It’s been said that a key to happiness in life is making today the good old days. Well, the University of Georgia is basking in the great old days.

With G-Day, the annual Spring Game, set for this weekend, let’s start with the remarkable accomplishments of the Georgia football program under the watch of Kirby Smart. The Bulldogs have finished inside the nation’s final top 10 ranking for nine consecutive years. Not only is that a school record – Georgia boasted four straight top 10 seasons from 1980-1983 and 2002-2005 – but it is one of the seven longest streaks of finishing ranked in the top 10  in college football The company Georgia keeps here: Alabama, Michigan, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Florida State.

Smart’s Bulldogs captured back-to-back National Championships in 2021 and 2022, as Georgia became the first school in the College Football Playoff era to win consecutive crowns. Since 2017, Smart’s second season at the helm of his beloved alma mater, Georgia has been a college football gold standard. The Bulldogs have played in a major bowl game nine consecutive seasons and finished in the top 10 for nine straight years. Smart’s Bulldogs have won four Southeastern Conference titles, including the last two. Georgia’s 28-7 triumph over Alabama in Atlanta this past December marked the first time the Bulldogs have won consecutive league crowns since the three year run of 1980-1982. No school had ever been to six SEC Championship Games in a seven year period. Georgia has played in eight SEC Championship Games the last nine years.

En route to expanding an impressive trophy case, Georgia has enjoyed dream come true success against arch rivals.

Under Smart’s watch, Georgia has beaten Florida eight of the last nine seasons – the lone exception, the Covid year of 2020, also the only season since 2020 that Georgia didn’t play in the SEC Championship Game. The Bulldogs are riding a five game winning streak in Jacksonville. Eight of nine, and five in a row would have been hard to fantasize about from 1990 through 2010 when the Gators went 18-3 against the Bulldogs.

Georgia has beaten Auburn nine consecutive times. Remembering back to going 1-7 against the Tigers from 1983-1990, this is an incredible accomplishment. The Bulldogs have topped Tennessee nine straight years. In 2000, Georgia beat the Volunteers 21-10, and the students stormed the field at Sanford Stadium, taking down the goal posts. A first. That win marked the end of a nine game losing streak to Tennessee.

And most notably, this past season’s 16-9 victory over the Yellow Jackets marked Georgia’s eighth straight, equalling the infamous drought of 1949-1956 for the longest winning streak in series history. There was no game in 2020, with the SEC implementing a conference games only policy. Or it would likely be nine. That’s the number Georgia aims for this November.

All told, since 2017 and the dawning of the Kirby Smart Georgia dynasty, the Bulldogs are a cumulative 34-2 against the Jackets, Florida, Auburn and Tennessee.

Football success is the tide that raises all ships.

While Georgia has flourished on the gridiron, the Bulldogs overall athletics program is enjoying amazing success across the board.

Josh Brooks is the premier athletic director in the country. He has overseen a revolution of incredible success in Athens.

For the first time since 2011, both the Georgia men’s and women’s basketball teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament in the same season. The gymnastics team, ranked sixth nationally, will compete this weekend in the NCAA Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas.

There were some lean years in the Stegeman Coliseum not that long ago, having all three programs experience outstanding seasons is a huge point of pride.

I’ve often said that Georgia football has been at the center of my universe for as long as I can remember. But it’s hard to beat springtime in Athens. And what a spring Georgia is enjoying.

Playing in front of regular sell-out crowds at Foley Field, the Georgia baseball team sits alone atop the SEC standings with an 11-4 conference record and No. 4 national ranking. Wes Johnson, in his third year at the helm, has done an incredible job.

Drake Bernstein has done amazing work as Georgia’s women’s tennis coach. The Bulldogs won the National Indoor Championship and are currently ranked No. 1 nationally. A proud Georgia graduate and national championship player for the legendary Manuel Diaz, Bernstein has led his alma mater to a cumulative total of six “major titles” of national championship, national indoor titles, SEC crowns and SEC Tournament victories since succeeding the legendary Jeff Wallace.

Caryl-Smith Gilbert has taken the track and field programs to the very top, including this season’s Women’s National Indoor Championship – to go along with an Outdoor National Championship last year. The Bulldog women are currently ranked No. 2, the men No. 9. The brand new Spec Towns Track and Field facility on South Milledge is amazing, and widely considered the best in the country.

These are just a few highlights to hit, space limits a deep dive into all the sports enjoying fantastic campaigns this spring. But Men’s tennis is ranked 11th, softball is in the top 15 and Georgia’s defending national champion Equestrian team is No. 2.

The leadership and unified front for academic and athletic excellence currently enjoyed in Athens – from Governor Brian Kemp to David Dove, the chairman of the Board of Regents, to President Jere Morehead to J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks to Kirby Smart (headlining an array of highly decorated coaches) – the love of and dedication to the University makes Georgia the envy of collegiate athletics across the country. Along with the support of the greatest fans, supporters and alumni in all the land, there is a tremendous unified commitment to Glory Glory for ole’ Georgia.

Enjoy G-Day this weekend Bulldog faithful, and be justifiably proud of these wonderful times for our beloved University of Georgia.