How The Economy Has Changed Since Georgia's Last College Football National Championship

The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18 on Monday night to win their first NCAA football championship in 41 years.

The last time the Bulldogs won a national championship was following the 1980 season, and a lot has changed in the U.S. economy since that time.

1980 And Today: The Bulldogs defeated Notre Dame 17-10 in the Sugar Bowl to win their last national championship on Jan. 1, 1981. At that time, the S&P 500 was trading at 135.7 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was trading at 963.99.

A $1,000 investment in the S&P 500 the day Georgia won their last championship would be worth more than $34,300 today.

Related Link: Here's Why Mattress Mack Wagered $6M On Alabama To Win The CFP Championship

Today, investors are very concerned about extreme inflation, including 6.8% CPI inflation in December. In 1980, the U.S. inflation rate was 13.5%. Today, the fed funds interest rate is 0.08%. In 1980, the fed funds rate finished the year at an astounding 22%.

The average cost of a new house in 1980 was $68,700. Today, it's $408,800.

In 1980, the average American income was $19,500. Today it's $64,214.

In 1980, a gallon of gas cost $1.19, the average new car cost $7,200 and a pound of ground beef cost $1.39.

CNN launched in 1980, and Beatle John Lennon was murdered. The Rubik's cube first hit shelves in 1980, and millions of Americans tuned in to soap opera "Dallas" to find out who shot J.R. Ewing.

In 1980, the U.S. population was 226,504,825. Today, it's 333,997,899.

In 1980, the Fortune 500 was topped by Exxon Mobil Corp XOM, General Motors Company GM and Ford Motor Company F. Today, the top three spots belong to Walmart Inc WMT, Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN and Apple, Inc. AAPL.

Benzinga's Take: It was a crushing defeat for Alabama fans on Monday night, but they haven't experienced anything close to the level of frustration Bulldog fans have dealt with for the past 41 years. It's been just one year since Bama last won the national championship and only 38 days since Bama last defeated Georgia in the 2021 Southeastern Conference championship game.

Photo: Sanford Stadium, Pruddle via Wikimedia Commons