ATHENS — Georgia, Kirby Smart and the SEC Network will team up to produce a virtual G-Day game on Saturday, according to a statement from the University of Georgia on Monday.
It's obviously a first for the program, due to the COVID-19 outbreak that canceled spring football for all of the NCAA programs across the country. But program firsts have become the norm for the fifth-year head coach.
When Smart first arrived in Athens, he challenged the fan base to pack Sanford Stadium. They did with 93,000 fans in attendance for his first G-Day game as head coach. It was the largest crowd ever for a UGA spring game. He also coached the second and third largest crowds in history.
So, although it'll be different with no one in the stands watching a basic scrimmage to end spring practice, Smart will usher in another first for the football program.
While the annual G-Day spring football game will not be played at Sanford Stadium next week, the Bulldog program has produced a virtual G-Day plan for Saturday, April 18, presented by Piedmont Healthcare.
The SEC Network will re-broadcast the 2019 matchup between Notre Dame and Georgia starting at 2 p.m. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart will tweet during the game from @KirbySmartUGA as another source of game commentary. In addition, the Bulldog radio crew, including Scott Howard, Eric Zeier and Chuck Dowdle, will have a Facebook live broadcast as a third-screen experience for fans during the afternoon.
Georgia is scheduled to open its 2020 season versus Virginia in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday, Sept. 7.
