2002 SEC Championship Game

{{for|the SEC men's basketball championship|2002 SEC men's basketball tournament}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox college football game

| name =

| year_game_played = 2002

| game_name = SEC Championship Game

| subheader = Conference Championship

| image = 2002SECChamplogo.png

| caption = 2002 SEC Championship logo

| football_season = 2002

| visitor_name_short = Arkansas

| visitor_nickname = Razorbacks

| visitor_school = University of Arkansas

| home_name_short = Georgia

| home_nickname = Bulldogs

| home_school = University of Georgia

| visitor_record = 9–3

| home_record = 11–1

| visitor_coach = Houston Nutt

| home_coach = Mark Richt

| visitor_rank_AP = 22

| visitor_rank_coaches = 22

| visitor_rank_BCS = NR

| home_rank_AP = 4

| home_rank_coaches = 4

| home_rank_BCS = 3

| visitor_1q = 0

| visitor_2q = 0

| visitor_3q = 3

| visitor_4q = 0

| home_1q = 17

| home_2q = 0

| home_3q = 6

| home_4q = 7

| date_game_played = December 7

| stadium = Georgia Dome

| city = Atlanta, Georgia

| MVP = RB Musa Smith, Georgia

| odds = Georgia by 8{{cite web|url=http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/history/championship/sec/|title=SEC Championship History| accessdate= 27 November 2012 }}

| referee = Penn Wagers

| attendance = 74,913

| us_network = CBS

| us_announcers_link = List of announcers of major college bowl games

| us_announcers = Verne Lundquist (play-by-play)
Todd Blackledge (color)
Jill Arrington (sideline)

}}

{{2002 Southeastern Conference football standings}}

The 2002 SEC Championship Game was won by the Georgia Bulldogs 30–3 over the Arkansas Razorbacks. The game was played in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on December 7, 2002 and was televised to a national audience on CBS.

The 2002 championship game was unusual in the fact that team in first place in the Western Division did not play in the game. The Alabama Crimson Tide finished with the best SEC record in the Western Division, but could not participate in the conference championship game due to an NCAA probation stipulation which banned the team from any post season play. Instead, the Arkansas Razorbacks who finished in a three way tie for second represented the Western Division after winning the tie breaker over Auburn and LSU. This was not the first time the SEC West leader was excluded from the game. Auburn also finished atop the West in 1993, but was banned from post season play as well by NCAA probation.