As Georgia officials look ahead to the Oct. 3 home-opener against Auburn, the university is in the process of finalizing some final plans.

Among them, whether the school will allow on-campus tailgating. Following Friday’s online meeting of the UGAA, both President Jere Morehead and athletic director Greg McGarity said that remains to be seen.

“That is not an issue that the athletic department has made, as I understand, a final decision about. They’re looking at what has been done at Alabama and Florida and LSU and other places, but in most of these situations I’ll support the recommendation that comes from athletics,” Morehead told reporters. “I expect that to be the case here. We are in a little different situation than some of these other schools because we open on the road. I think athletics has not moved quite as quickly as some of the other schools in making that decision.”

The athletic department is currently meeting with its campus partners to determine the feasibility of tailgating. McGarity stressed it will not be one person’s call.

“There’s so many people to include in this decision. With the first home game on October 3rd, I expect our decision hopefully next week,” he said. “But we have a long way to go, and a lot of things to consider. Hopefully, we will be able to present something to the president here and meet as a group and discuss how we should move forward. No decision has been made yet as far as whether we’re tailgating or not tailgating.”

If Georgia does ultimately allow on-campus tailgating, it will certainly be bucking an SEC trend.

So far, Texas A&M is the only school in the conference that has publicly approved on-campus tailgating in the conference. Some are still waiting to see, while Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Florida, Ole Miss and Arkansas have already stated that they will not.

“There are so many challenges there. We all have our own feelings that we have expressed during our meetings there. There are a lot of concerns that we all have, so, I think we review those. We move around the room and talk about it,” McGarity said. “We’re very sensitive to what a lot of our peers are doing. We certainly do not want to create a dynamic that puts the institution in jeopardy. We are trying to balance that. We are trying to return to some sense of normalcy, so there are a lot of challenges there. I am sure when we make a decision as a group that we will be very confident in that call. That is where things stand now, but right now, the health of everyone is a concern, but want to balance that with some sense of normalcy.”

In other news:

…McGarity reported that the athletic department has estimated there will be a budget shortfall of $55 million for the fiscal year 2021.

But despite the shortfall, McGarity expressed optimism that the athletic association can absorb any deficit by using a combination of measures, including cost containment, as well as utilizing its short-term loan, as well as an undermined portion of its reserve fund.

...Clarification on the $55 million number

McGarity: “No, we expect the bottom line, our net number once you factor in revenue and expenses, will be a net loss of $55 million. There are adjustments on both ends to where we get to that net number.”

“We plan to use a portion, but we really don’t know what that number will be but certainly it’s a huge part of our operating expenses to be able to spend of the interest off of that,” McGarity said. “We certainly don’t’ want to deplete [the reserve fund] so it will be one of the tools in the tool chest that will use to help make ends meet.”

…McGarity said while a portion of the Redcoat Marching Band will be allowed to perform from the stands, they will not be allowed on the field at any time, per SEC rules regarding non-essential personnel.

The exact number of band members to be allowed has yet to be determined.

“They can be occupying seats in the stands, but they are not allowed on the field at any time. So, we are working on final numbers, but they will be basically in the same section they have been. Certainly, it will not be the full band, but we are working on specific numbers there. The Redcoat Band will be in place for our home games this year, socially distanced as well.”

…Along with mascot Uga, Bulldog cheerleaders will also be relegated to the stands.

“It’s the same thing,” McGarity said. “They’re not essential personnel. Now that the team area goes to the 15-yard line, especially in our stadium, it’s very narrow from the 15 to the end of the goal line.”

…In previous years, McGarity and Morehead would travel with the football team to away games. This year, that will not be the case.

“I’m not in the bubble. If you are in the bubble and traveling on the team plane, you are tested three times a week,” McGarity said. “I’m not so sure it’s worth that effort for me. And so right now as far as flying, no. Driving, perhaps. But we are really sensitive to those people that are getting on those charters, and just going on the day of the game does not make sense financially as well. So, I will stay back for the three road trips, and see where things stand on the ones where we can drive.”

Conversely, Morehead said the president’s box at Sanford Stadium will be a lot less crowded than normal.

“We are still working through those issues, but we’re planning to have a very small number of individuals in the president’s box,” he said. “Of course, those that are there are going to be expected to wear their masks and socially distance. So, it will not be like what we’re used to in the past.”

… The final grade point average for the 2019-20 Academic Year for all UGA student-athletes, men and women combined, was a 3.16. That figure is believed to be an all-time record.

… Each of the 11 women’s teams finished with a team GPA of 3.20 or higher. The cumulative GPA for Georgia’s 264 female student-athletes was a 3.42.

…Equestrian was first among women’s teams with a team GPA of 3.5685, edging the cross-country squad, which finished with an average of 3.568.

…Five of Georgia’s eight men’s teams finished with a team GPA of 3.23 or higher. Tennis came in first with an average of 3.43, just slightly ahead of cross country, with a team GPA of 3.40.