Bulldog fans get creative to find ways to get to LA for National Championship game

ATLANTA — As UGA fans continue to descend on Southern California, Channel 2 Action News is learning how many fans are getting creative when it comes to saving money on airfare.

Andy Siegel, from Atlanta, told Channel 2′s Michael Seiden that he looked at using his airline miles, but he still was unable to find an affordable flight for him and his daughter to get to Los Angeles for the National Championship game.

[WATCH SUNDAY: Road 2 the Championship: Follow UGA football along with Channel 2 Action News LIVE in California]

“It was ridiculously expensive with dollars and points,” he said. “But I found it was very inexpensive to go from New York, so I’m visiting my daughters in New York for the weekend before flying out to the game on Saturday.”

Siegel said he booked his fight in early December but some of his friends weren’t as lucky.

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“I’ve got friends who are flying to Las Vegas and renting a car to drive several hours,” Siegel said. “Everybody going to LA is either spending a lot of money or they’ve decided not to go.”

Siegel said he can still remember the moment he watched UGA win its first National Championship in 1980.

“I was a freshman,” he said. “One of my memories from that game was sitting in such poor seats that I was able to run on the field after the game and tried to high-five Herschel (Walker) as he ran off the field. That’s when I realized he had separated the shoulder because he only gave me a low five as he ran past me.”

Since then, Siegel has created numerous memories, especially last year when he and his daughter made the trip to Indianapolis where the Dawgs took care of business.

“The opportunity to win two in a row is probably once in a lifetime,” he said. “Let’s get out there and celebrate and cheer on the Dawgs.”

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