Green appeal unsuccessful

It's official: A.J. Green will not be available to Georgia until Oct. 2 at Colorado.

The NCAA turned down Georgia's appeal late on Friday afternoon. Its committee on legislative relief, comprised of members of other schools and conferences, upheld the decision the NCAA announced on Sept. 8.

The news was announced through Georgia, which was told the NCAA would not be issuing a release on the appeal.

"The NCAA Division I Committee for Student-Athlete reinstatement upheld the staff's decision for repayment and a four game rationale, but we do not have any further to share," NCAA spokesman Stacy Osburn said in an email on Friday night.

Georgia has already played two games without Green. It will now play without him on Saturday against No. 12 Arkansas, and a week later at Mississippi State.

"Our concentration is the same as the last two weeks which is preparing for the next game," head coach Mark Richt said in a statement. "We'll look forward to A.J.¹s return for the Colorado game on Oct. 2."

Georgia athletics director added in a statement: "We respect the committee's decision and will focus on moving forward."

Green was suspended after he sold a game jersey for $1,000 to Chris Hawkins, a former North Carolina player the NCAA defined as an agent. (Hawkins, who is facing felony cocaine trafficking charges in Georgia, has denied he is an agent or works for one.)

Richt said the team built most of its gameplan this week assuming it would not have Green.

EDIT: In my original post it was stated that the appeal was heard and turned down by the legislative affairs committee. That was our understanding of the process from the Jeremiah Masoli-Mississippi case. But Georgia's release stated that the appeal was heard by the student-athlete reinstatement committee.