Tag: uga athletics

UGA football spends over $5 million on recruiting in record year

Georgia football spent over $5 million on recruiting during the 2023 fiscal year, which is more than Ohio State and Michigan combined

The Georgia Bulldogs spent $5.3 million dollars on recruiting throughout the 2023 fiscal year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023). Georgia’s lavish recruiting spending did pay off as the Bulldogs recently signed the No. 1 class of 2024 in the country.

Georgia spent more on recruiting than Michigan and Ohio State combined during the 2023 fiscal year. The Wolverines and Buckeyes totaled $4.0 million in recruiting expenses combined.

Thus far, Texas A&M ($4.0 million) and Clemson ($3.5 million) also reported spending over $3.0 million on recruiting. Texas A&M finished with just the No. 19 recruiting class in the country, while Clemson finished with the No. 11 class of 2024, per 247Sports. Several other schools have not reported how much they spent in 2023.

Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald notes that Georgia made less of a revenue surplus in 2023.

Georgia’s total operating revenue was a school record $210.1 million and its operating expenses were $186.6 million. The revenue was up $7.1 million from the previous fiscal year while the expenses rose $17.6 million.

In fact, when factoring in around $22 million in capital projects and the athletic department’s annual $4.5 million donation to the school, Georgia finished 2023 with a deficit.

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Spending big on football is nothing new for the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs spent over $4 million on recruiting in 2022, which was the most in the country. Some Georgia fans would say the spending on recruiting is a worthwhile investment, while others would argue that Georgia is spending too much.

It would be very interesting to see how much Georgia’s recruiting spending would be when factoring in name, image and likeness.

Former UGA golf star Bubba Watson joins LIV Golf League

Former Georgia Bulldogs golf star Bubba Watson is joining the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series.

Former Georgia Bulldogs golf star Bubba Watson is joining the LIV Golf Invitational Series. Watson is currently ranked as the No. 86 golfer in the world.

The LIV Golf League, which is controversially supported by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is expected to have an expanded schedule for the 2023 season.

Despite Bubba Watson joining the LIV Golf League there will still be numerous former Georgia Bulldogs on the PGA Tour. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Five of LIV Golf’s first eight events in 2022 are hosted in the United States. The league features 12 teams of four right now. A few notable golfers to join LIV include Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Brooks Koepka, and Dustin Johnson.

Bubba Watson won the Masters in 2012 and 2014, but has not won a major since then. The former Georgia Bulldog has 12 career PGA Tour wins. Watson has also won six tournaments across other golf tours.

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Matthew Boling, Georgia Bulldogs finish 5th at NCAA Championships

The Georgia Bulldogs men’s track team has finished in fifth place and the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

The Georgia Bulldogs men’s track team has finished in fifth place at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Matthew Boling, Elija Godwin, Darius Carbin, and Kyle Garland all preformed well for the Bulldogs.

Georgia entered the meet as the top ranked men’s track program in the country. The Bulldogs ended the event with 32 points and a great fifth place finish. The Florida Gators won the national championship thanks to some impressive performances from athletes like Joseph Fahnbulleh at the Eugene, Oregon, event.

Georgia’s Kyle Garland showed off his versatility and finished third in the decathlon. Elija Godwin finished third in the 400-meter final and set a school record with a time of 44.50 seconds. Darius Carbin finished second in the high jump with a final jump of 2.24 meters.

Additionally, Matthew Boling finished second in the 200-meter final. He posted a strong time of 20.13 seconds.

Boling came in sixth place in the 100-meter final. He may be a little bit disappointed in the result, but is only a sophomore.

Florida’s Joseph Fahnbulleh won both the 100 and 200 to help the Gators win a national championship. Florida finished with 54 points.

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Photos: Georgia Bulldogs at NCAA Track & Field Championships

The Georgia Bulldogs entered the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships as the No. 1 team in the country.

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top teams at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The championships are being held at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.

In fact, the Georgia men’s track and field team enters the competition with the top ranking in the nation. Georgia, Texas, LSU, Florida State, and BYU are among the favorites to win a national championship on the men’s side.

Georgia stars Matthew Boling and Kyle Garland will need to have a big week for the Bulldogs.

The Georgia women’s track and field team is not as much of a contender to win a national title. The women’s team is the No. 22 team in the country and has steadily improved throughout the season after beginning the year ranked No. 49. Texas, Texas Tech, Florida, Texas A&M, and LSU are the top five ranked women’s track and field programs entering the weekend.

Let’s take a look at some of the best photos of Georgia Bulldogs during the first two days of the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which end on June 11.

Report: Georgia swimming and diving coach Jack Bauerle retiring

The Georgia Bulldogs swim and diving head coach Jack Bauerle is reportedly expected to retire.

The Georgia Bulldogs swim and diving head coach Jack Bauerle is reportedly expected to retire. Bauerle has been associated with the University of Georgia for over 50 years. He has made a profound impact on the school and on countless student athletes.

Jack Bauerle served as a coach for the United States at several different Olympic Games. Bauerle has won seven national championships and 12 SEC championships with the Lady Bulldogs.

Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks will now face a big challenge to find someone that can replace Bauerle. It is unlikely the Bulldogs will ever have another coach like Bauerle, who has served as the Georgia men’s swimming and diving coach since 1983 and the Georgia women’s swimming and diving coach since 1979.

Jack Bauerle was the U.S. women’s head coach for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He has coached at every Olympics since 2000. The legendary coach has earned so many honors and so much respect over the years.

Georgiadogs.com sums up a few more of his impressive accomplishments:

Bauerle has been inducted into the State of Georgia, the Georgia Aquatics and the Montgomery County (Pa.) Coaches halls of fame. He also received the Bill Hartman Award, which is one of the highest honors given to a former UGA student-athlete based on 20 years of excellence in his profession.

Jack Bauerle has earned his retirement and will be missed. Pat Forde first reported the news. His report was later confirmed.

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Looking at Georgia baseball’s NCAA Tournament path

The Georgia Bulldogs baseball team put together a solid 35-21 season and are the No. 2 seed of the Chapel Hill Regional.

The Georgia Bulldogs baseball team put together a solid 35-21 season and are the No. 2 seed of the Chapel Hill Regional. UNC, the No. 10 national seed, hosts the regional.

Georgia baseball coach Scott Stricklin helped the Bulldogs go 15-15 in SEC play. The SEC is one of the toughest conferences in baseball. Georgia enters the NCAA Tournament on a bit of a cold streak. The Diamond Dawgs lost six of 10 games to end the season.

What information do Georgia baseball fans need to know about the regional?

Georgia basketball starting guard enters NCAA transfer portal

Georgia basketball starting guard Christian Wright joins several UGA teammates in NCAA transfer portal

Key Georgia basketball guard Christian Wright has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Wright came to Georgia as a three-star recruit out of Alpharetta, Georgia. Wright played basketball at The Skill Factory and attended Cambridge High School before coming to Georgia.

Wright played in all 32 of Georgia’s games last season. He was one of three players to accomplish that feat.

Wright started 11 games and averaged 22.1 minutes per game. Wright averaged 5.3 points per game and shot 34.8% overall last season. Georgia will miss Wright’s experience.

Georgia basketball’s roster will look significantly different for the 2022-2022 season as the Bulldogs are rebuilding the roster. The process will take time, however.

Head coach Mike White and Georgia basketball have already added Longwood guard Justin Hill via transfer. Hill brings NCAA Tournament experience from his time with Longwood to the Dawgs.

Additionally, several other Bulldogs are in the NCAA transfer portal, including leading scorer Kario Oquendo. Georgia basketball has several roster spots to fill and will likely use the transfer portal to look for replacements.

Georgia’s Christian Wright takes a shot during an NCAA basketball game between Florida and Georgia. Online Athens/Joshua L Jones

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Twitter reacts: UGA hires head coach Mike White away from Florida

The Georgia Bulldogs basketball program is hiring former Florida Gators coach Mike White. Fans of both schools are optimistic about the move

The Georgia Bulldogs are hiring former Florida Gators coach Mike White.

Mike White has a career record of 243-127 as a head coach. He helped Louisiana Tech achieve three first-place regular finishes in conference play. White made the NCAA Tournament four times with Florida, which does not include the canceled 2020 NCAA Tournament (Florida was projected to make the field of 68 teams).

White replaces former Georgia head coach Tom Crean following Georgia’s 6-26 season. The Bulldogs went 1-17 in SEC games in 2021-2022.

Georgia Bulldogs guard Kario Oquendo was a bright spot in 2021-2022. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

White will have an uphill battle to begin his Georgia career. He will have to improve the roster’s talent level. Georgia did have some bad luck with injuries in 2021-2022, but the Bulldogs need more talent.

Georgia had 10 players added to the roster last offseason. UGA needs to add some recruits or transfers to the class of 2022.

Mike White played college basketball in the SEC at Ole Miss from 1995 to 1999. He helped Ole Miss make three NCAA Tournaments and later served as an assistant coach for Ole Miss.

White served as the head coach of Louisiana Tech from 2011 to 2015. White had been Florida’s head coach since 2015.

How did Georgia basketball Twitter react to Mike White’s hiring at Georgia?

Georgia basketball has different expectations than Florida basketball:

Was Florida considering moving on from Mike White? Probably not, but if they were, then the Gators saved some money.

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UGA bans on-campus tailgating for upcoming football season

UGA officials have decided to ban on-campus tailgating this season due to concerns surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last month University of Georgia officials elected to defer the decision whether or not to allow tailgating on campus for the 2020 football season, after deciding to limit Sanford Stadium’s capacity to 20-25%.

Today, UGA Athletics finally released an official statement with their decision regarding tailgating in 2020, just 11 days before kickoff.

“Tailgating has been a part of the gameday tradition for home football games at the University of Georgia for decades. However, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, tailgating will not be permitted on campus this season.”

While Georgia fans may not have a traditional tailgate experience this season, UGA Athletics said that fans may gather around vehicles in the on-campus parking lots, which will be opened three hours before kickoff.

They are requiring only those who have traveled together, or who plan to sit with each other at the game to be present around the vehicles and will require each person to have their game tickets with them.

Georgia is one of the last SEC schools to announce revamped plans for tailgating amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

LSU, Alabama, Auburn and Florida are some of the schools who have already banned the football tradition from their campuses.

Georgia officials also added a note about off-campus gatherings.

“While we strongly encourage individuals and organizations off campus to follow UGA’s lead in taking appropriate measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, enforcement of social gatherings off-campus remains under the jurisdiction of Athens-Clarke County.”

Read UGA Athletics’ full statement here.