ATLANTA–At first blush, the UGA schedule for the 2019 season looks similar to previous slates of the last decade.
**Tennessee in late September/early October.
**Florida around the Halloween holiday, on a neutral field.
**And Auburn in the middle of November, setting the stage for Georgia Tech over Thanksgiving weekend.
A deeper look, however, reveals a few cool new wrinkles for next season–perhaps out of the NCAA's willingness to stretch the regular-season calendar from 13 to 14 weeks, in addition to Conference Championship Weekend on the first Saturday of December.
Here are the highlights to the Dawgs' intriguing schedule for 2019:
a) For the first time in 24 years (South Carolina in 1995), Georgia will launch a regular-season campaign with an SEC matchup–a road trip to Vanderbilt (Aug. 31).
b) The Bulldogs will have two non-conference games, or so-called tuneups, before Notre Dame comes calling on Sept. 21.
Expect that to be a nationally televised game, with a plum time slot to match.
c) Georgia will host seven outings at Sanford Stadium ... but only four true road outings (Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia Tech).
d) UGA could have one of the SEC's most difficult November slates next season, taking on Florida (in Jacksonville), Missouri (home), Auburn (road), Texas A&M (home) and Georgia Tech (road).
e) And in case you're wondering, the last time UGA concluded the SEC regular season against someone NOT named Auburn or Kentucky ... it was 1995 (@ Ole Miss).
UGA 2019 SCHEDULE
August 31 – @ Vanderbilt
September 7 – vs. Murray State
September 14 – vs. Arkanasas State
September 21 – vs. Notre Dame
September 28 – BYE
October 5 – @ Tennessee
October 12 – vs. South Carolina
October 19 – vs. Kentucky
October 26 – BYE
November 2 – vs. Florida (JACKSONVILLE)
November 9 – vs. Missouri
November 16 – @ Auburn
November 23 – vs. Texas A&M
November 30 – @ Georgia Tech