ATHENS, Ga. — The Georgia Bulldogs’ Southeastern Conference basketball schedule for the 2019-20 season was released by the league office on Tuesday. Georgia will open SEC play at home against Kentucky on Tuesday, Jan. 7 and wrap up league competition at LSU on Saturday, March 7.
The schedule includes four Saturday home dates and five weeknight outings at Stegeman Coliseum. CLICK HERE for the UGA men’s basketball 2019-20 SEC schedule.
“Having our schedule finalized means the season will be here soon, and I can not wait for us to get back in front of the Bulldog Nation at Stegeman Coliseum,” head coach Tom Crean said. “The SEC is loaded with great teams. There are so many outstanding coaches and players. Navigating our way through league play will be extremely challenging and our fans creating a raucous atmosphere at the Steg will be critical to our success.”
Georgia begins league action with six-consecutive games against 2019 NCAA Tournament participants. After hosting Kentucky, the Bulldogs travel to Auburn on Jan. 11; host Tennessee on Jan. 17; visit Mississippi State and Kentucky on Jan. 18 and 21, respectively; and wrap the span with Ole Miss visiting Stegeman Coliseum on Jan. 25.
“Night-in and night-out in this league, you have to bring your ‘A,’ game,” Crean said. “You might be able to get by with an ‘A-‘ but if you think you’re going to get away with your ‘B’ game, it’s just not going to happen. In different leagues, there were certain things like rebounding that could become your edge. In this league, everybody rebounds the ball. There’s not one team that I could say doesn’t rebound the ball. It’s a staple of everybody in the SEC, so you’ve got to figure out a way to be better.”
Georgia will enjoy three straight Saturday home games. After the Rebels trek to Athens on the 25th, Texas A&M and Alabama will do so on Feb. 1 and Feb. 8, respectively. The Bulldogs’ remaining home dates are against South Carolina on Feb. 12, Auburn on Feb. 19, Arkansas on Feb. 29 and Florida on March 4.
The Bulldogs’ 2019-20 roster will feature five returning letter winners and 10 newcomers. Georgia’s seven-player signing class includes five of the consensus top-100 prospects in the Class of 2019 and has been ranked among the top-5 groups nationally.
“We had a really good summer,” Crean said. “We had eight strong weeks, and we’ve been back at it since school started last month. But we’ve got a lot to learn and how we’re going to respond when we start having to deal with physicality is going to be key. We’ve got to get our team to understand as quick as possible what’s going to cause us to lose before we truly understand what it’s going to take for us to win.”
Non-renewable season tickets for Georgia’s 17-game home slate are now on sale for $255. The Bulldogs’ home schedule includes games against eight teams that earned postseason bids last spring, including six NCAA Tournament participants. Fans interested in purchasing non-renewable season tickets can do so online here or by calling the UGA ticket office at 877-542-1231.
Fans interested in supporting Georgia Men’s Basketball and improving their game-day experience may also make a contribution to The Georgia Bulldog Club’s Basketball Enhancement Fund (BEF). Benefits include opportunities for access to game day parking and hospitality, single-game and postseason ticket requests and an invitation to watch a team practice. For more information about the BEF and benefits of membership, please click here. Contributions to the BEF can be made online here or by contacting The Georgia Bulldog Club by phone at 877-423-2947.
“Last season, we established a new record for total attendance at Stegeman,” Crean said. “This year, we want to break the average attendance record too.”
Georgia’s total attendance of 148,700 last season topped the Bulldogs’ previous mark by more than 9,000. The average of 8,747 fans per game ranked fourth in program history.