National champ Georgia declines White House invitation

Georgia football has declined an invitation to visit the White House in celebration of its second-consecutive national championship. The White House extended an invite to the program for June 12, but the Bulldogs opted to pass, citing scheduling concerns.

"Unfortunately, the date suggested is not feasible given the student-athlete calendar and time of year," a Georgia spokesman told The Athletic. "However, we are appreciative of the invitation and look forward to other opportunities for Georgia teams moving forward." 

The specific date comes at a time when athletes are in the midst of June workouts with eight new high school recruits expected to be enrolled. Additionally, 25 players have left via either graduation, transfer portal or the NFL Draft since the Bulldogs won the 2022 national championship. Historically, college football teams tend to visit the White House within months of winning a championship to lessen the amount of turnover expected on a title roster. 

Both of this season's NCAA basketball championship teams -- UConn in men's basketball and LSU in women's basketball -- are heading to the White House on May 26. However, Georgia was invited to attend with a bigger group for College Athlete Day, which is expected to bring together dozens of championship teams across different divisions, according to Sports Illustrated. 

No college football team has visited the White House since LSU in January 2019, months before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Both 2020 Alabama and 2021 Georgia did not receive invitations due to pandemic precautions.