The University of Georgia Bulldogs have once again turned down an invitation to visit the White House to celebrate their national championship.
For two straight years, the Bulldogs have been a tour de force in college football. They have lost just once in their last 30 games, stumbling against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game in December 2021. In the 2022 College Football Playoff, they earned a 1-point victory, 42-41, in a thrilling matchup of semifinals against Ohio State before defeating TCU 65-7 in the championship game.
So head coach Kirby Smart and the rest of the Bulldogs have a lot to celebrate. But once again, their celebratory tour won’t include 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue after they turned down another invitation to visit the White House.
President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, extended an invitation to Georgia to participate in an event billed as “College Athlete Day,” scheduled for June 12. However, the Bulldogs politely declined the invitation, citing a possible scheduling conflict.
“The University of Georgia first received on May 3 an invitation for the Bulldog football team to visit the White House on June 12,” a statement from the UGA Athletic Association said. “Unfortunately, the suggested date is not feasible given the student-athlete schedule and time of year. However, we appreciate the invitation and look forward to other opportunities for Georgia teams moving forward.”
Despite the seemingly reasonable excuse, the statement hinted that Georgia officials may also feel slighted by the late notice. As OutKick’s Trey Wallace pointed out, previous college football champions have visited the White House within days or weeks of their win, not six months later. Wallace called the timing “weird,” adding that many star players from the championship team, including quarterback Stetson Bennett, had just been drafted into the NFL, making his appearance at an event related to university is unlikely.
Similarly, the Bulldogs declined an invitation to the White House after winning the championship in 2021, citing COVID concerns. That year, Georgia defeated Alabama 33-18 in the title game, just weeks after the Crimson Tide beat the Bulldogs 41-24 in the conference championship. The Bulldogs will begin the 2023 season on Sept. 2 when they host the University of Tennessee Skyhawks at Martin. As expected, ESPN currently has Georgia at No. 1 in its 2023 preseason rankings.
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