Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart: "Ask Gators to Play in Atlanta"
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ATLANTA - Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart is making clear what he wants each year with his annual battle with the Florida Gators.
And that’s not just a win. The seventh-year coach said he wants to be able to showcase the game to recruits - something that’s not permitted currently. He told former Florida QB Tim Tebow this week that he wants to have recruits at the game - even if that means moving the game to Atlanta or the campuses.
"I'm competing against (coaches])all across the SEC who host kids at their biggest games," Kirby said. "When Auburn plays at Alabama - guess where the recruits are? When LSU and Alabama play, that's where the biggest recruits want to go. It's an opportunity for us to bring these kids that fly in from all over the country - what game do they want to come see Georgia play? They'd like to see Georgia play Florida, but they can't do that recruiting is very important.”
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Tebow said the annual rivalry is a special thing on the schedule for both teams.
“You get a bunch of home games, but you only get one that's 50-50," Tebow said.
"No you don't. We are going to play Oregon in (Atlanta)," Kirby said.
No one expects Oregon to have 50% of the crowd in Atlanta in a few weeks. In fact, Georgia has rarely, if ever, failed to have more than half of the crowd against any foe in Atlanta over the last ten years - including away games at Georgia Tech. Usually Georgia’s advantage in Atlanta is signifigant.
Kirby said he was winning to talk about where to play the game in the future, but that recruiting continues to be his focus.
"Playing in Jacksonville isn't an advantage for anybody," Kirby said. "You look at the history of it - the team with better players and team usually wins that game. It effects the outcome of the SEC East.”
Then this:
"You call the AD at Florida, and you ask him to come to Atlanta and come play us, and we will play in Atlanta any they want to play."
The two schools have a contract with Jacksonville that will likely keep the game there until the 2025 contest.