Georgia and Clemson Mutually Cancel Four-Game Series
The schools voided the contracts and payment terms in a signed termination that underscores how nine-game conference schedules are squeezing nonconference dates and forcing talks over neutral-site options.
Overview
- The termination document was signed March 12 by Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks and Clemson athletic director Graham Neff and was made public Sept. 22 after the Athens Banner-Herald obtained it through an open-records request.
- The four games removed from the calendars were slated for Sept. 15, 2029 (Clemson); Aug. 31, 2030 (Athens); Sept. 4, 2032 (Athens); and Sept. 3, 2033 (Clemson).
- The schools agreed to cancel the contracts and all provisions, including payment requirements, and secondary reporting says the original agreements carried liquidated-damage amounts of roughly $1 million to $1.5 million per canceled game.
- Conference shifts to nine-game conference slates have reduced open nonconference dates, leading Georgia to scrap or rework other home-and-home series and prompting the two ADs to discuss but not resolve neutral-site options; Clemson has stressed a preference for campus games.
- Neither program has announced replacement opponents for the open dates, leaving fans without those campus matchups and setting up likely negotiations over neutral-site deals, home-date preservation, and the revenue trade-offs that come with both choices.