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Athens Banner-Herald
Why Georgia football coach Kirby Smart is scaling back media availability this week
- Story byAthens Banner-Herald
- Why Georgia football coach Kirby Smart is scaling back media availability this week
Georgia football coach Kirby Smart isn't holding a Tuesday press conference ahead of the Kentucky game like he regularly has done on game weeks.
The change isn't a reaction to the Bulldogs ' 24-21 loss to Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 27, which snapped a 33-game home winning streak.
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Smart signaled last Tuesday that he was not going to be made available to the media for his second press conference of the week like he usually is after practice.
"I'm not going to continue to do these on Tuesday nights," Smart said on Sept. 23. "I have my whole staff up there waiting on me now. It ends up eating at my time. So I've told these guys, they think I'm an idiot for doing it, but I get to see you guys on Monday and then I get to do the deal with y'all on Wednesday."
Smart is available for 10 minutes on the SEC coaches teleconference on Wednesdays.
Smart and two players have been made available on Tuesdays, but the entire Tuesday press conference, including players, is cancelled this week, the program said.
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The only players made available ahead of the Kentucky game were wide receiver London Humphreys and defensive lineman Jordan Hall on Monday after Smart's 19-minute press conference.
Georgia said that there will be a media availability next Tuesday but did not say if Smart would be included.
"I won't be doing these unless they feel like there's a reason to do it one week or certain weeks, every other week on Tuesdays, but I don't like my staff sitting up there for 20 minutes while I'm waiting to get up there," Smart said last week.
Georgia held Wednesday player interviews until that was stopped during last season.
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With Smart not meeting with reporters on Wednesdays and players hand-picked by Georgia, those sessions were not as well-attended.
College football media access has grown more limited in recent years with coaches having more say in which players and staff members are made available.
Practice viewing also has been curtailed. Georgia has not had any practice time open to the media since the preseason.
Georgia and Kentucky play Saturday Oct. 4 at noon in Sanford Stadium.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Why Georgia football coach Kirby Smart has curtailed media access
