REPORT: Uga X won't travel for National Championship
Georgia is headed to Los Angeles but the Bulldogs will be without a key member of its team. No, not anybody that’ll suit up for the team on Monday night in the National Championship, but live mascot Uga X a.k.a. “Que” will not be in attendance at SoFi Stadium according to Adam Murphy. Murphy spoke with Uga’s owner, the Seiler family, who said that it is simply “too far for the nine-year-old dog” to travel.
Uga X replaced Uga IX, who went by “Russ,” in 2015. “Que” is the grandson of “Russ.” Georgia has had a live mascot since 1956 when head coach Wally Butts asked the Seiler family for permission to use their dog as the team mascot. Uga X has been a part of two SEC Championship wins, three College Football Playoff semifinal victories and of course Georgia’s 2021 National Championship win over Alabama, the program’s first since 1980.
Georgia players and coaches boarded busses in Athens earlier this morning to head to Atlanta to catch their planes to Los Angeles. After arriving the team is expected to practice, one of three times they’ll be on the field before Monday’s title game. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is also expected to speak with reporters upon arrival, one of two times he’ll do so along with Sunday’s joint coaches press conference alongside TCU’s Sonny Dykes.
“I’d like to thank the CFP for taking the time to put this together and having a great original semifinal game there at the Peach Bowl and now headed to the National Championship,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said on Tuesday talking about the matchup between the Bulldogs and Horned Frogs. “Our kids are really excited ready to head out to Cali we’ll be doing later this week. Looking forward to the opportunity. I’ve got a lot of respect for TCU and their program and Coach Dykes, what a tremendous job he’s done there. Had the great fortune of seeing him and Max out at the Heisman Trophy ceremony and have so much respect for their program, them as people. And what a great opportunity it is to play in a large setting, in a great setting for a CFP National Championship.”
Georgia takes on TCU in the National Championship Game Monday night at SoFi Stadium. Kickoff time is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe on the call. Other broadcasts are available too including the ESPN2 Field Pass with Pat McAfee, the ESPNU Command Center, ESPNews’ At&T Skycast and SEC Network’s broadcast featuring the Georgia Hometown Radio on the call.
