Kirby Smart explains why Georgia will not make White House visit
The Georgia Bulldogs will not make the customary trip to the White House after winning the national championship in January, but coach Kirby Smart says the decision had nothing to do with politics.
Smart said Wednesday at Regions Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament that the timing of the invitation simply did not work for the Bulldogs, as the program is hosting a football camp from June 6-8. The Bulldogs were invited to visit the White House on June 12.
“Tough deal timeline-wise, it didn’t work,” Smart told TMZ. “Number one time for recruiting for football coaches. When you’ve got 600, 700 kids coming to your campus, you can’t take 200 people to the White House and have no one on campus.
“The time just didn’t work out. Nothing political about it, but I’ve been before. It’s very educational. It’s a great experience.”
Smart’s comments back up the school’s official statement, which said the timing of the invitation was “not feasible” for them.
In the past, college football champions have been invited in January, which is a more workable time for them. LSU, the last team to visit the White House after winning the title, did so in January 2020, just weeks after their victory.
