Athletic board buzzing about Georgia-Florida, too
Greensboro — As it does everywhere else in Bulldog Nation these days, the site of the Georgia-Florida game came up in Thursday’s meeting of the executive committee of the UGA Athletic Association board of directors at Lake Oconee.
UGA President Michael Adams and athletics director Damon Evans said, basically, that they are open-minded about what happens with the game after 2010 and that they’d like to make a decision by, say, late summer.
The best comment on the issue, though, came from board member Bob Bishop.
“I have very strong feelings about that, but the problem is I change my mind about once a week,” he said.
Adams indicated that comment crystallized a delicate decision.
“It’s not one of those [decisions] that is 90-10,” Adams said.
Another board member suggested Bulldog Nation might be divided 50-50 on the issue, to which Evans replied: “It changes a little bit [depending on] how we compete down there. The year in which we do well, I don’t hear as much about it. The year we lose, it’s, ‘We got to go.’”
While saying he has “no predisposition” one way or the other about where the game should be played after the current Jacksonville contract expires in 2010, Adams did reveal why, in years past, he has favored keeping it in Jax.
“The thing that has consistently driven me in that equation is all the folks in South Georgia who say this is their best chance to see a live game,” he said.
But Adams reiterated no decision has been made beyond 2010, and “we . . . are going to listen to folks on both sides of the equation.”
Since Georgia and Florida like to sign a new contract when existing deals get down to two games, Evans questioned whether a four-year contract — the typical length — is too short.
“It rolls around so fast,” he said. “I’d like to get to the point where this is it for a while.”
For those still wondering: No, the $40 million expansion of the football facilities at Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall — approved by the board Thursday — does not include the indoor practice facility (IPF) long sought by Mark Richt.
In fact, the Butts-Mehre project pushes the IPF onto the backburner, Adams said.
And yes, Richt was OK with that.
As much as he has advocated an IPF, he decided the massive expansion/renovation of Butts-Mehre was more important.
“Let me be clear about this,” Adams told the board. “The coach was given some options. This is what he chose. And a lot of things now move ahead of an indoor practice facility. With this $40 million expenditure in the near term for football, there are a bunch of other sports that are standing out there. . . . We’ve got to do some fan-serving facilities; we’ve got to make some basketball [improvements] and some other things that now move ahead of an indoor practice facility, given the decision to do this.”
Added Evans: “Everybody brings up indoor practice facility. We have done studies; we have traveled to other institutions. . . What it came down to for Mark was, what do the student-athletes touch every single day? This [Butt-Mehre] is where they are every day. An indoor practice facility is used [only] in inclement weather.”
The Butts-Mehre project, adding 53,000 square feet of new construction and renovating 23,000 square feet of existing space, will produce a massive new weight room, a new training room, new coaches’ offices, new meeting rooms and a large multi-purpose area that will be used for receptions and other functions and, on occasion, limited football drills. But that multi-purpose area, with synthetic floor, won’t be large enough or high-ceilinged enough to be an IPF, Evans said.
“What it will allow them to do is what they call walk-throughs,” he said. “Or they can go in there and do some other drill-type work.”
The Athletic Association board gets back together this morning at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge for a presentation by Mark Fox.
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121 comments Add your comment
Cuz
May 22nd, 2009
4:04 pm
Students, what students?
TheItalianDawg
May 22nd, 2009
4:07 pm
I live in Jacksonville and I say the game is in no way neutral, it clearly gives Florida an advantage, and I suggest playing it in athens and gainsville or Atlanta and jax.
Dawgstephen
May 22nd, 2009
4:08 pm
JAX has NOTHING TO DO WITH WINS AND LOSSES!!!!
ITS THE WEEK OFF THE GATORS HAVE GOTTEN SINCE 1991!!!!
Cuz
May 22nd, 2009
4:20 pm
Well that and they seem to have a better team or gameplan.
Leon Trotsky
May 22nd, 2009
4:22 pm
Ivy Leaguer
Dang, that was like reading War and Peace
FloridaDawg
May 22nd, 2009
4:28 pm
After reading all of the comments from you UGA fans who think moving the game home and home would bring more wins…you make me “appreciate” Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie even more.
They fought to the bitter end and held on to the Alamo as long as the could breath.
You people who want to move the game would have surrendered when you heard the first command to start firing.
smyrna-dawg
May 22nd, 2009
4:36 pm
Unfortunately, it is very simple decision for the people involved (tradition be damned). It will be made based on guaranteed revenues for UGA and UF over the term of the contract. If there is more money to be made with a Jax/Atlanta rotation, that is what will happen.
Hugh Durham
May 22nd, 2009
4:37 pm
God forbid they move this to home and home and some people lose an opportunity to get drunk on a beach for a week. For the love of a week-long bender these “fans” are willing to give a home field advantage every other year away – simply idiots.
anotherdawg
May 22nd, 2009
4:44 pm
Thank you Dawgstephen! An off week does not guarantee a win, but it definately makes a big difference. If you go back to the Dooley years, you will find Vince was smart enough to recognize that and UGA usually took that week and won. For some reason, we have gotten away from that. But, you better believe Meyer has figured it out. Instead of us, Fla has been taking that week for extra prep and rest. Of course, UGA has got to get back to a pressure defense instead of that read and react thing that has failed miserably
KingGator
May 22nd, 2009
5:18 pm
One thing not yet offered that would solve this is- get rid of Mark Richt and bring back Vince Dooley!!
I grew up in G’ville, FL and have been going to this game since the ’70’s. Win or lose, I never once recall Dooley complaining about the location of this game
Saint Simons.
May 22nd, 2009
5:53 pm
This will be a nice addition to the GA facilities. It should help with recruiting as well.
Good luck to Dawg Nation…
braveswin
May 22nd, 2009
6:01 pm
The venue where the game is played doesn’t decide who wins, the players and coaches and sometimes ol’ Lady Luck are the determining factors. If the place sells out every year (and it does) it ain’t the venue that is the source of all this mention of moving the game. As a UGA grad and fan there is nothing sweeter than a win in Jax and I’m sure most Gator fans feel the same. Yes the series has turned toward Fla lately but I wouldn’t want the game moved because of that. Hats off to Fla for making the plays that beat us and pox on UGA if we can’t figure out how to turn this series back in our favor soon. The talent is there, I think it is the belief that we can win against Fla that is missing for now. But that too will come back around. Until then tip your cap to the hated Gators and keep supporting the Dawgs
john
May 22nd, 2009
6:05 pm
I’d like to see the game moved to home and home but it has nothing to do with the win/loss record between the teams. However, it’s never going to happen. This game is going to stay in FL and they will probably sign a 10 or 15yr deal.
As for beating FL, not while Martinez is at UGA, unless, of course, FL has some major injuries to their OL that Martinez can capitalize on.
Saint Simons
May 22nd, 2009
7:14 pm
hahaaahahahahaahaha 45-42!!!!!!
Saint Simons
May 22nd, 2009
7:16 pm
i guess uga will want to stop playing TECH in 3yrs!
Georgia hicks are crybabies
May 22nd, 2009
7:59 pm
boohoo move the game because uga can’t beat uf. uga didn’t complain when they were beating uf and neither did uf. keep crying mutt fans. richt said the weather was too hot in jax? boohoo richt never complained about the weather while at florida state. keep your dumb ass coach.
Ringleader
May 22nd, 2009
8:11 pm
Well, lets be fair and square about this. The only way you can compare would be to play at the Georgia Dome for the next 50 years ansee how it matches up to the past 50 years in Jacksonville. That is the only way to do a real comparison.
john '90
May 22nd, 2009
10:01 pm
Ivy Leaguer: Enjoyed both of your posts. Very insightful, researched and much “higher brow” than many of these submissions. However, to quote Vince Lombardi, “Winning Changes Everything.” Pertaining to this discussion, the “change” would be no more discussion of moving this game.
It is a classic, in the truest sense of the word. It shouldn’t be moved, but Dawg Nation, specifically the corps of 22 on the field must be MOVED to annihilate Florida.
The “thing” that is missing is the FIRE of the early ’80’s teams. Particularly a Junkyard Dawg D. Agreed on all Martinez posts. Who was the last opposing receiver, Gator or otherwise, who feared going across the middle…not since Greg Blue, Thomas Davis, Sean Jones or Terrel Bierra. Bones underneath that wretched florida blue is what needs to be MOVED!
Go Dawgs!!!!! Dawg Nation is behind you ALWAYS!
Ga Heel
May 22nd, 2009
10:57 pm
Saint Simons… hahahahahaha!!! 28-7, does this mean you want to stop playing the Heels in the next 3 years. Idiot
IveyLeaguer
May 22nd, 2009
11:55 pm
“Ivy Leaguer
Dang, that was like reading War and Peace”
LOL. Sorry, Trotsky, hope it was more interesting …
~~~
Bulldawg
May 23rd, 2009
1:46 am
Yes, we do need a new Basketball Gym, instead of that old cow palace built by and for the Agricultural School on their campus.
But, we also need an Indoor Practice Facility. It seems like it has rained every day this year.
The IPF will NEVER go on some damn back-burner. It will always remain FRONT and CENTER.
As for what some Florida grad has to say about the location of the choice of The University of Georgia for our Home Field every other year, I could care less. The real issue is that if the folks in South Georgia want us to continue to have the game at 1 Gator Bowl Boulevard so they can go to 1 game a year, or what it does for the Economy Down There, maybe we should just Move The University of Georgia and Sanford Stadium to South Georgia, if that would make them happy ?
2 Dawgs
May 23rd, 2009
4:17 am
Wife and I are both UGA grads, and we’ve never seen a Georgia/Florida game except on TV. Home-Home would be best like all the other SEC games.
Hunk Erdown
May 23rd, 2009
5:37 am
If the reason for changing the site is about being more competitive then forget the site and concentrate on making a bye week every year before the game.
I, personally, would prefer the game to be a home/home match. I think all conference games should be home/home, but the history and tradition outweigh what I want personally. If its truly about keeping the game available for S. Georgians to see a live game, then make a way for those people to buy a ticket for that game without having to mortgage the farm. I am also sympathetic to business owners and boosters who have invested in property to support the venue, and that is what will ultimately keep the game there anyway.
The last reason to change the venue is because we “might be” more competitive at home. That could backfire big time. The only change I would like to see is that we make it a permanent bye week to our schedule the week before. That is a great strategic time of the season to recoup, rest up, and heal up for the final push and I think history proves that out.
HH
May 23rd, 2009
7:45 am
They could move the game to Richt’s or Adam’s back yard and it would make no difference. Richt needs to get serious and hire some competent coordinators and quit worrying about whether Martinez will have a job when they, and I don’t mean Richt, can him at Georgia. Old Urban will continue to have Richt’s number until Richt gets serious about competing. Its up to Richt.
MikeyDaTigha
May 23rd, 2009
7:46 am
st simons 38-3..I bet it still hurts huh??
k
May 23rd, 2009
8:05 am
bsfgshdfghsghf
Cuz
May 23rd, 2009
9:05 am
No.
bobby
May 23rd, 2009
10:00 am
I think the recruiting edge we hold over other schools other than Fla would change.These recruits watch the game in jax.on Sat and see it as a bowl game during the year.
AltamahaDawg
May 23rd, 2009
10:02 am
Speaking on behalf of South Georgia, we feel like Athens is the traditional location for the University of Georgia and would not like to see it moved. Also, we care about our brethren in North Georgia, and would not want their local economy to suffer such a setback as they rely on the boost from the many many games that are played in Athens. So sadly, but unselfishly, we must reject your generous and heartfelt offer.
Really?
May 23rd, 2009
10:29 am
Please tell me how this is a home game for UF? The stadium is filled 50/50 with UGA and UF fans. The Dawgs have an hour flight and the Gators have an hour drive. It does not matter that UF has an additional 50k fans outside of the stadium tailgating. Do you guys really think that if the game would have been in Athens last year we would have beat the Gators. Not a chance! It doesn’t matter where the game would have been played last year UF would have kicked are butts. The game is perfect in Jax.
Hoodrat
May 23rd, 2009
11:02 am
It is a home game when one team travels about 80 miles and the other travels about 370!
Boss Hogg
May 23rd, 2009
11:04 am
If Saint Richt would quit whining like a girl about Jax being a home game for UF (they drive, we fly, etc), then maybe UGA would have more success versus UF. BTW, the series went home & home when the Gator Bowl was being renovated. How did that go? Not too good. SOS hung half a hundred on Ray Goof in Athens. Vince Dooley NEVER complained about Jax. As far as the open date making a difference, it sure helped against Tech last year, didn’t it.
doyouremember
May 23rd, 2009
11:32 am
does anyone remember when spurrier put have a hundred up in athens? do you remember when gator fans left their seats and began grabbing pieces of the hedges to take home as souveniors?
how many games since 1990 did georgia have the better team?
honestly.
doyouremember
May 23rd, 2009
11:33 am
oops…..half a hundred
Hunk Erdown
May 23rd, 2009
1:34 pm
Well, its a done deal… Altamaha has spoken.
Honestly, if it were to ever change, I sure don’t want it in the dome. It would be an hour and a half closer for me, but I’d rather drive the extra distance just to be in Athens rather than fool with downtown Freaknik-ville. It would suit me just fine to never, ever have to park my vehicle inside 285 again. Everytime I do something gets stolen. If it wasn’t for a few of my old huntin’ and military buddies wanting to meet at the Pink Pony to throw a few back you wouldn’t ever see me in that crime pit again.
Hunk Erdown
May 23rd, 2009
1:39 pm
And by the way, as a resident, it made me proud to see lawyers on television yesterday saying “If you want to start a crime spree, don’t do it in Paulding County, those people don’t fool around.”
BG
May 23rd, 2009
3:55 pm
The GA Fl game is a home game for UF. The game needs to be played one year in Atlanta and one year in Jacksonville. This would make the game more fair.
gatordowneast
May 23rd, 2009
4:10 pm
Todd and several other Bulldog posters have it 100% correct. Its not the “site of the fight”, its the “fight in the dog.” Vince Dooley did not make excuses. Don’t know who the athletic director was then but he likely did not either.
As long as Damon and MR make excuses, it gives their guys an out. I read comments by both Buck Belue and John Lastinger. Both said they never felt FL had any advantages by playing the game in Jax and both were opposed to ever moving it. (and they both said they know of no player they played with or fans they’ve spoken to who want to move the game.
If UGA admin wants to play a game in the dome every year…just win the SEC east. I personally love watching the Gators play in the dome…in December not October or November!
SECGurl
May 23rd, 2009
6:54 pm
It needs to be home and home.
Lenny in Ludowici
May 23rd, 2009
8:38 pm
Okay, I’ve got the solution to the whole problem. Spurrier’s about fed up with the whole South Click scene. Players think they’re first round picks, go early in the draft, and don’t even get drafted. Constant discipline problems. Etc.
Hire Spurrier. After all, he’s the one that got this whole losing in Jacksonville thing started.
Jax Dawg Fan
May 24th, 2009
9:04 am
As a Ggeogia fan and a Jacksonville resident, I can not imagine the Georgia-Florida game anywhere but Jacksonville. This game is neutral, literally fans are divided by the middle of the end zones. The major reason that Georgia is considering a change to alternating in Atlanta or Home & Home or any possible change, it will be to break the Steve Spurrier curse. He turned this series around for Florida. Steve Spurrier out-coached Georgia during his entire coaching career at Florida. But not just on the football field. He also focused on winning this game as much as possible off the football field. He convinced the Florida schedule-makers to take a bye week before the Georgia game giving his team extra time to heal and plan. During this painful stretch for our Bulldogs we were primarily out-coached and out-played. But remember these numbers:
• From 1990-1993 Steve Spurrier vs Ray Goff, enough said. Florida went 4-0
• Since the 1994 season Florida has had these 2 weeks to prepare in 1994-2003 and Florida went 9-1.
• Since 2004 Georgia has had 2 weeks to prepare twice (in 2004 & 2007) and went 2-0. When Florida had 2 weeks to prepare, they went 2-0. Florida was 1-0 with 1 week to prepare last season.
How does Mark Richt turn this around? “Coach ‘em up” as the ole ball coach use to say. Outplay them on the field first and foremost. That is the main thing. And take a play from Steve Spurrier’s playbook and work your schedule to Georgia’s advantage with the week off before Jacksonville as often as you can. It sure has not hurt Florida with this current strategy of scheduling.
The Georgia-Florida game is a mid-season bowl game that makes the whole country green with envy. It helps recruiting nationally because of the additional coverage. Georgia and Florida fans love the tradition and plan vacations around this special event.
Now is the time to take it to the next level with Jacksonville. Every third year in the Spring should be a Georgia-Florida weekend with other sports. A great sports weekend could include:
• Friday: Women’s Tennis @ 10:00 (Ponte Vedra) and Men’s Tennis @ 2:00 (Ponte Vedra)
• Friday: Baseball @ 6:00 (Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville)
• Saturday: Baseball @ 6:00 (Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville)
• Sunday: Baseball @ 1:00 (Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville)
Wouldn’t it be nice to do this every 3 years! Another feather in the cap for recruiting for both teams and for the leadership at both universities to make this happen. Talk about taking the Georgia-Florida tradition a step further. A definite win-win-win for Georgia, Florida and Jacksonville. What is stopping us? Take a play from Vince Dooley’s playbook and get everything you can from Jacksonville when the contract is up for renewal. It is not about the money. It is about tradition. The end result should be to add to this legendary game, not take away from it.
Moving the game to Atlanta could make this game a nightmare for the ages…imagine losing to Florida in Atlanta or Athens. What will our excuse be then?
dawgfan197046
May 24th, 2009
10:10 am
If the folkes in Hayhira and Willacoochee can’t afford to go Athens then play the game in Tallahasee when FSU is on the road. That will get Urba’s panties in a wad. Then he will know what a “nuetral” field feels like.
AltamahaDawg
May 24th, 2009
10:49 am
HunkerDown, how can you say that about such a wonderful experience as football in Downtown Atlanta? Although in 25 plus years I have yet to see it, I keep hearing about those rude J-ville police everywhere. You damn sure dont have to worry about that in Atlanta do you?
WHY DO MUTTS BARK? CAUSE BEES STING
May 24th, 2009
2:17 pm
FIRST OF ALL YOU MUTT FANS,YOU NEED FOR THE SOUTH GEORGIA ATHLETES TO STOP GOING TO FLORIDA AND FLORIDA ST THAT`S WHY UGAY CAN`T WIN IN JAXVILLE
DawgSlash
May 24th, 2009
4:06 pm
Georgia should move the game, so they can win more. In Jacksonville, they don’t play well, but will play a lot better in Athens with a big crowd behind them.
Jimmy
May 24th, 2009
7:14 pm
If we want to beat Florida, forget home and home. How about we just trade players? ha!
BUZZ
May 24th, 2009
7:19 pm
Class versus Crass
This just in: Georgia Tech will host yet another NCAA Baseball Regional and the University of Georgia will NOT.
Other regional sites: Arizona State, UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton, Clemson, East Carolina, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rice, Texas, and TCU.
Another 45-42 in my opinion.
Jim morrison
May 24th, 2009
8:47 pm
Funny that Ga will not win again this year in Jax.
3 NC Ships.
LOL
GO GATORS!
Army Vet
May 24th, 2009
9:12 pm
I don’t think it really matters where the UGA/UF game is played…the results will be the same. UF will beat UGA as bad as it wants to.
WHY DO MUTTS BARK? CAUSE BEES STING
May 25th, 2009
9:29 am
THE REASON WHY UGAY CANT BEAT FLORIDA IS BECAUSE ONCE THE UGAY RECRUITS GET TO GEORGIA THEY TURN INTO A SISSY CRYBABY LIKE COACH RICHT,WHY WAS`NT HE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE HEAT WHEN HE WAS A QUARTERBACK FOR U OF MIAMI,OR THE O.C. AT FLORIDA ST. YOU MUTT FANS WILL NEVER CATCH THE BUMBLE NATIONAL TITLES TOTAL OF 5 REMEMBER US NERDS HAVE 4 MORE NATIONAL TITLES IN FOOTBALL THAN YOU MUTTS DO.