It’s official: Georgia, SEC to play through COVID-19 with new-look 2020 schedule

The COVID-19 pandemic has reached the SEC football schedule.

The conference announced on Thursday that it will be playing a 10-game conference-only slate on the football field this fall. The season will now begin on Sept. 26, with the SEC Championship Game now slated for Dec. 19.

The move comes after the Big 10, Pac-12 and ACC made similar decisions.

“After careful consideration of the public health indicators in our region and following advice of our medical advisors, we have determined that this is the best course of action to prepare for a safe and healthy return to competition for SEC student-athletes, coaches and others associated with our sports programs,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said via a release from the conference.

Georgia’s games with Virginia, East Tennessee State and Louisiana-Monroe are now wiped off the schedule. The ACC schedule allows for one non-conference game within the school’s home state, but as of now the SEC is keeping all games within the conference, meaning the annual matchup with Georgia Tech won’t be played for the first time since 1924.

“It is regrettable that some of our traditional non-conference rivalries cannot take place in 2020 under this plan, but these are unique, and hopefully temporary, circumstances that call for unconventional measures,” Sankey said.

The new format allows for one open date in the middle of the season for each team, along with an off week on Dec. 12 for all teams.

By moving the start of the season back nearly a month, schools allow plenty of time for students to be back on campus before starting camp and the season. Classes at Georgia begin Aug. 20, with students returning to Athens as soon as next week.

“Having some separation between the earlier reopening of our campuses and the later start of the football season should be helpful,” Georgia president Jere Morehead said in a statement.

It’s unclear what the two extra games will be, and the SEC said the revised schedule will be released at a later date.

A new Georgia football schedule is expected to include the previously announced eight SEC opponents: Home games vs. Vanderbilt, Auburn, Florida and Tennessee; and road games at Alabama, Missouri, South Carolina and Kentucky. According to Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger, “a separate scheduling model — composed by the league office using strength of schedule — will determine the two additional opponents for 2020.”

The announcement from the SEC does not include any particulars for whether or not fans will be allowed in stadiums this fall.

“We look forward to communicating our plan for attendance at home games in Sanford Stadium at a later date,” Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said in a statement. “We are thankful for the patience our devoted season ticket holders have shown during this time. We are committed to creating a safe and healthy environment for our fans that will respect and adhere to all Covid guidelines.”

Other notes from the SEC’s official announcement Thursday:

▪ “Each athletics program has been engaged in evaluating best practices for game operations to prepare a safe environment for student-athletes, coaches, staff, officials and other individuals necessary to conduct games.”

▪ “Further decisions regarding safety standards related to athletics events, tailgating and other game day activities, including social distancing, face covering and other health measures consistent with CDC, state and local guidelines, will be announced at a later date.”

▪ The league said it will watch and learn from “successes and challenges presented by return to competition in other sports.”

▪ The later start date, according the SEC, gives the league time “to continue to monitor health trends across its 11-state footprint, as well as monitor developments in technology around mitigation and treatment of the virus.”

▪ Start dates and schedules for men’s and women’s cross country, soccer and volleyball will be announced later. Those sports are postponed through at least Aug. 31.

▪ The league reiterated that “student-athletes in all sports who elect to not participate in intercollegiate athletics during the fall 2020 academic semester because of health and/or safety concerns related to COVID-19 will continue to have their scholarships honored by their university and will remain in good standing with their team.”

This story was originally published July 30, 2020 at 4:46 PM with the headline "It’s official: Georgia, SEC to play through COVID-19 with new-look 2020 schedule."