29 pm
spike… funny how a kid would rather take that risk over getting his brains beat in at UGA.
fishfryCalvin
June 6th, 2012
12:04 am
Richt can ‘cruit but is he really a Coach like ours?
Dawg x 2
June 6th, 2012
12:27 am
More idiocy from McGarity. Everything is about money for him, at the expense of the Georgia faithful. This would be the biggest coup for Georgia to bring young men and their families to the GA-FL game. The game is famous, everyone wants to be there. It would be the best recruiting opportunity ever, and give us an advantage over Alabama, LSU, et al. Instead we get to persuade kids to come to the Buffalo game. Even alums/season ticket holders (like me, 4 tickets for 14 years) won’t be at the Buffalo game. The best home game is against Ole Miss, when I was a student that was considered a joke game. I want home games against Clemson, Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M. Win or lose, that’s what college football is about.
Dawg x 2
June 6th, 2012
1:08 am
Our competition for recruits recently has not been Florida, it’s Alabama. That’s why we need recruits (hosted by either school) to experience the Georgia-Florida game. Alabama has Alabama-Auburn, but Georgia – Florida is unique. It sure beats the Buffalo game (I won’t even show up for that).
BearsDeadAndGoneSoAreYou
June 6th, 2012
1:37 am
Seems fine to me. Keep the game in JAX.. Keep the recruits at home w/Momma Keep teaching Math for ID10TS in Alabama where blowhards like FreeTextbooksAnyone? only learn to count past 1 by having their sister (aka wife) provide them with a Etch-a-sketch illustration of all of their forefathers (aka granddad’s goat) make believe national championships.
PS Nobody cares what you mental midgets think but we are darn proud of you imbreds for learning how to use a fancy computer…only took until 2009 but we got it now so yall can go back to carving on your tombstones. If you need more practice on the ol keyboard you chumps need to head on over to AL.com to teach your older brothers & sisters from the school that took 6 in a row from yall how to revive those poor little trees on the corner.
Thomas Brown
June 6th, 2012
2:04 am
Dawg x 2, exactly.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater, excuse me
DT: David Pollack, 6-2, 260, Fr. (5) 2001
DE: David Pollack, 6-3, 264, So. (14) 2002
DE: David Pollack, 6-3, 276, Jr. (14) 2003
DE: David Pollack, 6-3, 261, Sr. (12) 2004
Jarvis Jones is our most celebrated linebacker in our storied 120-year history, a position which David Pollack did not play for us as everyone knew when you wrote that junk contradicting me, Dr. Kenneth Noisewater.
Tampa Gator, no sir. I don’t drive from Gainesville to Jacksonville. Why would I ? It is 71 miles. How long does that take you ? It takes a jet car to drive 94 miles an hour in Florida for 71 miles to drive 71 miles in 45 minutes ? If you need the algebraic expression, it’s 71 miles is to 45 minutes as x is to an hour. 1.333. This is your excuse for why UGA cannot have our recruits from the state of Florida and from South Georgia at the only meaningful game for us each season in JAX, and instead we have to have them to the Buffalo bills game in Athens. Yes, that’s right McGarity and Tampa Dawg, our recruits from Florida and South Georgia want to go to the Buffalo game instead of JAX. Uh, huh. Look, if it takes you an hour to drive 71 miles in Florida, I could care less; but don’t give me this junk that we cannot recruit Florida and South Georgia by having our recruits from there to the game in JAX where the Gator Bowl is played annually, which looks to me like could be driven all 71 miles a lot quicker than me driving two dozen times to JAX down I-75 South to I-10 East to I-95 a grand total of 420 miles driving from Athens. If it takes you an hour and a half to drive 71 miles from Gainesville FL to JAX FL, then it takes you 9 hours to drive 420 miles from Athens GA to JAX, sir, Tampa Gator.
Contractor June 5th, 2012 6:24 pm
“McGarity hasn’t done anything to win me over, I think he is phony, only in it for the money, and is making stupid comments to stand by his lame and unpopular decisions.”
Contractor June 5th, 2012 6:31 pm
“not making plays, calling the correct plays, having a legitimate game plan, keeping kids from suspension are reasons we don’t win the National Championship. So quit using excuses because it only allows other fan bases to continue calling us delusional and all that other crap. Suiting up and playing hard will get you the crystal ball, not sidestepping every obstacle in your way.”
Exactly.
And, I love how the Florida fans have their reasons why we cannot have our recruits at our home games in JAX and how they add in for good measure that the game needs to stay only there anyway.
Dawg x 2
“Even alums/season ticket holders (like me, 4 tickets for 14 years) won’t be at the Buffalo game. The best home game is against Ole Miss, when I was a student that was considered a joke game. I want home games against Clemson, Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M. Win or lose, that’s what college football is about. That’s why we need recruits (hosted by either school) to experience the Georgia-Florida game. It sure beats the Buffalo game (I won’t even show up for that).”
SEC Football Daily: June 6th | Saturday Down South
June 6th, 2012
5:14 am
[...] Neither Florida nor Georgia will be asking any recruits to come to Jacksonville as part of the new SEC rule that says teams can give complimentary tickets to recruits if they are the home team. That’s probably a good thing, because that’s just one massive party up in Jacksonville, and no high school football players need to be caught up in any of that mess. “It’s very difficult to do that on the road, as far as personnel and tickets involved,” McGarity said. “Right now, it’s such a difficult ticket for that game, and you would need in the neighborhood of 500-600 tickets for recruits that you would have to free up. Obviously, those seats would have to be good seats.” [AJC] [...]
FM Fats
June 6th, 2012
7:21 am
“AJC Agrees To Not Split Infinitives In Headlines”
Thomas Brown
June 6th, 2012
7:30 am
What is the junk about Aaron Murray for his 3rd try – and, possibly last try – this season ? He isn’t even going to get 1 pass in the NFL. Not 1. Quit with it already.
A person SMART enough to know......
June 6th, 2012
9:32 am
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=306904632706139&set=a.303939456335990.71788.284739208256015&type=1&theater
Hahha That is just funny.
Thomas Brown
June 6th, 2012
10:05 am
Molesting alligators is against Florida law ? How do you molest an alligator ? I guess you would have to be a Florida fan to know that. I’ve seen them cooked, but molested ?
Atlanta Gator
June 6th, 2012
10:13 am
Personally, I think it’s a very practical decision by the athletic directors. First, tickets are in short supply for paying alumni and fans for the Florida-Georgia game every year. Second, the game almost certainly would attract a much higher than usual number of recruits who were “marginally interested” in either program, but would simply like to attend the best annual rivalry game in the SEC East. There are plenty of excellent home-field match-ups on both teams’ annual schedules every year to accommodate tickets for recruits — the Gators have LSU, South Carolina and Missouri, and the Dawgs have Tennessee, Ole Miss and Tech in 2012.
If the ADs and coaches want more home game recruiting opportunities, they can quit scheduling non-conference teams like Bowling Green, Buffalo, Florida Atlantic and Jacksonville State. The paying fans would be happier, too.
A person SMART enough to know......
June 6th, 2012
10:14 am
Thomas I am guessing they mean more like Wrestling with them. Well at least I hope that is what they mean.
Thomas Brown
June 6th, 2012
10:26 am
“Dawgs have Tennessee, Ole Miss and Tech in 2012.”
___________________________________________
Combined for 15 wins 22 losses, nice choice. That is who we should invite our recruits we want from Florida and South Georgia to watch, 3 teams who combined have a 15-22 record ? Nice.
Atlanta Gator
June 6th, 2012
10:29 am
“Molesting alligators is against Florida law ?”
Hey, that’s not very open-minded of you . . . some people are just born that way, y’know, sexually attracted to reptiles. They’re not hurting anyone, especially if the alligator is a consenting adult. Keep the government out of our bedrooms and swamps!
Atlanta Gator
June 6th, 2012
10:34 am
Thomas, Thomas, Thomas. Yes, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Tech combined for a 15-22 record in 2012, but the last 22 Dawgs football teams have combined for a 4-18 record against the Gators.
Are you really sure you want your recruits in Jacksonville?
Game Changer
June 6th, 2012
10:48 am
@ALL
I entertained a fellow business man and his wife for the weekend at Ponta Vedra for the GA / FL weekend just over 5 years ago. They were not big college football followers. After the game we all walked back to the tailgate party and the mans wife issued the following statement: It reminded me of two white slave owners and thier families cheering on slaves in combat. I laughed my ass off because in reality, it is pretty damn close to the truth. Sad but True
Thomas Brown
June 6th, 2012
10:50 am
Rules seem a little stiff, if you ask me. They do not allow you to feed them, and you cannot approach them. Just how are you supposed then, to, molest them ? One would think an alligator would require that you feed them at least, as a prelude to molesting them ? If you cannot feed them either, then how are you supposed to approach them – that also is against the law. Seems redundant then to also make it against the law to molest them. Maybe we have a Florida fan here who can explain, absent of feeding them, or even approaching them, how 1 would still be able to molest an alligator ?
Atlanta Gator
June 6th, 2012
10:54 am
“It reminded me of two white slave owners and thier families cheering on slaves in combat.”
Hmm. Let me guess: your friend’s wife was raised north of the Mason-Dixon Line, right? Last time I checked, Roman gladiators weren’t given four-year complete scholarships and an opportunity to earn a university degree in exchange for dying in the arena.
Yeah, the comment by your friend’s wife was pretty funny—-if you have no grasp of history.
A person SMART enough to know......
June 6th, 2012
10:55 am
Thomas now that is a Picture I want to see. A Gator with some left over rib bones laying around, a big smile and smoking a cigarette. LOL
Atlanta Gator
June 6th, 2012
10:56 am
Thomas, was that a joke?
BTW, in my experience, they’re always in a better mood if you feed them first. Gators, I mean.
A person SMART enough to know......
June 6th, 2012
10:57 am
Gladiators were given Freedom if they survived so many fights.
A person SMART enough to know......
June 6th, 2012
10:59 am
Atl gator I sent a Link to a Photo of the Law about gators in Florida.
Thomas Brown
June 6th, 2012
11:07 am
Florida Statute 372.667 Feeding, Enticing, or Molesting Alligators is up to a $ 500 fine.
____________________________________________________________________
Sans feeding them, or enticing them, how can there be a separate part of the statute for molesting an alligator ? Presumably, by Florida law, 1 could not feed, nor entice, and still somehow molest an alligator ? Are there no Florida fans who could explain this law ? Has anyone been fined $ 500 for not feeding them, and not enticing them, but still somehow molesting an alligator ? Must be a Florida graduate who thought up this law, like them running in here telling us that since we’ve won 4 and lost 18 of the games since Florida started playing football that we shouldn’t be wanting to have our recruits from Florida and South Georgia to want a few measly tickets to a college football game in a hellhole of a city that no one in their right mind would want to go to – least of all in November – at a stadium where the Gator Bowl is played annually 71 miles for them and 420 miles for us where the stadium is so stinky that there aren’t even a few tickets for them to sit in a nice seat to watch and instead they should prefer to watch us against our 3 “BEST HOME GAME” 3 teams who combined for 15-22 instead ?
zbulldawg
June 6th, 2012
11:09 am
It’s more of a disavantage to UGA than Fla.Because of the distance.But our state has plenty of talent to choose from. Winning will take care of that. Beating the Gators has helped recruiting in south Ga. already and that area.Saban & Les Miles is going to get theirs.Jimbo Fisher is going to be a pain in our side if we don’t make a run in the near future. We also don’t need to forget about O’leary & Holtz. Them gameCOCKS should be our focus. Coach Balls- Mouth don’t take to loosing very well. It’s all about him He can’t keep coaches or QB’s LET THE BIG DAWG EAT !! BE WARE of DAWG
Atlanta Gator
June 6th, 2012
11:22 am
Apparently, not a joke afterall. Just another rant . . . .
baddad99
June 6th, 2012
11:39 am
As competitive as recruiting is, the money and difficulty seems like an excuse to not bring recruits to a game that over the last 10 years has favored Florida, not Georgia
A person SMART enough to know......
June 6th, 2012
12:03 pm
It is LOGISTICS? So let UPS handle it for both teams. LOL
SEC Football Recruiting: Conference Wisely Gets on Board with Off-Campus Hosting | SEC Football
June 6th, 2012
2:35 pm
[...] the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tells us that Florida and Georgia will not be using the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail [...]
Really?
June 6th, 2012
3:26 pm
thomas brown I understand you are a sad little nothing who has no friends or family that cares about you in the least. It is sadly obvious that your entire life revolves around insulting and annoying The University of Georgia and all of those blessed enough to be a fan of the beloved college in Athens, Georgia.
What I don’t understand is why you insist on refering to “we” when you spread your hate filled vitrol all day every day about the wonderful University of Georgia. You have never and will never attend or be in any way affiliated with UGA so why do you pretend as if you are? I know you are a sad pathetic little jealous creature who is eaten up with anger over your pointless eixstance but is it possibe that you are not only a delusional sociopath but actually schizophrenic?
I am guessing you are a ga text fan since your moronic posts are far too long and filled with made up “stats” for you to be a bama boy. You are annoying but since it is very obvious that all you have in your life is your anger fueled diatribes 10-50 times every day on the ajc I choose to just ignore you. I am positive if you were banned you would end your wretched little so called life and since my life is so full I won’t begrudge you your sad tiny little moments of joy in what will surely be a pointless misery filled passing of time.
thomas brown and his numerous other names is nothing and will never know any happiness. I truly pity him and wonder what horrors and abuses have led this creature to wallow in misery every minute of his life.
Mr. Lunchbox
June 6th, 2012
3:26 pm
Those HS punk kids can drive themselves if they want and sit in the nose bleed for $60. I dont care about recruits when it’s game day, and it’s probably nice that the coaches and assistants get at least 1 game where they can focus on their players and not on all those kids who are hanging on their coat tails or just looking for a free Saturday afternoon with their boys.
Really?
June 6th, 2012
3:34 pm
game changer
Then your friend and his wife went back home to their all white gated community and delighted their equally bigoted friends with breathkess tales of how they actually were standing near (gasp) some minorities. You are so filled with hate and anger and your fear of anyone of anything not lily white is very clear. You must be another of thomas browns “personalities”
You are an embarassment to yourself and you desperately need to understand slavery days will never return you hick.
hoochbear
June 6th, 2012
6:55 pm
picky picky picky a nobrainer…the coaches have it right. if the kid recruits want to see the game, let their family pay the scalpers and the kids screw themselves, not the teams and universities. And which side would bail them out of jail?
hoochbear
June 6th, 2012
7:06 pm
Cows may come and cows may go, but the bull____ between 2 cow colleges goes on forever.
ROLLTIDE!
HOOCHBEAR
June 6th, 2012
7:08 pm
SURE HOPE I DIDNT POOP ON YOUR PARADE.
DRU2012
June 7th, 2012
1:23 am
Hey 7576Dawg: I rode the “Game Train Special” to “The Party” all 4 years I was at UF 30-some odd years ago, and though I pity your over-the-hill-at-18-attitude, I can tell you this:
We really didn’t miss ya!
Worldwide Dawg
June 7th, 2012
8:02 pm
Derrick Henry lives 30 miles above the city? Hilarious! He lives in outer space? Maybe you meant to say that he lives 30 miles north of the city? There are so many mediocre writers getting published out there.
Snoop Dawg
June 8th, 2012
9:53 am
How can a game between UF and UGA be considered “neutral” when it is played in Jacksonville, Florida? This is a joke and puts our team at great disadvantage each year. We need to quit chasing a few extra sheckels and return to a home-and-home game rotation to restore equity to this rivalry…
ALABAMA FOOTBALL
June 8th, 2012
6:50 pm
Smart move. You want to host recruits on your campus to showcase it and make them more comfortable in its environment. Show them dorms, academic buildings, etc.
Report: Nation’s top recruit commits to Clemson
June 15th, 2012
2:54 am
[...] Hmmm … Florida and UGA agree to NOT host recruits for annual showdown [...]