DALLAS — Kirby Smart revealed on Tuesday that fines have been in place for Georgia football players via the Classic City Collective associated with the program.
“I do think the effective way in curtailing some things is when you go to their wallet,” Smart said. “You fine them because these fines have been substantial, and it’ll make you think twice about the mistakes you make.”
The fines have not been public.
Georgia is believed to be the first school to publicly acknowledge that player fines are part of the disciplinary process.
Smart made it clear that the collective — which works in collaboration with Georgia — oversees the fining process.
Fines of varying degrees are in place for off-field incidents that including driving offenses as well as other violations of team rules including missing classes.
“Our Classic City Collective, for over a year, has been substantially fining guys for those things,” Smart said. “That’s something that’s been ongoing outside of my jurisdiction they decided to do and have done to a considerable amount.”
Some fines are believed to approach five digits, an indication of just how serious Georgia is taking the driving-related issues in the aftermath of the tragic crash that killed former player Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy in 2022.
Smart said game suspensions also remain in place, though he declined to share the specifies of how and when they might be applied.
“Everybody wants to know what game and are they suspended,” Smart said.
“That’s probably not the most important thing in terms of the discipline and culture they’ve got to experience.”
The Georgia head coach did note, however, that he believes UGA to be the only program to suspend a player for a driving-related offense (former receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint).
Smart also indicated disciplinary action will continue to be handled internally, though his acknowledgement of financial fines is likely to be an influence in the college football world searching for answers to unintended consequences brought on by NIL dealings.
“I still think the best way is proactive, not reactive education, which we’ve done,” Smart said, referring to UGA’s focus on curbing driving-related issues.
“Defensive driving courses, which we’ve implemented, and for the first time ever in my career, we get kids … six-hour driving sessions … because some of this is poor decisions, and some of it is poor driving.”
Smart announced on Tuesday that David Daniel-Sisavanh, a senior projected in the two-deep, had been dismissed from the team. The veteran safety was among the Georgia players who had a driving-related infraction this year.
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“You know, had to let guys go based on it,” Smart said. “So different circumstances come with each and every one of these.”
Smart’s presentation on Tuesday answered many questions as to how Georgia is handling the traffic-related incident trend while still protecting the players’ privacy.
“I don’t necessarily think it’s right to go down to the town square and publicly shame kids,” Smart said. “They go through a lot. And there’s a lot of remorse from these young men .... our job is to educate.”
Indeed, and some lessons can prove costlier, but ulitmately perhaps more valuable, than others.