This Saturday’s showdown between No. 5 Georgia and No. 8 Florida in Jacksonville is as big as it gets when it comes to grabbing control of the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division race and staying in the hunt for the College Football Playoff.
There is no more important day to prepare for such a clash than Tuesday, when the game plan is implemented and the most physical practice of the week transpires. That will not be the case today, however, as the NCAA has mandated a day off for all student-athletes in order that they can vote in the national election.
“I think it’s very important for them to give us a chance and to allow us to have the chance to have our voice heard,” Bulldogs junior left tackle Jamaree Salyer said Monday. “For me, personally, this is my first time voting, so it’s really exciting for me. I had never been to a polling place before – well, I went one time with my mom when I was younger, but that was so long ago that I didn’t even remember how it went.
“It was really cool. It was really fun, and I felt really good walking out of there.”
On Sept. 16, the NCAA Division I Council approved the measure prohibiting Division I student-athletes from practicing and competing today to allow them to vote in the election or participate in other civic activities. The NCAA’s Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee made the proposal, marking the first time for such legislation since the Division I governance was changed in 2014 to give student-athletes voting rights at every level of decision-making.