The first sports teams to be invited to the White House were two amateur baseball teams in 1865. It quickly became a tradition amongst professional teams. In 1976, the Indiana Hoosiers Men's Basketball team became the first collegiate visitors to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It has since become an annual tradition for collegiate champions to visit the President in the months after their title.
However, the White House visit has become a major point of debate this year. Primarily, the discourse was sparked after LSU's Angel Reese implied she wouldn't accept the invitation. This came after Reese accused First Lady Jill Biden of disrespecting her and LSU. Dr. Biden had made comments implying she also wanted to invite National Runners-up Iowa. Reese eventually accepted and will visit with her teammates on May 26. However, a different college powerhouse has declined their invitation.
Bulldogs Cite Schedule Conflict For Skipping White House
The Georgia Bulldogs are back-to-back D1 football champions. They are considered the team to beat in college football and saw numerous stars drafted into the NFL. However, they will not be visiting Joe Biden at the White House. The Georgia Athletic Association formally declined the June 12 invitation, stating that there was a scheduling conflict that could not be avoided. President Biden has designated June 12 "College Athlete Day". Multiple teams and individuals from the world of college athletics will be in attendance.
"The University of Georgia first received on May 3 an invitation for the Bulldog football team to visit the White House on June 12. Unfortunately, the date suggested is not feasible given the student-athlete calendar and time of year. However, we are appreciative of the invitation and look forward to other opportunities for Georgia teams moving forward," the statement read. Additional details about the nature of the conflict were not made available to the media. Restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic also resulted in the Bulldogs not attending the White House after their 2022 National Championship. Here's hoping the Bulldogs can three-peat so that their players finally get that trip to DC.
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