Is it time for basketball to make a move?

Photo credit: Red and Black

It pains me to say it, but Georgia football may be wandering the wilderness for a few years.  An uninspiring win over Kentucky aside, things are not going well on the gridiron.

I have to ask, though: is this an opportunity for basketball to expand its footprint?

There is no rule stating that a school can only have one good major sports program, and while Georgia will be a "football school" for the foreseeable future, the current state of affairs makes me think another tournament run out of the basketball team might add valuable numbers to the fan base.  I became a fan for life in college, and 15 years later I'm a devoted season-ticket holder putting money back into the program.  A healthy program will add new fans like me every year.  Why might this be a critical season?

Last year was actually fun.  The Ole Miss and Arkansas games were great environments.  The team went to the tournament and played an eventual Final Four team without embarrassing themselves.  On top of that, the Kentucky game, a loss, was the most fun I've ever had at a live sporting event, and I guarantee a lot of new fans were minted that Tuesday night.  I promise you last season piqued some interest.  Another fun year, and the program could really pick up some momentum.

The home schedule is no joke.  There are some interesting teams coming to Stegeman Coliseum this year: Clemson, Kansas State, and Georgia Tech, just to name a few.  The names are good enough to get a few hundred fans per game that wouldn't otherwise be there.  Wins would keep those fans coming back.  Stegeman is an incredible experience when there's energy and excitement.

The freshmen look promising.  You know what gets fans even more excited than the present?  The future.  Winning now is critical, but getting people thinking, "Hey, we're going to be really good in a year or two," is just as important.  Every freshman showed something during the exhibition game, and there's reason to believe the future is bright.  Let's hope these guys build some big leads so Mark Fox can show off what the young pups are capable of.

Just to be clear, I don't want the basketball team to steal football fans.  I want football fans to see that what's happening in Stegeman is worth paying attention to.  If Georgia can run off 7 or 8 wins to start the season - a real possibility - things might get fun fast.  Stay tuned.