University of Georgia football team declines Biden's White House invitation — again

The University of Georgia Bulldogs have once again declined an invitation to visit the White House to celebrate their national championship.

For two years running, the Bulldogs have been a tour de force in college football. They have lost just once in their last 30 games, stumbling against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game in December 2021. In the College Football Playoff of 2022, they eked out a 1-point win, 42-41, in a thrilling semifinal matchup against Ohio State before trouncing TCU 65-7 in the championship game.

So head coach Kirby Smart and the rest of the Bulldogs have much to celebrate. But once again, their celebration tour will not include 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue after they declined yet another invite to visit the White House.

President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, extended Georgia an invitation to participate in an event billed as "College Athlete Day," scheduled for June 12. However, the Bulldogs politely declined the invitation, citing a possible scheduling conflict.

"The University of Georgia first received on May 3 an invitation for the Bulldog football team to visit the White House on June 12," a statement from UGA’s Athletic Association said. "Unfortunately, the date suggested is not feasible given the student-athlete calendar and time of year. However, we are appreciative of the invitation and look forward to other opportunities for Georgia teams moving forward."

Despite the apparently reasonable excuse, the statement hinted that Georgia officials may also feel slighted by the late notice. As Trey Wallace of OutKick noted, previous college football champions have visited the White House within days or weeks of their win, not six months later. Wallace called the timing "weird" and added that many star players of the championship team, including quarterback Stetson Bennett, have just been drafted into the NFL, making their appearance for a college-related event unlikely.

The Bulldogs similarly declined an invitation to the White House after winning the championship in 2021, citing COVID concerns. That year, Georgia defeated Alabama 33-18 in the title game, just a few weeks after the Crimson Tide beat the Bulldogs 41-24 in the conference championship. The Bulldogs will kick off the 2023 season on September 2, when they host the Skyhawks of the University of Tennessee at Martin. As might be expected, ESPN currently has Georgia listed No. 1 in its 2023 preseason rankings.

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