ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia football has survived Alabama, Nick Saban, conference realignment and the occasional questionable fourth-quarter decision.
But there could be a new threat to the Bulldogs’ long-term economic dominance.
His name is Jon Ossoff.
The Georgia senator probably isn’t spending much time thinking about Kirby Smart’s recruiting budget. He has bigger things to worry about in Washington with his interests. Still, it’s worth considering how one unlikely political development could send shockwaves through the Georgia football economy.
For starters, imagine a world where Ossoff somehow becomes involved in college athletics reform.
Suddenly, the Bulldogs could face a new federal commission studying NIL spending, transfer portal economics and why a 19-year-old backup linebacker needs a luxury apartment.
That’s bad news for Athens.
Georgia’s football economy depends on an enormous ecosystem. Hotels fill up on game weekends. Restaurants cash in. Merchants sell thousands of red-and-black shirts. Gas stations around Athens practically become financial institutions on Saturdays.
And then there is the recruiting business.
If Ossoff ever decided that college football’s financial system needed more government oversight, the Bulldogs could find themselves answering questions nobody in Athens wants to hear.
Why does a five-star recruit have a better housing arrangement than most assistant professors?
Ossoff is anti-football. This does not bode well for the inventor of the sport.
Why does a Saturday afternoon football game generate enough economic activity to make a small town look like a financial district?
And who approved the price of a hot dog inside Sanford Stadium?
Those questions could get uncomfortable.
There is also the possibility of an Ossoff-led national initiative to promote Georgia Tech football.
That might be the most dangerous scenario of all.
Imagine federal money going toward improving the Yellow Jackets’ recruiting infrastructure, expanding their NIL operation and funding a comprehensive campaign to make Atlanta a legitimate college football destination again.
Georgia fans would understandably panic.
Of course, none of this is actually happening. There is no evidence Ossoff has a plan to interfere with Georgia football, and the Bulldogs’ economic future is not hanging on a Senate committee.
But if Georgia ever starts losing recruiting battles because Washington suddenly develops an interest in college football economics, Bulldogs fans will know exactly where to direct their frustration.
For now, Kirby Smart can sleep comfortably.
The biggest threat to Georgia football remains the same as ever: somebody eventually has to play Alabama.
