UGA’s Football Team Declines White House Invitation Due to Scheduling Conflict

The tradition of a championship team being invited to the White House may not be as glamorous as in previous years. 

Here’s another example. According to CNN, the University of Georgia football team, which recently won the national championship, has declined to visit the White House. The June 12 date wasn’t doable apparently. 

The University of Georgia’s Athletic Association released a written statement that the date was not “feasible” for the football team, but they were “appreciative of the invitation and look forward to other opportunities for Georgia teams moving forward.”

The Bulldogs demolished the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs 65-7 in January’s NCAA College Football Playoff National Championship. It was the Bulldogs’ second straight championship and completed a 15-0 season.

The team wasn’t invited to the White House after last year’s championship due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Earlier this week, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden said the White House will host the winner of the NCAA Woman’s Basketball Championship, the Louisiana State University Tigers, as well as the men’s NCAA Basketball Championship winners, the University of Connecticut Huskies, on May 26.

Previously, there was speculation if the LSU Tigers would accept an invitation to the White House because the Tigers, with a team of primarily Black players, beat the Iowa Hawkeyes, whose team comprises mainly white players. Jill Biden, in what many labeled a racist move, said both teams should be invited to the White House, which had never been done. 

The Tigers’ star Angel Reese and her teammates were offended by the offer. Later, in an interview on ESPN’s SportsCenter, Reese confirmed she will join her teammates at the White House. The invite is just whipped cream on a run of endorsements for Reese, which include a deal with Mercedes Benz dealership and a spot in Sports Illustrated‘s Swimsuit Issue.