The SEC is rolling out public availability reports this football season in an effort to provide more clarity about which players may miss games due to injuries.

Georgia football’s first game under the new initiative will be the week of the Kentucky game which is on Sept. 14 since it will be in effect only for SEC games.

Under the policy that the league announced Thursday was approved by the league’s 16 institutions, schools will be required to submit reports Wednesday for Saturday games with daily updates and a final report 90 minutes before kickoff. They will be posted on the SEC website at SECsports.com/FBreports.

“I'm great with it as long as we're all doing it,” Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said Tuesday. “I have no issue with it. “

Smart said Georgia head trainer Ron Courson will “be in charge of it for me. I don't look at it — because I think they're going to tie fines and things to it and all that. I just want to say, ‘Can the guy play or not?’”

The SEC says before game day, players will be designated as available, probable, questionable, doubtful, or out for that week’s game. On the day of the game, players will be listed as either available, a game-time decision or out.

“If it's a game-time decision and he goes out there and works out that he can't, then he can't,” Smart said. “And I think everybody's trying to make this big deal about deception or like misleading. I mean, if I don't know if a guy can play, then I've got to find out before the game. If he can play, then he's going to go out there and play.”

Smart said Georgia has had “countless” players that go out before the game on the field to see if they are able to play or not.

The proliferation of gambling on college sports was a big factor in the move for availability reports.

“This availability reporting policy is intended to reduce pressure from outside entities seeking participation information and represents a commitment of our 16 institutions to provide enhanced transparency to support efforts to protect our student-athletes and the integrity of competition,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement.

SEC schools will also provide public reports in men’s and women’s basketball and baseball starting this school year. Those reports will be filed the night before SEC games and updated on game day.

The SEC said “failure to provide accurate and timely availability reports will subject schools to potential fines. They range from $25,000 for a first offense to $100,000 for a third and further offenses in football, and a maximum of $15,000 to $25,000 in men’s and women’s basketball and baseball.

“We'll abide by the rules they give us,” Smart said. “It's the same as the NFL's. So, they've done it for years and if it keeps the pressure off of our kids from people reaching out to them, trying to get information from betting sites and trying to gain information, there is no gain if you've got accurate information. So, it protects our kids. I'm for it.”

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: What UGA football coach Kirby Smart thinks of SEC availability reports