Georgia bus incident recalls long, bumpy history of Auburn road trips
A Georgia Bulldogs helmet sits in the bench area during the third quarter of the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Sanford Stadium on October 4, 2025 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
BOGART, Ga. - The biggest Georgia Bulldogs fans will know traveling to Auburn has not always been a pleasant experience, but an accident on Friday night could have been much worse.
UGA bus crash
What we know:
A University of Georgia bus carrying athletic support staff to Auburn was involved in a minor traffic incident Friday, officials confirmed.
No one was hurt, according to a statement from UGA Sports Communications.
"A bus carrying UGA support staff to Auburn was involved in a minor traffic incident today. No staff sustained any injuries. We are thankful for the quick response of local law enforcement and emergency personnel," spokesperson Tray Littlefield said.
The university did not release any photos or additional details about the incident. The Bulldogs are set to face Auburn this weekend in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.
According to multiple reports, the crash happened along U.S. 29 near Bogart.
Georgia-Auburn rivalry
Dig deeper:
This is not the first time a trip to Auburn has gone bad for UGA in a rivalry that dates back to 1892. In those days, travel was done by train, not by bus. That opened an opportunity for what is known as the "greased tracks" prank of 1896.
Some mischievous Auburn students reportedly greased the tracks, so the train would not stop at the appropriate place. Instead, the team reportedly got off further down the line and were forced to march into town and ultimately wearing them out, costing them the game.
In 1942, a wartime game was played with Georgia getting a military escort to the game. Bulldogs’ legend Frank Sinkwich traveled to the game with a broken jaw but was still able to lead the Dawgs to victory.
And then in 2017, the top-ranked Bulldogs would take the nearly 3-hour trip to Auburn and into a crushing 40-17 defeat. However, Georgia was able to get its revenge just three weeks later in the SEC Championship game played in Atlanta, beating Auburn 28-7 and earning a College Football Playoff berth.
Georgia leads Auburn in the rivalry with 65 wins, 56 losses, and eight ties.
What's next:
Georgia and Auburn will meet on the gridiron on Saturday afternoon. We hope everyone who is going stays safe.
The Source: The details in this article were provided by the University of Georgia.