The year is 2020, and no one currently living has every lived through an unprecedented year as this year. The PAC-12 and Big -10 have already cancelled their fall seasons hoping to play in spring due to this virus that is causing people to live in fear. But three of the Power Five Conferences are pushing through and committed to play football this fall. The SEC, ACC, and Big-12 are set to play only in conference games. I commend them for not rushing to judgement. There has been plenty of time to watch the MLS, NBA, and MLB as those leagues are currently in play either in a bubble or committed to having strict protocols if the teams are playing home/away games. The NFL teams are currently in training camps with strict protocols with the season set to begin September 13. The PAC-12 and Big 10 rushed to judgement, not asking players or not taking a thoughtful approach to this and seeing if this can be done. I’m here to say it can be done.
Being a Georgia Bulldogs fan I look forward to this season that has never been done in college sports. College football will be the first college sport playing since all college sports shutdown last March when the virus had a hard grip on our country, and the world as a whole.
The first all conference games had all SEC schools playing eight conference games. But the final agreed upon schedule is now set and has all SEC teams playing 10 conference games. Teams will play six SEC division games and four SEC non division games. Before the pandemic hit, the Bulldogs were set to open conference play at Alabama Saturday, September 19, then their annual non division rival Auburn Tigers. With the new schedule set, Georgia will now play four games versus the SEC West adding at Arkansas and home versus Mississippi State. Season kicks off Saturday, September 26.
The plan is as of now that each SEC school will decide if they will allow fans into the stadiums. Georgia has set a limit no more than 25,000 fans in a stadium that holds 92,000. But 25,000 fans is better than zero fans. Georgia will be committed to having fans social distance apart and fans will have to wear face covering. So at kickoff, Sanford Stadium seating bowl will more than likely look like what it would normally look like during pregame.
Here is the schedule in full detail with times still TBD.
Georgia at Arkansas 9/26
Auburn at Georgia 10/3
Tennessee at Georgia 10/10
Georgia at Alabama 10/17
Georgia at Kentucky 10/24
BYE WEEK 10/31
Florida at Georgia 11/7 (Jacksonville, FL)
Georgia at Missouri 11/14
Miss State at Georgia 11/21
Georgia at South Carolina 11/28
Vanderbilt at Georgia 12/5
Conference Championship Game 12/19 (Atlanta, GA)
Photo Courtesy of Georgiadogs.com
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