College Football Season Starts Soon For UGA: See 'Dawgs Schedule

ATHENS — NCAA Division I college football begins this weekend, with fans of the University of Georgia eager to kick off the season.

UGA will open its football slate on Sept. 4 against No. 3-ranked Clemson at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, according to the school’s schedule as shared by FBSchedules.com.

Other big matchups this season include home stands against the University of South Carolina Gamecocks and the Arkansas Razorbacks on Sept. 18 and Oct. 2, respectively, and the annual showdown with SEC rivals the Florida Gators on Oct. 30 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville.

The state rivalry matchup against Georgia Tech rounds out the season on Nov. 27 at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, followed by the SEC Championship, where the Bulldogs hope to be playing for the Conference Title on Dec. 4 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The preseason Associated Press poll shows UGA ranked #5.

Defending national champion Alabama has the AP poll’s No. 1 ranking. The Crimson Tide are followed by Oklahoma, Clemson, and Ohio State making up the rest of the top five.

The USA Today/Coaches preseason poll has the No. 2 and No. 3 teams switched, with Clemson ranked ahead of Oklahoma there. Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia have the same preseason rank in both polls.

College football returns to a more traditional schedule in 2021, a year after the coronavirus caused a number of game cancellations and schedule alterations.

Last year, games in most conferences were limited to only conference play. The Big Ten and Pac-12 seasons started late.

Even Notre Dame, long known as a football independent, joined the Atlantic Coast Conference for one season only to keep playing amid the pandemic. The Fighting Irish are back as an independent this year.

UGA Bulldogs Full Season Schedule:

• Sept. 4, 7:30 p.m., #3 Clemson Tigers, Away
• Sept. 11, 4:30 p.m., UAB Blazers, Home
• Sept. 18, 7 p.m., South Caroline Gamecocks, Home
• Sept. 25, TBA, Vanderbilt Commodores, Away
• Oct. 2, TBA, Arkansas Razorbacks, Home
• Oc. 9, TBA, Auburn Tigers, Away
• Oct. 16, TBA, Kentucky Wildcats, Home
• Oct. 23, Bye
• Oct. 30, 3:30 p.m., #12 Florida Gators, Away
• Nov. 6, TBA, Missouri Tigers, Home
• Nov. 13, TBA, Tennessee Volunteers, Away
• Nov. 20, TBA, Charleston Southern Buccaneers, Home
• Nov. 27, TBA, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Away
• Dec. 4, 4 p.m., SEC Championship