Mark Richt said if he had it to do again with the NCAA, “it’d be lie and deny.”

It was a joke, of course, but the former Georgia coach couldn’t help by jab at the governing body of college athletics during an announcement he made during a visit to a Bulldog press conference Monday.

The retired Richt is fighting Parkinson’s disease. His granddaughter, Jadyn, who has Chron’s disease, was with him when he announced a bowling event on Oct. 18 to help raise research money for Parkinson’s and Chron’s.

There will be two bowling teams, and Georgia players will participate on each team. The winning team will receive a championship belt.

“Back in my day, they’d get thrown in NCAA jail (for the winning team getting a belt),” Richt said. “Believe me, they’d have a two-game suspension for being honest and fessing up to it.”

The reference was to former Georgia receiver A.J. Green who was suspended in 2010 for selling his Independence Bowl jersey for $1,000. It was also a reference to former running back Todd Gurley who was suspended in 2014 after selling autographs. Neither is considered an infraction today.

“If I had to go back and do that again, it’d be lie and deny,” Richt said. “Prove it two years after your eligibility’s up.”

The comments got laughter from Kirby Smart and the gathered media.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.