University of Georgia Athletics
Bulldog Athletics Showed Its Depth, Strength
June 26, 2026 | Baseball, Football, General, Women's Tennis, Track & Field, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
It has been another very successful fall, winter and spring for the Georgia Bulldogs. Whether on the field, court, track and elsewhere, Georgia's teams have achieved plenty, including winning multiple SEC and national titles.
Georgia's women's track and field team won the NCAA Indoor title in March, and then followed that up earlier this month by winning its second straight NCAA Outdoor championship. The Georgia men also had a stellar showing at the Outdoor meet, placing second, their best finish since winning the NCAA title in 2018.
The Georgia women's tennis team also repeated as national champions this year, winning its second straight ITA National Indoor title. The women also advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA championships at Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex, and finished ranked No. 3 in the final ITA rankings. Junior Aysegul Mert finished the season ranked No. 6 in the country in singles, while senior Anastasiia Lopata closed out her career ranked No. 15. Mert and freshman Deniz Dilek were No. 5 in the final doubles rankings, with Lopata and freshman Patricija Paukstyte one spot behind them at No. 6.
Over the past two seasons, three Georgia women's teams have combined to win seven national championships: three in women's tennis, three in women's track, and the equestrian team won the NCEA title in 2025. Georgia advanced to the semifinals of this year's NCEA Championships.
In the fall, Georgia's football team won its second straight SEC championship and advanced to the College Football Playoff. The Bulldogs have a record of 65-7 over the last five years, the best mark in the country. In soccer, the Bulldogs earned a bid to the NCAA tournament for the fourth year in a row, the longest streak in program history. In baseball, the Bulldogs won the SEC regular-season and tournament titles.
Georgia is the only athletic department in the country to have a 12-win football team, men's and women's basketball teams with 20-plus wins, a baseball team with 40-plus wins, and with all four sports advancing to the CFP or NCAA tournaments. In the Learfield Directors' Cup standings, Georgia finished eighth, earning its second top-10 finish in the past four years and 13th in school history.
Here is another way to look at Georgia's overall athletic excellence in 2025-26: Of the 12 schools that made the College Football Playoff field this fall, only six of them also had teams in the men's NCAA basketball tournament. Of those six, four of them also had teams in the women's NCAA tournament. Of those four schools, three also had teams in softball's NCAA tournament. And of those three, two, Georgia and Alabama, also had teams in baseball's NCAA tournament. Georgia and Alabama's baseball teams not only made the NCAAs, they reached the College World Series.
The third-seeded Bulldogs advanced to the semifinals in Omaha, Neb., and finished tied for third. The team led the nation with 179 home runs, with 32 of those coming from catcher Daniel Jackson, who had one of the greatest seasons in program history. Jackson led the SEC in nearly every major offensive category, including batting average (.379), home runs and runs batted in (87).
Jackson was named the SEC Player of the Year, won the Dick Howser Trophy as the top player in Division I, was named the D1Baseball.com National Player of the Year, and he was the recipient of the Buster Posey Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award. Jackson is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, which will be announced Sunday. In addition, Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Wes Johnson was named the SEC Coach of the Year.
In women's track, Georgia has two of the 10 semifinalists for the Bowerman Award in sprinters Adaejah Hodge and Dejanea Oakley. Hodge, a redshirt freshman, won the NCAA Indoor title in the 200 meters and repeated as Outdoor champion in the 200. At the NCAA Outdoor meet, she set an NCAA record in both the 100 and 200. Hodge ran an NCAA-record 10.63 in the 100 during the semifinals and ran 10.93 in the final to place second. In the 200, she set the collegiate record in the final with a time of 21.68. Hodge's top times are the fastest in the world this year.
Oakley, a senior competing in her final meet for the Bulldogs, won the NCAA Outdoor title in the 400 with an NCAA-record time of 48.79. After placing second to teammate Aaliyah Butler at last year's Outdoor meet, Oakley finished on top in 2026. She also won the 400 at the NCAA Indoor meet in March. Oakley's 48.79 is the fastest time in the world in 2026.
Earlier this week, Georgia Director of Track and Field Caryl Smith Gilbert was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's National Women's Coach of the Year. Associate head coach Karim Abdel Wahab was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year, and Hodge was named the National Track Athlete of the Year.
The gymnastics team also had a breakout season, placing sixth at the NCAA meet for its highest finish since 2016. The men's cross country team had its best season since 2012, placing 24th at the NCAA meet for the second-best finish in program history. In addition, Georgia's softball team advanced to the NCAA Super Regional round for the fourth straight year.
Georgia also said farewell in 2026 to legendary men's golf coach Chris Haack, who retired after leading the Bulldogs to the NCAA Championships for the 24th time. Under Haack, the Bulldogs won the 1999 and 2005 NCAA titles, finished runner-up in 2007 and '11, reached the semifinals in 2015, and won eight SEC titles.
The Bulldogs in all sports will chase more championships and special seasons during the 2026-27 academic year. Soccer and volleyball will get things started in August, including a special soccer game at Sanford Stadium against James Madison on Aug. 20.
The "Soccer in Sanford" event will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the U.S. women's team winning the gold medal between the hedges during the 1996 Olympics. Tickets to the game are free and will be available starting July 30.
Staff Writer
It has been another very successful fall, winter and spring for the Georgia Bulldogs. Whether on the field, court, track and elsewhere, Georgia's teams have achieved plenty, including winning multiple SEC and national titles.
Georgia's women's track and field team won the NCAA Indoor title in March, and then followed that up earlier this month by winning its second straight NCAA Outdoor championship. The Georgia men also had a stellar showing at the Outdoor meet, placing second, their best finish since winning the NCAA title in 2018.
The Georgia women's tennis team also repeated as national champions this year, winning its second straight ITA National Indoor title. The women also advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA championships at Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex, and finished ranked No. 3 in the final ITA rankings. Junior Aysegul Mert finished the season ranked No. 6 in the country in singles, while senior Anastasiia Lopata closed out her career ranked No. 15. Mert and freshman Deniz Dilek were No. 5 in the final doubles rankings, with Lopata and freshman Patricija Paukstyte one spot behind them at No. 6.
Over the past two seasons, three Georgia women's teams have combined to win seven national championships: three in women's tennis, three in women's track, and the equestrian team won the NCEA title in 2025. Georgia advanced to the semifinals of this year's NCEA Championships.
In the fall, Georgia's football team won its second straight SEC championship and advanced to the College Football Playoff. The Bulldogs have a record of 65-7 over the last five years, the best mark in the country. In soccer, the Bulldogs earned a bid to the NCAA tournament for the fourth year in a row, the longest streak in program history. In baseball, the Bulldogs won the SEC regular-season and tournament titles.
Georgia is the only athletic department in the country to have a 12-win football team, men's and women's basketball teams with 20-plus wins, a baseball team with 40-plus wins, and with all four sports advancing to the CFP or NCAA tournaments. In the Learfield Directors' Cup standings, Georgia finished eighth, earning its second top-10 finish in the past four years and 13th in school history.
Here is another way to look at Georgia's overall athletic excellence in 2025-26: Of the 12 schools that made the College Football Playoff field this fall, only six of them also had teams in the men's NCAA basketball tournament. Of those six, four of them also had teams in the women's NCAA tournament. Of those four schools, three also had teams in softball's NCAA tournament. And of those three, two, Georgia and Alabama, also had teams in baseball's NCAA tournament. Georgia and Alabama's baseball teams not only made the NCAAs, they reached the College World Series.
The third-seeded Bulldogs advanced to the semifinals in Omaha, Neb., and finished tied for third. The team led the nation with 179 home runs, with 32 of those coming from catcher Daniel Jackson, who had one of the greatest seasons in program history. Jackson led the SEC in nearly every major offensive category, including batting average (.379), home runs and runs batted in (87).
Jackson was named the SEC Player of the Year, won the Dick Howser Trophy as the top player in Division I, was named the D1Baseball.com National Player of the Year, and he was the recipient of the Buster Posey Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award. Jackson is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, which will be announced Sunday. In addition, Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Wes Johnson was named the SEC Coach of the Year.
In women's track, Georgia has two of the 10 semifinalists for the Bowerman Award in sprinters Adaejah Hodge and Dejanea Oakley. Hodge, a redshirt freshman, won the NCAA Indoor title in the 200 meters and repeated as Outdoor champion in the 200. At the NCAA Outdoor meet, she set an NCAA record in both the 100 and 200. Hodge ran an NCAA-record 10.63 in the 100 during the semifinals and ran 10.93 in the final to place second. In the 200, she set the collegiate record in the final with a time of 21.68. Hodge's top times are the fastest in the world this year.
Oakley, a senior competing in her final meet for the Bulldogs, won the NCAA Outdoor title in the 400 with an NCAA-record time of 48.79. After placing second to teammate Aaliyah Butler at last year's Outdoor meet, Oakley finished on top in 2026. She also won the 400 at the NCAA Indoor meet in March. Oakley's 48.79 is the fastest time in the world in 2026.
Earlier this week, Georgia Director of Track and Field Caryl Smith Gilbert was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's National Women's Coach of the Year. Associate head coach Karim Abdel Wahab was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year, and Hodge was named the National Track Athlete of the Year.
The gymnastics team also had a breakout season, placing sixth at the NCAA meet for its highest finish since 2016. The men's cross country team had its best season since 2012, placing 24th at the NCAA meet for the second-best finish in program history. In addition, Georgia's softball team advanced to the NCAA Super Regional round for the fourth straight year.
Georgia also said farewell in 2026 to legendary men's golf coach Chris Haack, who retired after leading the Bulldogs to the NCAA Championships for the 24th time. Under Haack, the Bulldogs won the 1999 and 2005 NCAA titles, finished runner-up in 2007 and '11, reached the semifinals in 2015, and won eight SEC titles.
The Bulldogs in all sports will chase more championships and special seasons during the 2026-27 academic year. Soccer and volleyball will get things started in August, including a special soccer game at Sanford Stadium against James Madison on Aug. 20.
The "Soccer in Sanford" event will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the U.S. women's team winning the gold medal between the hedges during the 1996 Olympics. Tickets to the game are free and will be available starting July 30.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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