Georgia adds Florida Atlantic to 2012 football schedule — at cost of $1 million
Georgia will pay Florida Atlantic $1 million to play a 2012 football game in Sanford Stadium – the most UGA has ever agreed to pay an opponent for coming to Athens.
The game will be played on Sept. 15, 2012, replacing an originally scheduled game at Louisville on that date. A two-game, home-and-home contract with Louisville was canceled as part of Georgia’s arrangement to play Boise State in the 2011 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta.
Georgia and Florida Atlantic last week signed a memorandum of understanding on the 2012 game. The document was obtained Tuesday by the AJC under an open-records request.
Florida Atlantic is an FBS (formerly known as Division I-A) team and a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Owls are 4-7 this season and are coached by 76-year-old Howard Schnellenberger, who was Miami’s coach when Mark Richt, now Georgia’s coach, played quarterback for the Hurricanes.
The $1 million payout has become about the going rate for non-conference FBS opponents who do not require a return visit to their stadium. The most Georgia had agreed to pay previously was $975,000 to Buffalo for a 2012 game and North Texas for a 2013 game.
The agreement between Georgia and Florida Atlantic calls for the Owls to receive 300 complimentary tickets and another 3,000 tickets to purchase and states that there will be a $1 million game cancellation fee.
Florida Atlantic’s non-conference games this season have included a 30-17 loss to Michigan State in Detroit and a 51-17 loss at Texas.
Georgia now has seven home games scheduled in 2012. The Bulldogs’ other non-conference opponents that season, all in Athens, are Buffalo, Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech.
Today’s other posts:
Richt tells callers he’s staying and wants ‘Dream Team’ recruits to join him.
Murray matches a Shockley record; Richt vs. O’Leary in Liberty Bowl?
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223 comments Add your comment
Dawgtards ruin this state
December 1st, 2010
12:12 am
Why would talented kids want to lose to Florida EVERY year by 15 points and also lose to Auburn, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tenn, Bama and LSU. Go to any other school in the nation and don’t collect garbage for a living, like most 4-5 star recruits that regress at thUGA. Play for a real coach and fans that understand football, not just shop at wal-mart in Bogart, GA and buy groceries at piggly wiggly.
bama bill eats snot
December 1st, 2010
1:03 am
Bill, who did Bama play before Allburn? Yeah, I thought so. Shut your trap.
KimZ'spackage
December 1st, 2010
1:10 am
McGarity is trying to get the dawgs a shot at a National Championship with this new scheduling? I guess if the dawgs finish better than 6-6 they will be Junkyard Dawgs again instead of just JUNK. McGarity has made it a must for the Dawgs to cheer for Tech in 11 of their games to help UGA’s Strength of Schedule. I don’t see the Dawgs being MNC contenders playing just 4-5 games a year. 3 weak OOC games, Tech, Vandy, Kentucky, & USC. So, UGA can get a MNC shot playing Tenn, Florida, Auburn and 2 rotating west teams? UGA had the easiest schedule they have seen in the last 30 years and the Dawgs finished 6-6. McGarity playing(paying) cupcakes ain’t the answer. I know. Why not get 8 home games and make the fans pay a ton more money to see Florida Atl, Buffalo, Memphis, Tech, Vandy, LSU, Auburn, & Kentucky. I know I would pay everything I make to see 8 home wins on this schedule. Road games of USC, Florida, Tenn., and Ole miss. I am sure this type of schedule will move UGA to the top in power rankings and SoS. The Plus is all the Away games are easy drives for the most part. I am prety sure UGA winning the MNC often enough(making Big Money) you can keep finding(paying) 3 week teams to just play the games in Athens.
KimZ'spackage
December 1st, 2010
1:28 am
It was a great day for UGA football. The New AD was avoiding playing a good team. While the Old AD was avoding going to court. Proud day all the way around for UGA fans. Both events were hits to the GAA wallet and not in a good way.
ALEXANDER
December 1st, 2010
2:48 am
THIS IS CALL THE ART OF WAR!!!!!!
BibbDawg
December 1st, 2010
4:35 am
Well, the Oregon series has been canceled, the Louisville series has been canceled. Are we trying to get out of the Clemson series too? College football scheduling is becoming a joke. At least we used to play major outside conference patsies.
SEC team adds cupcake to football schedule for $1 million payday | Ben Maller
December 1st, 2010
4:58 am
[...] will pay Florida Atlantic $1 million to play a 2012 football game in Sanford Stadium – the most UGA has ever agreed to pay an [...]
Bulldog Friend
December 1st, 2010
5:03 am
The 2012 UGA schedule will have five (not four) patsies. Someone forgot to include Georgia Tech.
legionaire
December 1st, 2010
5:37 am
This is not anything new guys. When I was at UGA in the ’50’s we played VMI one year, We played Florida State who had a great half time circus but was just starting out with football. McGarity do knows what he is doing. It is not realistic to think that an SEC team can play a top 10 team every week. Your players can’t take that kind of pounding no matter how good they are.
bgdawg
December 1st, 2010
5:55 am
Dawgtards: most of those schools you named we’ve lost to like once in the past 4 years so your statement doesnt mean a thing. all 5* recruits don’t pan out. if they did texas, florida, alabama, georgia and the top 10 recruiting teams would be national champs every year.
Greg McGarity’s work is done, at least on one front. | Get The Picture
December 1st, 2010
6:00 am
[...] Because some of you like to get your lives in the fall organized early, here’s how Georgia’s 2012 home football schedule shapes up after adding Florida Atlantic: [...]
BIRDDAWGONE
December 1st, 2010
7:14 am
Why not add Georgia Tech instead of Florida Atlantic if UGA is just buying wins. No one at UGA ever gets tired of whipping Ga Tech, and Ga Tech sure could use the money. Maybe UGA could play Tech three or four times each year.
Dwrlovr
December 1st, 2010
7:16 am
Why don’t they just schedule Athens High School? What about a REAL team like maybe Texas or
Virginia Tech or someone else of that ilk?
I agree that Florida Atlantic is trying to come up in the world but pay them a million bucks? Is the AD crazier than the one whogot a DUI with a woman in his car who was not his wife and with her panties in his lap? Paying them a million bucks is laughable….maybe a hundred thousand but by no means a million!!
Buckeye
December 1st, 2010
7:32 am
Ah, the thought of Conference USA…….
In case you were wondering, it’s 31 degrees in Memphis………
HA!
JB
December 1st, 2010
7:41 am
Go to Miami message boards this AM and read a little bit about their fan base and bloggers discussing who they want for a new Head Coach…..They Joke about Mark Richt and make fun of him and Even Mike Shula gets better talk than Mark. It’s just a bunch of knuckleheads, but not Richt fans on those boards. Ouch !
reebok
December 1st, 2010
7:52 am
not taking any more chances on bowl eligibility, are we?
JB
December 1st, 2010
7:55 am
reebok…………….we can’t play Tech every week !
MS Bully
December 1st, 2010
7:57 am
MS. State deserved a break in scheduling. Did anyone else play the last four National Champions all on the road. It is not State’s fault about the schedule. Georgia and Florida just got beat by State and that helped their sorry seasons. Houston was in the Top 20 last year and we went on the road and ended their long home winning streak. No one predicted State to win over 5 games this year, 8-4 is one hell of a year for the Bulldogs (could have easily beat Auburn and Arkansas).
Fair and Balanced
December 1st, 2010
8:26 am
So most of the SEC games in 2012 will be played on the road! Why never at least half of them played in Sanford? Brilliant. Lets stack the deck against ourselves as much as possible! We finally commit to 7 home games (something elite schools have done for a while now) and here we get FL Atlantic, GA Southern etc.
Road Scholar
December 1st, 2010
8:32 am
This is rich…a Georgia fan calling other Georgia fans stupid! And over playing the long time powerhouse Florida Atlantic!
Dawgtards ruin this state
December 1st, 2010
8:41 am
Since when does winning by a missed extra point become a whipping? Oh yeah, you’re a thUGA fan, delusional at best, stupid and crazy at worst.
yup
December 1st, 2010
8:41 am
We play in the toughest conference in the country. DawgFan’92 is correct.
Dan
December 1st, 2010
8:49 am
42-34
BG
December 1st, 2010
9:19 am
I am so happy with this. Our new AD knows that playing these tough OOC games are crazy.
dtanner
December 1st, 2010
9:22 am
hey fans it’s all up to us, along as we are dumb enough to keep paying 60 bucks to watch these set-up games they will keep scheduling them, we should boycot these games
Bill B
December 1st, 2010
9:22 am
What are you people whining about? Every SEC team schedules 2-3 cupcake home games every year. Looks like we’ll have 2 in 2012. Has something changed? Instead of whining about paying to see UGA play FAU, the news should be what appears to be a bye week before the Gator game.
The Chokemeister
December 1st, 2010
9:29 am
I like it!
Uga the Ocho
December 1st, 2010
9:35 am
It is what it is. My only fear is that while Georgia wins the talent battle on the field, it sorely loses it on the sideline in this game. The Pipe should be in the Hall of Fame, IMO.
PMC
December 1st, 2010
9:36 am
Cool, maybe they can make that up in players jersey sales or say half of the salary of the defensive coordinator this year. It’s not like he earned it.
Myron Bolitar
December 1st, 2010
9:41 am
Boise State is losing a ton of starters this year. Looks like UGA lucked out. At first glance, this looks like a tough game. When you look at who Boise is losing…not so much.
Pope UGA XXIII
December 1st, 2010
9:54 am
The Sun Belt is NOT an FBS league
Taylor Wooten
December 1st, 2010
9:57 am
$1 MILLION ! To pay a team to come play you? Who’s the FOOL here? LOL
I bet Florida Atlantic is laughing…..all the way to the Bank.
NCAA football is seriously screwed up.
KimZ'spackage
December 1st, 2010
10:00 am
So Uga VIII can sleep thorugh most games now.
Haters cannot have it both ways
December 1st, 2010
10:08 am
UGA schedules Boise State, the darling of the dream NC crowd and then these same morns bash UGA for scheduling FSE or Ga Southern.
The only way UGA would be let off the hook by these babies ( none are college educated ) is to have the real USC, PN State, Ohio State and Notre Dame (always 6-5) and Michigan and Florida and Alabama and Texas on tap and in AWAY games. Then, and only then would these fools stop the I hate UGA.
We pick up Clemson and they historically were a tough out for UGA back in the day. Frankly, any ACC school is about as good to have on the schedule as a FSE or Ga Southern or Samford or Furman. I mean, this year the ACC Champ might end up in the Weedeater. AHAHAHAHA
Go Dogs. The jealous get more jealous.
Cannot wait for the UGA ENGINEERS to stomp the towel heads of GT in about three or so years.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA
still@the bar
December 1st, 2010
10:09 am
Looks like UGA dicided not to replace the Strength & Conditioning coach. McGarity went the other way. I guess UGAs brain trust figures it is cheaper to Buy wins, than to Pay a new S&C coach and play some good teams. Man what is the minimum donation & ticket price to get a chance to see these powerhouse teams? I hope UGA plays all these jokes at night so at least the Dawgs can get drunk all day. The day long tailgate might be worth the ticket price.
autiger83
December 1st, 2010
10:15 am
UGA really should play Ga State or Ga Southern.
News flash !!!
December 1st, 2010
10:16 am
CPJ is being told by the GT family that to lose by 8 IS WORSE than to lose to your hated rival by 1. They rare also reminding him that he had the # 1 rushing team in the universe and that he was throwing the ball to win. DUMB he is. Like 2009 was the same. Duh. He and Reggie Ball are twins separated at birth.
Also, Blair the goat is going to become a Monk and live in a cave for the rest of his life. THAT BLOWN PAT kick is how he will be forever remembered ……………..sort of like GT’s # 37 and um, ah, those APD charges’
How is the communication working out tween GT and the Weedeater? Get those” two for one shrimp meal deal” tickets for their Shoney’s????
Gt at the Independence will be a new cackle for UGA fans because we all know that” it is the worst bowl ” and that” teams that play there are in a downward spiral” …………….right???
Why would they???
December 1st, 2010
10:18 am
What a joke! Louisville is not near our caliber but we cancel to play Florida Atlantic??? Who the heck is that???? I guess if we can’t beat Florida we’ll find some school with Florida in their name to bash around and help us recover. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid. Need to start buying Falcons tickets rather than UGA’s since Richt apparently feels he can’t beat anybody but pansies in OOC games.
still@the bar
December 1st, 2010
10:18 am
Haters cannot
You calling people out about a college education yet you keep using whatever the hell FSE is. Morom. There are FBS and FCS. What the F..K is FSE? Boy you know College football don’t you?
I can’t wait either to see what or who will hire the JOKE engineer from UGA. When they ask a UGA engineer to do a static load test I can hear it now. Well, I was getting drunk or too hungover the day they tought that.
blazer
December 1st, 2010
10:20 am
Beefing up the schedule i see!
Why would they???
December 1st, 2010
10:20 am
To the idiot “Haters” comment….UGA only scheduled Boise after looking at what Boise has returning next year. NOTHING. They will be as cupcake as the others next season. But we will be able to feel good at beating a media darling that goes on to lose 5 games next year with their weak schedule.
UGA Insider
December 1st, 2010
10:24 am
This move will be criticized but is actually a great move by McGarity. The UL series simply did not make sense with our schedule and was viewed by everyone except D Evans as a mistake. Well done McGarity, you are doing a good job putting your stamp on this program.
still@the bar
December 1st, 2010
10:25 am
I am still a lil drunk from the bar but even I know UGA is not getting better playing easy teams.
Alexander there is no ART needed to when a WAR when you greatly out number the enemy. Ask the Warriors at Termopoly, the Alamo, or Little Big Horn.
still@the bar
December 1st, 2010
10:29 am
UGA is now called TIGER WOODS U. Tiger is the only guy I have heard about that pays $1 Mil to F..K somthing that easy.
Ringer
December 1st, 2010
10:34 am
AJC headline: Sugar Bowl ring stolen from UGA player
Assume that this guy sold the ring and is now trying to cover up by claiming it was stolen.
dawgfacedboy
December 1st, 2010
10:43 am
Yep, we have two cupcakes on our schedule. No more than any other team. Ga Tech is respectable for our 3rd OOC game. We also play in the toughest conference in the nation. Next.
JB
December 1st, 2010
10:44 am
To ALL: look at Florida’s schedule the year they won the National Championship………Then STFU.
still@the bar
December 1st, 2010
10:45 am
Ringer good call. Who would be in his room and just steal his ring other than a “Friend”? He needed the cash! He knew how the Ebay thing forced the NCAA to make new rules because of DAWG players. There is one Blinged out Crack Dealer in Macon I guess. Glad to hear the player is finishing school with a real degree. He should do well in Life after football.
still@the bar
December 1st, 2010
10:48 am
JB and that is why the Dawgs have been crying about how Florida don’t play nobody. I guess UGA is of the mindset that “If you can’t beat them then Join them(change to easier teams)”.
Dawgtards ruin this state
December 1st, 2010
11:15 am
thUGA’s OOC schedule doesn’t matter until they can beat teams in the SEC East, which thet can’t. Next!