Clemson and Georgia are scheduled to play a home-and-home football series in 2013 and 2014. But due to expansion in the ACC, the series may have to be canceled.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the Georgia-Clemson football series could be in jeopardy. Due to the addition of Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the ACC, likely in 2013, the conference will play a nine-game football schedule.
That means ACC teams will only play three non-conference games per season. The Clemson Tigers have four lined up for both the 2013 and 2014 seasons. One game for each season will have to be canceled or postponed.
Today both athletic directors commented on the situation. Clemson athletics director Terry Don Phillips seemed the most negative about the future series taking place, as he told ShakinTheSouthland.com the following:
“We would like to be able to work it out. They would like to be able to work it out with us. They understand the situation that we’re in. It’s a game that we were pleased to get back on the schedule, and we’d really hate to lose them. But I don’t know. I simply don’t know. Maybe there’s an alternative. It’s only fair to them to move with some urgency, and we need to know what direction we’re going in as well.”
Phillips sounds as if the series is likely to be canceled unless “there’s an alternative”, meaning postponement. And Clemson needs to “move with some urgency” because Georgia’s 2013 and 2014 non-conference schedules are complete. The Bulldogs would like to have ample time to line up replacement opponents.
Canceling Georgia would leave Clemson with Kent State, The Citadel and South Carolina (away) in 2013 and Coastal Carolina, Central Michigan and South Carolina in 2014. Of course, the Tigers aren’t likely to cancel South Carolina and they want to keep their home non-conference games for revenue purposes.
Speaking to Dawgs247.com about the predicament, Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity said today that there is “no resolution or final determination yet.”
If Clemson does cancel the series at the behest of Georgia, the Tigers will owe the Dawgs $500,000.
Football Schedules: