Members of the University of Georgia football team drive down to Sanford Stadium on Jan. 14 during the celebration of UGA’s 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship victory. Neharika Kutagulla, a UGA class of 2025 student, attended the celebration and believes that the team’s victory will have big implications for the team’s future. “I think this is a really big step (for the football program), I think it puts us on a national scale more so than ever before and I think it’s really exciting,” Kutagulla said. Photo by Aza Khan
The University of Georgia Bulldogs won the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship for the second consecutive year and commemorated their achievement with a parade and celebration in Athens.
After stealing a close victory from Ohio State University in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31, the University of Georgia Bulldogs went on to beat the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs by a score of 65-7 in the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 9.
The victory marked UGA’s second consecutive national championship win, an achievement not matched since the University of Alabama Crimson Tide won in both 2011 and 2012. To commemorate this success, the university organized a parade down Lumpkin Street ending with a Dawg Walk and celebration inside Sanford Stadium on Jan. 14.
“We got ‘em back-to-back now,” UGA fan Darryl Robinson said. “Workin’ on number three. Anything for the Bulldogs. (It’s our) first time (coming to the parade), we didn’t make it last year so this year we just wanted to come out and support the Dawgs, just to see what it’s like.”
University of Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart kisses the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy after the Georgia Bulldogs’ second consecutive championship victory. During a victory celebration in Sanford Stadium, Smart gave a speech discussing the value of his team’s hard work. “You don’t inherit greatness… You work for it. You earn it. And that’s what this team did over the last year, they earned every single victory along the way.” Smart said. “Winning takes talent, but to repeat takes character.” Video fair use of 11 Alive
Before the parade started, both students and fans alike lined the streets in anticipation of watching the Bulldog players and their families drive down to Sanford Stadium.
“The streets are filled with Georgia fans, everyone’s very excited. Being an Athens resident, a lot of times, the heartbeat of the town syncs up with how well Georgia’s football is playing,” Bulldogs fan Duane Bernt said. “So, if you think about back-to-back wins, you’re talking about a town that is vibrant, happy, excited, it brings people in, it helps the economy, so everyone’s just in a good mood. It’s wonderful for the whole community.”
Despite temperatures reaching as low as 30 degrees, many fans felt compelled to show up and honor the team’s victory.
“It doesn’t matter what the weather is, we’re here for the Dawgs,” Grady Payne, a Clarke Central High School sophomore, said.
A stadium full of University of Georgia football fans watches a ceremony honoring the Bulldogs victory in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Mehul Kutagulla, a UGA student, attended the parade and saw how the Athens community rallied around the team. “(Georgia) is just such a big football school,” Kutagulla said. “So much school spirit is depending on this football team and to have such big success, back-to-back championships and hopefully going for three next year, it’s just really fun, it’s really exciting.” Photo by Aza Khan
After the parade, fans followed the buses carrying players down to the Baxter Street extension to watch the players enter Sanford Stadium at 1 p.m., a tradition known as the Dawg Walk. Shortly after, at 2 p.m., the celebration in Sanford Stadium began.
“This event means a lot. I fell in love with football before I got (to UGA), so when I got here it just intensified,” Caitlyn Carter, a UGA student, said. “Celebrating a back-to-back win is something you don’t do a lot so I’m excited. I think this is like a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
During the ceremony, many influential figures such as Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart gave speeches praising the team for their accomplishment.
“You don’t inherit greatness… You work for it. You earn it. And that’s what this team did over the last year, they earned every single victory along the way.” Smart said. “Winning takes talent, but to repeat takes character.”
Whereas Smart recognized his players, Gov. Kemp focused more on Smart’s leadership in leading the Bulldogs to an undefeated season and national championship victory.
“Coach Smart is more than a coach. He is a teacher, a motivator, a counselor, and a professor of the gridiron,” Kemp said. “That iron sharpens iron to attack the day, to be connected and be a link.”
Carter believes that the win has created a sense of camaraderie between Athens community members.
Thousands of University of Georgia football fans await the team’s entrance into Sanford Stadium for a ceremony dedicated to the Bulldogs College Football Playoff National Championship victory on Jan. 9. UGA head football coach Kirby Smart lauded his team for their tenacity throughout the season along with the fans for their support of the Dawgs. “What we’ve been able to do here and we continue to do behind us is progress. Progress gives us an opportunity to continue this success,” Smart said. “I’ve told every freshman that’s come into our place: you don’t inherit greatness. You don’t inherit this. You’ve come into a special place, a place that cares about football, these fans turn out all the time, they travel all over the country, but you don’t inherit that, you work for it. You earn it. And that’s what this team did over the past year, they earned every single victory along the way, and it was tough.” Photo by Aza Khan
“I think the Athens community has been brought closer together over (UGA) winning more, because when we went to celebrate, everybody was just happy, everybody was in the moment. I think it’s really special to (Athens community members) because they supported the football team their whole lives since they lived here, so I think it’s really special to all of us,” Carter said.
While a lot of fans attending the celebration were current UGA students, many alumni also came back to support the Bulldogs. Bea Steedman, a UGA alumna, attended the parade with her one-time college roommate, Billie Gatewood.
“We’ve been Georgia fans for our whole lives. We were college roommates (at UGA) 50 years ago, and we came to support the Georgia Bulldogs,” Steedman said. “(We’re) so happy for the team and all the fans, it’s just wonderful for the University of Georgia.”
2014 CCHS alumnus Jared Saravia believes that the Bulldog’s undefeated season is putting more positive attention on Athens, making the future even brighter for upcoming UGA teams.
“I think the fact that we went 15-0 is a big thing, you know, being undefeated in the playoffs and the natty, you can’t do that anywhere else but here. We’re actually bringing Athens on the map,” Saravia said. “The future, man, it’s lookin’ bright. We got a lot of good recruits comin’ in, a lot more good students, more faculty joining the program. I think the future’s looking bright for Athens, it’s gonna keep getting better and better. We’re here to make history.”
