After Friday's announcement that the Georgia-Florida football game would be extended in Jacksonville through 2023, Bulldogs athletic director Greg McGarity said that he plans to introduce legislation at next spring's Southeastern Conference meetings that would allow the Bulldogs and Gators to host recruits when they are the designated home team.
Georgia fourth-year coach Kirby Smart has repeatedly mentioned that the annual neutral-site game hinders recruiting, and he does not expect McGarity's proposal to get much traction next May in Destin, Florida.
"What do you think the other teams are going to do with that?" Smart said Monday during his weekly news conference. "If you're Alabama and if you're Tennessee, are you going to help Florida and Georgia out? I don't think they're going to go for that.
"I'm all for it if it can help us, but I don't really know how realistic that is."
The Georgia-Florida game, which takes place this Saturday, is the SEC's only regular-season contest that takes place at a neutral site. It has been held in Jacksonville since 1933, with the exception of the 1994-95 seasons, when TIAA Bank Field was being renovated to house the NFL's new Jacksonville Jaguars.
Even if McGarity's proposal gets approved by the SEC, it also would need NCAA approval.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.