Kirby Smart eyes rare Alabama visit in loaded 2025 schedule
Kirby Smart Talks Battle Against Alabama originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
SEC Media Days continue at the College Football Hall of Fame and Omni Hotel in Atlanta, with the event wrapping up Thursday. On Tuesday, Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart spoke with the media and offered some honest thoughts about a key game on the 2025 schedule.
On the final Saturday in September, two of college football's powerhouse programs will face off in Athens as the Alabama Crimson Tide visit the Georgia Bulldogs.
When asked about the significance of the game and others on the schedule, Smart didn’t hold back.
“Georgia, Alabama at home at our place, wish it could happen more often. Seems like we’ve played over there three or four times since they’ve come to see us and play. It’s a great opportunity and looking forward to it.”
Kirby Smart on playing Alabama in Athens this year:
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) July 15, 2025
"Georgia, Alabama at home at our place, wish it could happen more often. Seems like we’ve played over there three or four times since they’ve come to see us and play. It’s a great opportunity and looking forward to it."
This will be the 21st meeting between Alabama and Georgia in Athens. Despite the number of matchups, Smart’s not wrong about the rarity of the Tide visiting Sanford Stadium. It’s been 10 years since Alabama last played there. That was on October 3, 2015, when Alabama dominated Georgia 38-10.
Alabama leads the all-time series in games played in Athens, 13-7. Since that 2015 meeting, the teams have clashed seven more times. Alabama has won six of those games. Georgia's lone win during that span came in January 2022 in Indianapolis, when they defeated the Crimson Tide in the national championship game.
Georgia is coming off an 11-3 season. The Bulldogs won the SEC championship over Texas but fell 23-10 to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. Smart described it as “the toughest year of my tenure.”
Alabama finished 9-4 last season, going 5-3 in SEC play. The Crimson Tide ended the year with a loss to Michigan on New Year’s Eve in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa.
Looking ahead to 2025, Georgia opens the season at home on August 30 against Marshall. Alabama starts with a tough road game the same day in Tallahassee against the Florida State Seminoles.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
