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National champion Georgia won't visit White House due to scheduling difficulties

President Joe Biden's administration is honoring title-winning college teams on June 12

INGLEWOOD, CA - JANUARY 09: A player holds up a sign after Georgia Bulldogs wins their game versus the TCU Horned Frogs in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on January 9, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Georgia dominated TCU to win its second straight national title. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Georgia Bulldogs won’t be visiting the White House to celebrate their national title.

Georgia said Tuesday that it wouldn’t visit President Joe Biden because of the June 12 date that was offered. President Biden had initially said in February that Georgia would be welcomed at the White House after it went 15-0 during the 2022 season.

“The University of Georgia first received on May 3 an invitation for the Bulldog football team to visit the White House on June 12," a statement from the school said. "Unfortunately, the date suggested is not feasible given the student-athlete calendar and time of year. However we are appreciative of the invitation and look forward to other opportunities for Georgia teams moving forward.”

Georgia wasn't the only college champion invited to the White House on that date either. The Biden administration is planning to honor multiple NCAA championship teams on that day, though the UConn men's basketball team and LSU women's basketball team are set to go to the White House later this month.

As you can imagine, it would have been a logistical challenge for myriad players from Georgia’s 2022 team to attend the ceremony. While it would have been relatively straightforward to arrange travel for players staying on campus over the summer, many players from Georgia’s team were taken in April’s NFL draft and are already preparing for their professional careers. A date during spring practice and before the draft would have likely worked much better for Georgia’s schedule.

With the exception of the two most recent NCAA tournament champions, it's worth noting that champion teams have not visited the White House during the Biden administration in the immediate weeks and months after winning their titles.

The Golden State Warriors won the NBA Finals over the Boston Celtics in June of 2022 and visited the White House in January. While the Los Angeles Rams never made a White House trip after winning the Super Bowl in February of 2022, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visited the White House in July of 2021 after winning the Super Bowl that February.