Hogs May Have Ally in Much Needed Change

Arkansas could help bring balance between coaches, athletes

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Jul 21, 2022 10:35 PM EDT

In this story:

ATLANTA — Georgia coach Kirby Smart plopped down a couple of seats away from Tim Tebow on the SEC Nation set Wednesday not knowing his perfectly groomed hair was about to be blown back by a fastball tossed his way by the former Gator.

Tebow was flabbergasted by Smart's push to end "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" between Florida and Georgia in Jacksonville and he wanted answers.

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm (11) talks with head coach Kirby Smart during the first half against the Florida Gators at TIAA Bank Field.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Smart responded by asking Tebow if he ever played between the hedges in Gainesville, to which Tebow asked why he would want to do so. He explained that it would just be another SEC road game and not special like playing in a stadium that is divided equally along the 50-yard line.

The following day former Florida Gator turned SEC Network analyst Chris Doering reiterated Tebow's stance.

"Coach Smart makes some really good points, however, I speak from a position of actually experiencing what it's like," Doering said. "Cause if he had asked me that question, I did play in Athens. I did play against Georgia in Gainesville."

Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow (15) attempts a pass during the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Florida defeated Georgia 49-10.
Paul Abell-USA TODAY Sports

Doering was one of few Georgia or Florida players in history to play both in Jacksonville and on each home campus while the Gator Bowl underwent renovations for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"While it was really cool, the novelty since there are probably only a handful of Gator players in the history of the entire series to have had a chance to play in Athens and in Gainesville against Georgia, it was nothing more than a home game," Doering said. "It felt like every other SEC game we went on the road to play or came to Gainesville to play.

"I love the Jacksonville location. I love the history of it. And at a time where we are shifting so much with the realignment and things just not looking much like the past, hanging onto as much traditional as you possibly can is important."

Florida vs. Georgia game in Athens, Ga. on Oct. 28, 1995. Florida WR Chris Doering celebrates a TD catch. One of the five TDs on the day from Danny Wuerffel for the 52-17 win.
Bob Self – USA TODAY Sports

Despite both former players making strong cases for why athletes at each school are reluctant to share Smart's stance, the defending national championship coach revealed the real reason why he wants the game moved – recruiting against Alabama.

Once Tebow finished his impassioned speech in favor of tradition and special moments, Smart responded with an argument that has been made by Razorback coaches time and again over the years only to fall on deaf ears because Arkansas coaches have never had the platform of Nick Saban or Smart

"It's more about for me, I'm competing against guys all across the SEC who host recruits at their biggest game," Smart argued. "When Auburn plays Alabama, guess where their recruits are? They're at Auburn. When LSU and Alabama play, that's where the biggest recruits want to go.

"It's an opportunity for us to bring these kids that fly in from all over the country, what game do they want to come see Georgia play? They'd like to see Georgia play Florida and they can't do that."

That was when Doering and co-host Peter Burns posed a question that seems like the most obvious question to ask, but after all these years or torment by the neutral site recruiting rules, rarely gets asked.

Why is this still a rule?

It's a question Georgia has been formally asking the league for three years now after agreeing to renew the neutral site agreement with Florida.

Georgia-Florida-Mascot — Georgia's mascot Hairy Dawg celebrates in the stands with fans after the Bulldog's victory over Florida. The home team Gators fell to the Georgia Bulldogs 34-7 in their annual college football rivalry game at TIAA Bank field in Jacksonville, Florida Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021.
Georgia's mascot Hairy Dawg celebrates in the stands with fans after the Bulldog's victory over Florida. The home team Gators fell to the Georgia Bulldogs 34-7 in their annual college football rivalry game at TIAA Bank field in Jacksonville, Florida, last season. (Bob Self / USA TODAY Sports)

There's not a lot of information as to why this rule came about other than vague references to Notre Dame dancing around the nation with neutral site games to create a national brand and recruiting advantage. That being said, there doesn't appear anything solid on the rule's true origin.

With so many big neutral site games planned each year, it's a rule that goes beyond outdated. The big key to possible change is for the right teams to have skin in the game, resulting in them getting behind a rule change at a time when the NCAA is at its weakest.

Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Georgia, plus a long list filled with even more of the Who's Who of college football all have good reason to get behind the rules change. It seems like such a no-brainer would be an instant lock to get approval.

"Universities may designate one neutral site game where the school's athletic program is recognized as the home team as an "official visit" eligible game."

A rule written this way allows series like Arkansas-Texas A&M, Georgia-Florida or Oklahoma-Texas to be prime recruiting opportunities. Suddenly a game that is valuable to players and their families becomes valuable to the coaching staff also.

Arkansas Razorbacks running back AJ Green (0) in action during the game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Texas A&M Aggies at AT&T Stadium.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

It also avoids letting Notre Dame barnstorm the country playing neutral site games in recruiting hotbeds to game the system.

However, that doesn't mean there isn't a way to stretch the system. Teams like Alabama and Georgia often find themselves in primetime neutral site season kick-off games that draw big numbers and help ensure players come into camp in shape.

If Georgia times things out properly, it could play both a Chick-fil-a kick-off game and the Florida-Georgia game in Jacksonville while hosting recruits at a neutral site game each year. The Bulldogs just have to list as visitors in one game while the home team in the other.

As for Arkansas, similar intuitive scheduling would allow recruits to visit a War Memorial game one year and AT&T Stadium the next, although bringing recruits to War Memorial Stadium would most likely hurt the chances of landing a big-time recruit more than just not being able to host him.

Mississippi State Bulldogs running back LaDarius Perkins (27) dives into the end zone against Arkansas Razorbacks safety Eric Bennett (14) during the second quarter at War Memorial Stadium.
Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

However, it would open the potential of a neutral site game in Kansas City, which would give a conference game against Missouri that is as close to a throw-away game as an SEC game can be, new life. If Arkansas can host Texas recruits at Cowboys Stadium one year, and Oklahoma and Missouri recruits at the Chiefs stadium the next, it would be a huge boost over not hosting recruits at all in Arlington and either not hosting or hosting recruits in Little Rock.

It's a time of change, so this is the optimum moment to do what's best for both athletes and the programs in which they have interest.

It's appears to be the only way to keep special neutral site experiences in tact while taking pressure off coaches flustered by the recruiting disadvantage.

If the NCAA won't approve it, just give it the thumbs up at the conference level and do it anyway. It's not like the powers that be have control over the SEC, Big Ten or Notre Dame anymore.