Macy Linder

Athens, Georgia – The University of Georgia Ice Dawgs host the Athens Winter Classic in the Classic Center Foundry Pavilion, where the Ice Dawgs will debut a special edition jersey to pay homage to Athens.

The special edition jersey, made by JOG, will pay a special tribute to Athens. The jersey, which is an aged cream, features graphic letters spelling Athens across the chest in a diagonal line. This style is inspired by vintage jerseys that were popular in previous years.

The Ice Dawgs will also be sporting a specialty logo on the limited edition jerseys of one of their community partners, Nuçi’s Space. 

Nuçi’s Space is a mental health center, whose mission is to prevent suicide and alleviate the stigma around mental health issues by creating a welcoming atmosphere to offer those in need of support. The Ice Dawgs will display the logo as well as use the hashtag “#Letstalkaboutit” on their social media accounts – to help bring awareness and open the conversation about the importance of mental health.

Head coach John Camp touches on how the team got involved with this cause.

“I approached Nuçi’s during Covid to see if the team could help bring attention to mental health. Since we wanted to honor Athens with the jersey, we also wanted to wear Nuçi’s logo on the jerseys. #Letstalkaboutit is our message, to remove the negative stigma that surrounds mental health and depression,” he said.  

This year’s Athens Winter Classic will take place over two weekends. The first two games will be held this weekend on the 28th and 29th of January, where the Ice Dawgs will face off against Ole Miss. The next set of games are the following weekend on the 3rd and 4th of February, where the Ice Dawgs will compete against South Carolina and Georgia Tech. 

During the Georgia Tech game on February 4th, a jersey auction will be held allowing fans to bid on these special edition jerseys. Proceeds will go towards helping support the Ice Dawgs season and Nuçi’s Space.