Georgia Bulldogs football The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams of The University of Georgia . The Bulldogs compete in the Southeastern Conference . All Georgia athletic teams are known as the Bulldogs , and Uga , of whom Uga VIII is the latest in a much - beloved lineage , is the official school mascot . Bulldog legends John Russell , Dan Magill , Wally Butts , Howell Hollis , Forrest " Spec " Towns , Herman Stegeman , Herschel Walker , Erskine " Erk " Russell and Fran Tarkenton , Vince Dooley , along with current coaches Mark Richt , Andy Landers , Jay Clark , Manuel Diaz , Jeff Wallace , Jack Bauerle , are all considered to be among the best in their respective sport . Overview . The University sponsors nineteen sports – baseball , men ' s and women ' s basketball , men ' s and women ' s cross country , women ' s equestrian , football , men ' s and women ' s golf , women ' s gymnastics , women ' s soccer , softball , men ' s and women ' s swimming and diving , men ' s and women ' s tennis , men ' s and women ' s track , and women ' s volleyball . Those 19 teams have won a combined 26 team national championships and 130 Southeastern Conference championships as of May 1 , 2009 . The first mention of " Bulldogs " in association with Georgia athletics occurred on November 28 , 1901 , at the Georgia - Auburn football game played in Atlanta . The Georgia fans " had a badge saying ' Eat ` em Georgia ' and a picture of a bulldog tearing a piece of cloth " ; however , it was not until 1920 that the nickname " Bulldog " was used to describe the athletic teams at the University of Georgia . Traditionally , the choice of a Bulldog as the UGA mascot was attributed to the alma mater of its founders and first president , who graduated from Yale University . On November 3 , 1920 , Morgan Blake , a sportswriter for the Atlanta Journal wrote a story about school nicknames for football teams and proposed : " The Georgia Bulldogs would sound good because there is a certain dignity about a bulldog , as well as ferocity . " Shortly thereafter , another news story appeared in the Atlanta Constitution in which the name " Bulldogs " was used several times to describe the Georgia football team and the nickname has been used ever since then . The athletic department suffered through several controversies in the early 2000s , including a major scandal within the men ' s basketball program . In 2003 , a power struggle between University President Michael Adams and athletic director and beloved Bulldog legend Vince Dooley stole headlines across the country when Adams refused to renew Dooley ' s contract , effectively firing him . The battle became one painted as academics versus athletics , though this idea was rejected when the University ' s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences faculty issued a vote of " no confidence " on Adams ' leadership in 2004 . The firestorm has calmed slightly since then , however , largely due to the success of Dooley ' s successor , Damon Evans . In 2006 , the Bulldogs recorded the highest profit margin of any athletic program in the country ( according to the EADA report ) , pulling in USD $ 23 . 9 million , and also recorded another highly - successful year on the field . However , Evans was arrested for DUI on June 30 , 2010 ; his passenger , a 28 - year - old woman , was arrested for disorderly conduct who told police that she had been seeing Evans for about one week . Evans has been asked for his resignation effective on Monday , July 5 , and he has agreed to resign . Football . Moving from North Campus toward South Campus — the more recently constructed campus where science and mathematics departments are located — one passes the Tate Student Center and , most notably , the 92 , 746 seat Sanford Stadium : home of the Georgia football team . The white Bulldog is UGA ’ s mascot and is properly known as " Uga VIII " . The Bulldogs play in the tradition - rich Southeastern Conference . The Bulldogs ' most historic rivalry is with the Auburn Tigers , referred to as " The Deep South ' s Oldest Rivalry " and dating back to 1892 . The other rivalries are between the Bulldogs and the Atlantic Coast Conference ' s Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets ( " Clean , Old - Fashioned Hate " ) and the Florida Gators ( The World ' s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party ) . In addition , UGA enjoyed a strong rivalry with the nearby Clemson Tigers for many years in football , especially in the 1980s . The Bulldogs and the Tennessee Volunteers annual showdown on the second Saturday of October has become a rivalry as a result of the 1992 division of the Southeastern Conference into Eastern and Western divisions . Before 1992 , the two teams had only met 21 times since 1899 . Beginning in 1992 , the two teams have played annually as members of the same division . Georgia also enjoys a healthy rivalry with the South Carolina Gamecocks , meeting on the football field 62 times since 1894 . The football team has celebrated recent success , compared to some relatively lean years in the 1990s . Between 1989 and 2000 , the Bulldogs earned a record of 86 – 53 – 1 under head coaches Ray Goff ( often derisively referred to as Ray ' Goof ' , a nickname given by former Florida Gators and current South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier ) and Jim Donnan . Since 2001 , Mark Richt has led the Bulldogs to 2 SEC Championships in 3 appearances , as well as an overall record of 74 – 19 ( 5 – 2 in Bowl Games ) . The Bulldogs have brought home two national championships in their storied history : a shared title in 1942 and a consensus national championship in 1980 ( several polls recognized the Bulldogs as national champions in 1927 , 1946 , and 1968 , as well ) . In addition to their 2 national championships , the Bulldogs have won 12 Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) championships , the most recent coming in 2005 , boast two Heisman Trophy winners ( Frank Sinkwich , 1942 , and Herschel Walker , 1982 ) , and hold the distinction of having three graduates become Super Bowl MVP s ( Jake Scott , 1972 , Terrell Davis , 1998 , and Hines Ward , 2005 ) . Notable former players include RB Herschel Walker , QB Eric Zeier , QB Fran Tarkenton , RB Frank Sinkwich , RB Charley Trippi , RB Rodney Hampton , FB Mack Strong , RB Garrison Hearst , DE Bill Stanfill , DB Terry Hoage , CB Champ Bailey , RB Terrell Davis , RB Olandis Gary , WR Hines Ward , DE Richard Seymour , LB Boss Bailey , DE / LB David Pollack , QB David Greene , K Kevin Butler , CB Sean Jones , SS / LB Thomas Davis , WR Reggie Brown , FS Greg Blue , Jon Bentley , QB Buck Belue , RB Knowshon Moreno , QB Matthew Stafford , and WR Mohamed Massaquoi , PR Prince Miller , R Rennie Curran , LT Jon Stinchcomb . The Georgia - Florida game is held annually in late October / early November in Jacksonville , Florida , a site intended to be neutral . However , it is worth noting that the neutrality of the game ' s location is a point of contention for many Georgia fans ; many of whom argue that Jacksonville ' s location relative to the two universities favors Florida . The city lies 342 miles from Athens , Georgia , home of the Bulldogs , but only 73 miles from Gainesville , Florida , home of the Gators . University athletic directors recently extended the agreement to continue playing in Jacksonville till 2010 . The game is considered a must - do for many UGA students and alumni . Georgia holds the all - time advantage in the series , posting a win - loss record of 47 – 38 – 2 ( 46 – 38 – 2 according to the University of Florida , which does not include the 1904 game in Macon , Georgia before officially sanctioning its football program . ) The University of Florida began closing the gap , going 15 – 1 between 1990 and 2003 . Georgia has begun to even up the series since , winning in 2004 and 2007 while the Gators took the game in 2005 , 2006 , 2008 , and 2009 . Tennis . Men ' s Tennis . Under the direction of college sports legend Dan Magill from 1954 to 1988 and his successor ( and current head coach ) Manuel Diaz , the Georgia Men ' s Tennis program ranks among the nation ' s best . The team has won a total of eight tennis national championships in 1985 , ' 87 , ' 99 , 2001 , ' 06 ( indoor ) , 07 ( indoor and NCAA Division I ) , and 2008 . The Bulldogs ' six NCAA team championships rank second all - time behind Stanford , who has won the team title 15 times . The 2007 indoor championship made Georgia only the sixth team in history to successfully defend the ITA Indoor title . Coach Manuel Diaz is the only NCAA Division I active coach with more than one NCAA team Championships , with four . The squad has won 32 Southeastern Conference championships , 25 regular season championships and seven SEC tournament championships . The NCAA Men ' s Tennis Championship has been held in Athens 24 times in the past 35 years , including consecutively from 1977 – 1989 and in 2007 . All but one ( 2008 ) of UGA ' s NCAA team championships have been won in Athens . Women ' s Tennis . UGA alum Jeff Wallace has coached the Georgia Women ' s Tennis program since 1985 , and is currently the winningest active NCAA women ' s tennis coach . His teams have won two NCAA team championships ( 1994 and 2000 ) , three ITA Indoor Championships ( 1994 , 1995 and 2002 ) and nine SEC titles . The NCAA Women ' s Tennis Championship has been held in Athens 3 times . Women ' s Gymnastics . No Bulldog team has dominated its sport as much in the past 20 years as the Georgia Gym Dogs , under the direction of Suzanne Yoculan . Since 1986 , the Gym Dogs have brought home 10 gymnastics national championships ( 1987 , ' 89 , 1993 , ' 98 , ' 99 , 2005 , ' 06 , ' 07 , ' 08 , ' 09 ) , < / ref > the most of any team in NCAA history ( While Utah has also won ten national titles , their first was an AIAW Championship in 1981 ) . Georgia is also only the second team ( Utah , 1982 – 86 ) to win the national title in five consecutive years , winning in 2005 – 09 . The Gym Dogs boast 16 Southeastern Conference titles . The Gym Dogs consistently draw upwards of 10 , 000 fans to their meets , ranking them second only to football in average attendance among Georgia sports . On October 18 , 2007 , Yoculan announced her retirement after the 2009 season . Longtime assistant Jay Clark succeeded Yoculan as head coach . Golf . Men ' s Golf . From 1946 – 70 , Howell Hollis built the Georgia men ' s golf team into a conference power , claiming 13 SEC titles and laying the groundwork for the team ' s future successes . Current coach Chris Haack has led the team to two golf national titles ( 1999 , 2005 ) and keeps them in contention for the crown each year . Overall , the men ' s golf team leads all Georgia sports with 26 conference championships , including four since 2000 . Women ' s Golf . First organized by women ' s athletics pioneer Liz Murphey , the Georgia women ' s golf team is a fixture among the nation ' s top finishers . Todd McCorkle coached the Georgia women ' s golf team from 2001 to 2007 , when he abruptly resigned before the NCAA Women ' s Golf Championship under a cloud of sexual harassment allegations . His inaugural UGA team won the national championship . UGA ' s sixth place tie at the 2006 national event marks the seventh top - 10 final ranking in the last nine years . The progam has won eleven SEC titles . Former players include Vicki Goetze , now on the LPGA Tour . Basketball . Women ' s Basketball . Coach Andy Landers , a pioneer in the sport , has coached the Lady Bulldogs since 1979 , leading them to seven regular - season SEC titles , four SEC tournament championships , twenty 21 - win seasons ( an average of 24 . 4 wins per season ) , 23 NCAA tournaments , and five Final Fours . Landers currently stands as the winningest women ' s college basketball coach not to have won the national championship . The Lady Dogs ' all - time AP ranking stands at 4th as of 2005 . The Lady Dogs have also produced two U . S . Olympians who have combined to earn six Gold Medals ( Teresa Edwards and Katrina McClain Johnson ) , 16 former players who have continued to the WNBA ( second - most nationally ) , and six WNBA first - round draft picks in the past five years ( second - most nationally ) . There were eight Lady Bulldogs on WNBA rosters in 2006 : Kara Braxton , Detroit Shock ; Kedra Holland - Corn , Detroit Shock ; Deanna Nolan , Detroit Shock ; Kelly Miller , Phoenix Mercury ; Coco Miller , Washington Mystics ; Christi Thomas , Los Angeles Sparks ; Sherill Baker , New York Liberty ; and Kiesha Brown , New York Liberty . Men ' s Basketball . While often overshadowed by the accomplishments of the Lady Dogs , Georgia ' s men ' s basketball program has enjoyed several impressive seasons , including a run to the 2008 SEC Championship and berth in the NCAA tournament under former head coach Dennis Felton . While Dominique Wilkins is considered the greatest player in school history , the team ' s most successful season came one year after his graduation . The Bulldogs made their first NCAA appearance in 1983 – which would have been Wilkins ' senior year had he not opted for the NBA . That team advanced to the Final Four before falling to eventual national champion NC State . Since making its first postseason tournament in 1980 , Georgia has received 21 postseason invitations under coaches Hugh Durham , Tubby Smith , Ron Jirsa , Jim Harrick , and Dennis Felton , including 10 trips to the NCAA tournament . Women ' s Swimming and Diving . In his 27th year with the Georgia Swimming and Diving program , Coach Jack Bauerle has placed the women ' s program among the nation ' s elite . In the past eight years , the team has taken four national championships ( 1999 , 2000 , ' 01 , ' 05 ) and posted four national runner - up finishes ( 2002 , ' 03 , ' 04 , ' 06 ) . The Lady Bulldogs have also brought home six SEC team championships ( 1997 , ' 98 , ' 99 , 2000 , ' 01 , ' 06 ) in the past ten years . Bauerle has coached 11 female Olympians and 88 SEC individual champions . Graduates of the Georgia Swimming and Diving program include three individual recipients of the NCAA Woman of the Year Award : Lisa Coole in 1997 , Kristy Kowal in 2000 and Kim Black in 2001 . Baseball . The Georgia Baseball team has seen most of its success in recent years , including winning the 1990 College World Series , as well as making the trip to Omaha in 1987 , 1990 , 2001 , 2004 , 2006 , and 2008 . The " Diamond Dawgs " , as they are called , are coached by David Perno . In its history , the team has claimed five Southeastern Conference tournament titles , in 1933 , 1954 , 1955 , 2001 , and 2004 , and five regular season conference titles , in 1933 , 1953 , 1954 , 2004 , and 2008 . The program dates back to 1886 and , according to former Sports Information Director Dan Magill , was once the most popular sport on campus . However , from the mid - 1950s to the late - 1980s , and then through most of the 1990s , there were only scattered bright spots as the team managed only a modicum of success . Since 2001 , however , the program has enjoyed quite a resurgence , winning three championships in the perennial stalwart Southeastern Conference and participating in the College World Series four times in those seven seasons . The Georgia - Georgia Tech baseball rivalry is one of the South ' s most fierce , and the teams ' annual Spring Baseball Classic at Turner Field draws some of the largest crowds in college baseball ( the 2004 game was seen by 28 , 836 spectators , the second - largest crowd in college baseball history ) . The team has seen several of its former players move on to successful professional careers , most notably former New York Yankees pitcher Spud Chandler . Also , St . Louis Cardinals pitcher Cris Carpenter ( not to be confused with current Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter ) , pitcher Derek Lilliquist , Chicago White Soxs batter Gordon Beckham , Seattle Mariners pitcher Dave Fleming , and Georgia high school football coaching legend Billy Henderson played for the Bulldogs . The Bulldogs play in the 3 , 291 - seat Foley Field stadium . Equestrian . UGA ' s newest varsity team first competed in the 2002 – 2003 season . Head coach Meghan Boenig guided the team to a national championship in the Varsity Equestrian National Championships ( VENC ) that year as well as a repeat national championship the following year ( 2003 – 2004 ) . After a series of runner - up finishes , the team reclaimed the top spot in 2007 – 2008 and repeated as champions in 2008 – 2009 and 2009 – 2010 . Other sports . Other notable sports teams include the perennial power men ' s swimming team . Notable track and field athletes include Olympic gold medalists Forrest Towns and Gwen Torrence as well as bronze medalist Debbie Ferguson .