The Southeastern Conference announced its league schedule for the 2018-19 men’s basketball season on Friday, including Georgia’s 18-game slate. The Bulldogs, under first-year coach Tom Crean, will enjoy home outings on five-consecutive Saturdays from Jan. 19 through Feb. 16, four SEC games and a matchup with Texas as part of the SEC-Big 12 Challenge. Game times and television networks assignments will be announced at a later date.
“All in all, when you have a league with this many formidable teams you are going to be challenged every day to have the mental and physical toughness needed to compete,” Crean said. “Execution and staying connected on both ends will be tested, and we will need ‘the Steg’ to be at a fever pitch every time we step on the court.”
The Bulldogs will face the 2018 league co-champions on the road on the first two Saturdays of SEC play, taking on Tennessee in Knoxville on Jan. 5 and then traveling to Auburn on Jan. 12.
“We are certainly walking into a daunting January with the beginning of our SEC schedule,” Crean said. “Back to back road Saturdays with Tennessee and Auburn will make us get an understanding real quick of what it will take to succeed in this league.”
Georgia’s first two SEC home dates will be mid-week affairs against Vanderbilt on Wednesday, Jan. 9 and Kentucky on Tuesday, Jan. 15.
The Bulldogs will then entertain Florida on Saturday, Jan. 19, the first of five-straight weekends Georgia will play at Stegeman Coliseum. Additional contests in that stretch include the Longhorns on Jan. 26, South Carolina on Feb. 2, Ole Miss on Feb. 9 and LSU on Feb. 16.
Georgia will play mid-week road games between each, visiting LSU on Jan. 23, Arkansas on Jan. 29, Alabama on Feb. 6 and Texas A&M on Feb. 12.
Following a home outing versus Mississippi State on Feb. 20, the Bulldogs will travel to Ole Miss on Feb. 23, host a rematch with Auburn on Feb. 27, venture to Florida on March 2, entertain Missouri on March 6 and wrap up the regular-season at South Carolina on March 9.
The SEC Tournament is slated for March 13-17 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
Crean’s first edition of the Bulldogs will feature a mix of experience and youth. Georgia returns a trio of starters from last season – seniors William “Turtle” Jackson and Derek Ogbeide and sophomore Rayshaun Hammonds – and 11 total letterwinners. All told, nine of the Bulldogs’ 11 returnees have starting experience in SEC play. Five freshmen round out Georgia’s roster.
Season tickets for the Bulldogs’ 17-game home slate are now on sale for $255. That schedule includes games against 10 teams that earned postseason bids last spring. There are two methods of purchasing season tickets, renewable seats via a donation to the Basketball Enhancement Fund (BEF) and non-renewable seats.
Renewable seats are available with a minimum donation to the BEF of $150 per seat. Benefits include possibility for game day parking and hospitality, postseason ticket request opportunities and invitations to watch a team practice and to attend the postseason banquet. Fans who are renewing or interested in making new contributions in support of Georgia Basketball can visit here on georgiadogs.com or contact The Georgia Bulldog Club by phone at 877-423-2947.
Non-renewable tickets are filled following the placement of all seat locations for renewable season tickets. Fans interested in purchasing these season tickets can do so online here or by calling the UGA ticket office at 877-542-1231.
To date, the current BEF campaign has shattered its previous highs for total contribution amount and number of donating members. Much of that can be credited to the excitement created by Crean, who averaged 20 wins over 18 combined seasons as head coach at Marquette and Indiana. Crean, who was named National Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2012, has led 13 teams to postseason play, including nine NCAA Tournament bids and an appearance in the 2003 Final Four.