UGA hopes for NIT bid as roster decisions loom

Despite 17-16 record, a postseason invite seems likely.

NASHVILLE — Following their second-round loss to Florida on Thursday night in the SEC Tournament, the Georgia Bulldogs made it clear they happily would accept an NIT bid, should one be forthcoming. But regardless of whether there will be a postseason for them, personnel decisions already are having to be made.

In the age of the transfer portal, rosters forever are in flux. That’s especially been the case for Georgia. The Bulldogs (17-16) have underclassmen and upperclassmen who must decide whether to continue their careers at UGA or take their talents elsewhere.

Likewise, Georgia’s coaching staff must decide whether to proceed with certain players or seek to replace them via the portal. Chances are the Bulldogs’ roster next season will look markedly different than the one that lost to the Gators 85-80 Thursday night.

For basketball, the 45-day transfer portal window opens Monday.

“It’s a two-way street, right?” Georgia second-year coach Mike White said as Thursday night became Friday morning. “What’s the expectation? What are you looking for? What are your other options?

“Staffs have options and players have options. It’s just what it is.”

The Bulldogs have a strong core of young players around which to build should they choose to stick together. That was evident Thursday night as freshmen Silas Demary Jr., Blue Cain and Dylan James started, as each did down the stretch this season. Mari Jordan, a freshman from Norcross High, redshirted because of injuries.

Demary, a 6-foot-5 point guard from Raleigh, North Carolina, was named to the SEC All-Freshman team after starting every game but one (that was to allow Justin Hill to start on Senior Night).

“After the season, guys will have to look into what they want to do,” said Demary, who led the Bulldogs with 14 points against the Gators. “Obviously, me, Dylan and Blue, Mari, we talk about it here and there. But everybody has their own decision to make. I’ll just get with my family, and we’ll just look at what’s best for me.

“Obviously, I love it here. I feel like all the guys do. We’re just going to take our time and not rush anything.”

Seniors Hill, Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Frank Anselem-Ibe and Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe have eligibility remaining. Likewise, decisions have to be made regarding juniors RJ Melendez and Jalen DeLoach. Graduate students Noah Thomasson, Russel Tchewa and RJ Sunahara are out of eligibility.

“For me, this is it,” said Thomasson, Georgia’s leading scorer at 13 points per game. “Hopefully, Sunday we will hear our name called so we can play again. If not, I’m forever thankful for this opportunity. I thank Coach White for the chance to play in the SEC, which is a dream come true for a guy who had zero opportunities coming out of high school and went to junior college.

“I’m forever thankful for this opportunity, and I’m glad to be able to say I’m forever a Georgia Bulldog.”

Odds are better than most realize that this group may have an opportunity to play again. The NIT selection process has changed this season; the 32-team field now has guaranteed spots for two teams each from the Power Six conferences, which includes the Big East.

(More than two teams can be selected; it’s just that two spots are guaranteed.) The SEC seems likely to get eight teams into the NCAA Tournament field; that would leave LSU (17-14), Ole Miss (20-11) and Georgia (17-16) as the SEC teams under consideration for the NIT.

But there have been numerous published reports indicating the Rebels, in their first season under Chris Beard, informed the NIT selection committee they’re not interested in playing. That would leave LSU and the Bulldogs as the SEC’s likely NIT participants.

NIT bids will be announced at 9:30 p.m. Sunday night, well after the NCAA Tournament selection show. The Bulldogs would be thrilled to keep playing.

“I feel like we’ve got some big-time Quad 1 wins, wins over some teams that will be in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. So I feel like we deserve to be in the NIT,” Demary said. “A win tonight would have stamped us into it, but I feel like we’ve done well enough to be in that conversation.”

The Bulldogs checked out of their hotel Friday morning to fly back to Athens. White said he’ll conduct exit interviews with all the players, as usual, but not until the season definitely is over.

Behind the scenes, some decisions already have been made.

“You recruit to a certain extent, but you also want guys that really want to be where they are,” White said. “You want guys who really want to be a part of your program. We’ll figure that out.”

The nine Bowl Subdivision conferences and Notre Dame reached an agreement Friday on a six-year deal to continue the College Football Playoff through the 2031 season, a significant step that establishes a revenue-sharing plan and allows the CFP to finalize a media rights agreement.

Executive Director Bill Hancock said the agreement doesn’t lock in a format for the CFP for 2026 and beyond, but it guarantees at least a 12-team field and five conferences having annual access to the playoff through 2031.

The playoff is expanding this season from four teams to 12, with the five highest-ranked conference champions — regardless of league — and seven at-large selections making up the field.

“Anything else regarding format is to be determined,” Hancock said.

The number of teams in the CFP could grow after the current contract with ESPN expires after the 2025 season, but for now there is no plan in place and no urgency to make a decision, Hancock said.

Hancock said the conference commissioners who manage the CFP might want to let the coming season play out and evaluate the first iteration of the 12-team model.

“We’re going to take a deep breath, step back, and begin those conversations whenever it’s appropriate,” he said.

Hancock said the Pac-12, which is set to operate as a two-team league with just Washington State and Oregon State next season, didn’t sign the agreement because of its uncertainty beyond 2025.

The CFP implemented a rule recently that a conference had to have at least eight teams to be eligible to qualify for access to the playoff.

The CFP has an agreement in principle with ESPN on a new media rights agreement worth $7.8 billion that adjusts the value of the last two years of the current 12-year contract to account for more playoff games and runs through 2031.

The CFP couldn’t complete that deal without the conferences first agreeing to participate in the playoff and a revenue-sharing plan.

“We are still negotiating with ESPN,” Hancock said. “We’re encouraged about the position we are in. But we still have work to do.”

Hancock declined to give details of the revenue-sharing agreement.

It has been previously reported — and confirmed by AP — the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten will receive more than 50% of the distributed CFP revenue, with the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big 12 getting about 30% combined and the Group of Five Conferences and Notre Dame the rest.

PHOTOS BY JOHN BAZEMORE/AP For the third time this season, Russel Tchewa and Georgia played Florida close. But for the third time this season, the Gators prevailed Thursday in a close one in the SEC Tournament. Florida’s three wins over UGA came by a combined 15 points.

Coach Mike White has some roster decisions to make when the season is over. But the season’s end seems likely to come after an NIT appearance by the Bulldogs. One issue for White and all coaches: dealing with the transfer portal.

ERIC GAY/AP Houston Mayor John Whitmire speaks during a news conference Jan. 9, the day after Michigan beat Washington 34-13 in the College Football Playoff title game at NRG Stadium in Houston.