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This article will resonate with a lot of folks.
I get it.
The almighty dollar rules, and dictates.
Georgia Tech may have some small amount of input, but ultimately has no say in the final decision.
But I’ve risen at oh-dark-thirty way too many times, skipped a pre-game grilling opportunity because none of my crew wants to eat lunch at 10:30 a.m., and then sweated my butt off in the Lower East stands in 90-degree weather far too often to not have earned the right to complain about it.
Georgia Tech football games that are scheduled before 3:30 p.m., especially in September, suck.
I don’t think Stansbury lives in a bubble or has his head in the sand on this issue. I fully expect that he understands fan frustration over the early start times. I have no doubt the he would like to do everything possible to fill the seats in Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field for all games, regardless of start time. And I’m certain that fan experience is high on his list of things to improve.
But I also believe his hands are, for the most part, tied when it comes to game start times.
The ACC’s television partners – the ESPN family of networks, Fox Sports regional networks and Raycom – tell us when games will be broadcast. And they pay handsomely for the right to do so.
In this decade, Georgia Tech has played 53 games at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Twenty-seven of those games – just over 50 percent – have kicked off earlier than 1 p.m.
Hello Bowling Green at noon.