Radakovich: Clemson-Georgia 2021 matchup unique, too good to pass up

The border rivals are now scheduled to play six times between now and 2033.

by Brandon Rink - Staff Writer - Fri Feb 21 11:23:11 GMT-04:00 2020

Clemson and Georgia will play in one of the more marquee openers in recent memory thanks to the add-on in a conversation between Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich and Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity last October.

Radakovich said they were discussing another matter on a call before Radakovich posed the question on if McGarity was satisfied with Georgia's 2021 non-conference schedule, after scheduling some big-ticket games down the road.

Like Clemson with a regular out-of-conference rival (Georgia Tech), Georgia also scheduled Power 5 opponents non-conference with Oregon (Atlanta, 2022), Oklahoma (2023, 2031), Clemson (2024 in Atlanta, 2029-30, 2032-33), UCLA (2025-26), Florida State (2027-28), Texas (2028-29) and Ohio State (2030-31).

With a lacking non-conference slate like Clemson in 2021 (previously San Jose State, UAB and Charleston Southern), McGarity agreed they could boost their schedule too.

Radakovich told WFNZ in Charlotte that they renewed their conversation in January to announce the deal this month.

One of the hitches to that plan was Clemson not having its usual seven home games. The opportunity to bring the 2021 non-conference schedule more in-line with what the Tigers have done previously ruled the day, Radakovich said.

“We try to play seven home games every year. That’s one of our scheduling tenets,” Radakovich told WFNZ. “But like any rules, you need to look in a different direction based on the circumstances you have. We looked at the strength of the schedule we were facing in 2021, and said, you know what, we do normally play the seven games at home since 2005. After 2021, the way the schedule is put together -- we will have seven home games scheduled through 2037.

“The ability to create this type of matchup allowed us to veer away a bit from that rule. But I will tell you -- the fact that it was Georgia, the fact that it was Charlotte and it is regional but with national in-scope -- really allowed this to come together.”

Future Clemson non-conference opponents:

• 2020: at Notre Dame, South Carolina, Akron, The Citadel

• 2021: Georgia (in Charlotte), at South Carolina, UConn, South Carolina State

• 2022: at Notre Dame, South Carolina, Louisiana Tech, Furman

• 2023: Notre Dame, at South Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Wofford

• 2024: Georgia (in Atlanta), South Carolina, Appalachian State, The Citadel

• 2025: LSU, at South Carolina, Troy, Furman

• 2026: at LSU, South Carolina, Charleston Southern

• 2027: Notre Dame, at South Carolina, Wofford

• 2028: at Notre Dame, South Carolina

• 2029: Georgia, at South Carolina

• 2030: at Georgia, South Carolina