Kirby Smart calls 2025 'probably the best home schedule ever' for Georgia football
Kirby Smart still has the entire 2024 Georgia football season ahead of him and a team most project as the preseason No. 1.
His 10th season as head coach of the Bulldogs in 2025 offers a blockbuster home schedule.
Smart addressed that Tuesday, the first time he was available to speak to reporters since the league released the SEC opponents for 2025 last Wednesday.
It’s the same old, same old from the 2024 schedule except flipped in what remains an eight game conference schedule.
More from UGA spring practice: Georgia football coach Kirby Smart on DUI, reckless driving arrest of RB Trevor Etienne
Bulldog hoops: What channel is Georgia basketball vs. Ohio State in NIT? Time, TV schedule, streaming
So Georgia’s road opponents in 2024 will come to Sanford Stadium in 2025.
Hello Texas. Hello Alabama. Hello Ole Miss. And Kentucky.
The SEC in recent years had considered a nine-game schedule with a 3-6 format of three fixed rivalry games and six rotating games and an eight-game schedule with a 1-7 format of one fixed rivalry and seven rotating opponents.
“If they start doing that, somebody’s not going to get the ball out of the deal,” Smart said. “Me personally, I just got one of the toughest road schedules in the country. I’d like to see it flipped where I’ve got an opportunity for our fanbase to have probably the best home schedule ever in Georgia history. You start changing the model, I don’t get my flip of the model.”
He said the SEC presented “multitude of opportunities,” but Smart said the “most continuity is doing this for two. Let’s see what it’s like. Let’s see how things play out. Let’s see what the CFP becomes. How many teams are going to be in the playoff? Does that designate us to go to nine? Does television have something to do with that?”
Smart said those unanswered questions makes him want to keep the continuity of the format and opponents from 2024 to 2025.
Will it be the best home schedule ever?
It certainly looks like it has that chance with 2023 playoff teams Texas and Alabama and New Year’s Six team Ole Miss.
Georgia played three top 20 teams last season at home—No. 20 Kentucky, No. 12 Missouri and No. 9 Ole Miss.
In 2021, Georgia got No. 8 Arkansas and No. 11 Kentucky at home. In 2013, Georgia went up against No. 6 South Carolina, another No. 6 in LSU and No. 25 Missouri. In 1963, Georgia played No. 3 Alabama and No. 9 Auburn.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Why coach Kirby Smart backs SEC 2025 schedule for Georgia football
