Survey for BDS

[TooTall]

I wish we could go back in time to the early 1980s before Tech torn out the old south stands and decided then to build a new stadium. Look at all of the money we've spent over the years remodeling and upgrading. Maybe now is the time to consider a new stadium?

I'm actually fine with playing a full season at MBS while GT does a complete remodel of BDS@HGF, like Texas A&M did--although they did half one off season and half the next. But I do agree with taking off the upper part of the upper north, above the tunnels. I took some photos from the upper corner during the VT game in 2019 and sent them to a friend who got a bout of vertigo just from looking at them.

 

[FlatsLander]

I feel like removing the upper north seating would look weird considering there' basically no seating in the south endzone. Having super high sideline seating and then nothing in the endzones would like strange to me.

 

[GCdaJuiceMan]

Keep the lower north as is but make the upper north executive suits, high top and club seating (clemson below) and then make the south endzone a patio club with some seating and a open air, half covered bar that you can watch the game from. Go full chair backs on the lower east and call it a day.

 

[Gtconvert]

I submitted the suggestion of an onsite gameday daycare. Young kids enjoy the gameday experience but cannot sit still for a full game.

 

[Baker99]

I'm sure he asked around and not just your feelings...but seriously, all of our premium seating is fully sold out, whether they come to games or are held by rich opponents is another thing. The prices for GT games has to rank in the lower quarter of all FBS. Upping ticket prices slowly, $75 to $150 each year is doable for most season ticket holders, but the upgrades they are surveying would result in instant doubling, if not tripling, of those prices. If we want to be on par with our surrounding competition, be prepared to shell out. Example, AVERAGE price for 1 Alabama season ticket from the school is $2,500. Clemson is at $380 flat rate but the giving to iptay balloons the price quickly.

I think you're on the low side with Alabama price. They also have a 10 year wait list just to get season tickets, and you have to pay 25 dollars a year to stay on the list. Of course you can pay your way to the front of the list with a donation to Tide Pride. Last year when I wanted to start going to games more I looked into AL ( wife is a life long fan) and GA Tech I decided on Tech tickets because of the price. If the price had been as high as AL without Alabama's record I might of picked differently.

 

[TooTall]

I think you're on the low side with Alabama price. They also have a 10 year wait list just to get season tickets, and you have to pay 25 dollars a year to stay on the list. Of course you can pay your way to the front of the list with a donation to Tide Pride. Last year when I wanted to start going to games more I looked into AL ( wife is a life long fan) and GA Tech I decided on Tech tickets because of the price. If the price had been as high as AL without Alabama's record I might of picked differently.

Again, that was just average ticket cost, not including donation.

 

[GTBlaze]

For those that can’t take it, here are some screenshots to give you an idea on the types of upgrades they are gauging interest on implementing.

View attachment 10685View attachment 10684View attachment 10686View attachment 10687View attachment 10688View attachment 10689View attachment 10690

 

[GTBlaze]

I think you're on the low side with Alabama price. They also have a 10 year wait list just to get season tickets, and you have to pay 25 dollars a year to stay on the list. Of course you can pay your way to the front of the list with a donation to Tide Pride. Last year when I wanted to start going to games more I looked into AL ( wife is a life long fan) and GA Tech I decided on Tech tickets because of the price. If the price had been as high as AL without Alabama's record I might of picked differently.

If the team sucks then none of this matters

 

[LibertyTurns]

If the team sucks then none of this matters

This is exactly GT’s problem. We want to be Bammer on Saturday, MIT Mon-Fri AND do it for under $100.

At some point you either commit or you don’t. If you commit, you spend to upgrade the program- facilities, staff, recruiting, etc. It costs upwards of $75M, probably nearer $100M per year to compete Top 15 in annual $$. The model needs to be designed to get that revenue, ticket sales & donations plus merchandise & contracts, ie ACC Network, etc. Ticket prices have to go up, it’s just basic economics, the money isn’t just going to fall out of the sky & we don’t have the type of school that’s got game changing big money donors. Besides annual revenue the program may need another $150-200M in facilities upgrades on top of the current initiatives. Yes, additive not part of the ongoing efforts to upgrade.

We can leverage some things like our location, we can embed technological prowess into our program & become a leader instead of a follower, etc but that only enhances other program improvements & are not core elements of what we need to do.

If we don’t commit, our range is 3-8 wins per year with an occasional flier where we have that magical 10-11 win season.

GT will never have an elite football program when we don’t compete like we do in academics.

 

[MWBATL]

If we don’t commit, our range is 3-8 wins per year with an occasional flier where we have that magical 10-11 win season.

You mean David Braine was RIGHT? <gasp>

People often get angry when the truth does mot match what they want to hear. That was the case with Braine's statement. Although yours had more context and elaboration which makes clear why it was true.

 

[forensicbuzz]

You mean David Braine was RIGHT? <gasp>

People often get angry when the truth does mot match what they want to hear. That was the case with Braine's statement. Although yours had more context and elaboration which makes clear why it was true.

Braine's comment was stupid and ill-advised. That is something that should NEVER be stated in public, whether or not it's true. As the AD of the school, that's no way to set expectations. You can have that as a quiet conversation, but NEVER in public. I think more people were pissed that he made it a public statement than the fact that he actually thought that.

 

[slugboy]

We’re juggling a couple of items here. They might be rubber balls, or machetes, or chainsaws.

• Fans say they want premium experiences. In some places they pay for them, while in other places the fans want them for free.
• Stansbury has seen success changing the fan experience at UCF. However, UCF didn’t have “history” or older fans that would object to changes. Here, he’ll catch flack whether he acts or doesn’t act. He’s smart to check for support, and also put out feelers for how much people will pay
• Marvin Lewis was our CFO, and reportedly wasn’t happy with our financial decisions during COVID-19. He just left. We’re getting ready to make bold changes after a financial rough patch. It might be more important to make those changes now, since the last 18 months have taught more people how to live more from their living room
• He watched Atlanta United use our stadium better than we do. He knows this stadium can rock far more than it does. Now, he needs to figure out how to make that happen.
• We could use secondary sources of revenue. Concerts and other events could use the seatbacks and other amenities, if they don’t impair our primary football use
• The game and the fan experience are evolving. Clemson and OSU and other programs can afford to wait, but schools like Georgia Tech needs to figure out where the puck is going and start skating there now.

ETA: like coaching decisions, Stansbury could make the right moves, and end up worse off than we were in 2016 or 2000 or 1986. There are things he controls and influences, and there are bigger trends that affect sports in general. We don’t have two Georgia Techs where we can compare what happens either way. We’ll always be foggy regarding whether we made the right moves

 

[stech81]

I'm fine if we don't change , I'm fine if we do 1/2 the changes , I'm fine if we do all the changes , but if you want what 100% of the fans want we need to win more games. All you need to do is spend your money wisely if you think that can be done upgrading things for the fans fine ( not sure any fans can win us any games) . Or spend your money upgrading things for the players and recruiting fine ( could works for a short period ) . Or you could wait and see how this season goes and spend your money on new a offensive and defensive coordinators and let CGC be the CEO . ( worked of other teams, pay more get better coordinators )
But one thing I know no matter what you do we will never 100% of the fans to agree on what is the best thing you should do.
What I do believe to be true the next two years we decide if we go back or forward, ( I think we have took a couple of steps back in order to take giant steps forward) I hope . ( remember if someone is drowning and you try to save them but they are fighting you they tell you to take them down to the bottom then bring them back up, not sure I believe this but we will see )

 

[CheCha54]

The primary factor in fan support, ticket sales, AT contributions, game day attendance etc. is wins. Everything else matters, but pales in comparison to wins.

 

[AKABuzz]

We’re juggling a couple of items here. They might be rubber balls, or machetes, or chainsaws.

• Fans say they want premium experiences. In some places they pay for them, while in other places the fans want them for free.
• Stansbury has seen success changing the fan experience at UCF. However, UCF didn’t have “history” or older fans that would object to changes. Here, he’ll catch flack whether he acts or doesn’t act. He’s smart to check for support, and also put out feelers for how much people will pay
• Marvin Lewis was our CFO, and reportedly wasn’t happy with our financial decisions during COVID-19. He just left. We’re getting ready to make bold changes after a financial rough patch. It might be more important to make those changes now, since the last 18 months have taught more people how to live more from their living room
• He watched Atlanta United use our stadium better than we do. He knows this stadium can rock far more than it does. Now, he needs to figure out how to make that happen.
• We could use secondary sources of revenue. Concerts and other events could use the seatbacks and other amenities, if they don’t impair our primary football use
• The game and the fan experience are evolving. Clemson and OSU and other programs can afford to wait, but schools like Georgia Tech needs to figure out where the puck is going and start skating there now.

ETA: like coaching decisions, Stansbury could make the right moves, and end up worse off than we were in 2016 or 2000 or 1986. There are things he controls and influences, and there are bigger trends that affect sports in general. We don’t have two Georgia Techs where we can compare what happens either way. We’ll always be foggy regarding whether we made the right moves

I responded to the survey but none of the choices were my preference for improvements. I am already at the tipping point of whether to continue buying season tickets for the current price. No amount of improvements will justify higher ticket price for me. I will simply stop going and watch on tv, or listen to radio. I need better access to my UE seats from ADA parking, better area to tailgate using my own tailgating equipment, being able to bring in my own food and drink and NO Piped in music. Also, no people standing or at high boy tables, blocking sight lines.

 

[HelluvaPE]

So sad to read the comments on this thread… sincerely hope this doesn’t represent the majority of ticket buyers. As we all know, money drives everything in college football, and without more the Jackets are doomed to long term irrelevance. If we can’t support good faith efforts by GTAA to maximize stadium revenue, we can’t expect improved results on the field. Win first and then I’ll support it won’t get it done…

 

[roadkill]

So sad to read the comments on this thread… sincerely hope this doesn’t represent the majority of ticket buyers. As we all know, money drives everything in college football, and without more the Jackets are doomed to long term irrelevance. If we can’t support good faith efforts by GTAA to maximize stadium revenue, we can’t expect improved results on the field. Win first and then I’ll support it won’t get it done…

Agreed. Stansbury deserves praise for reaching out to fans to help determine the sweet spot for stadium improvements. The survey used concrete examples of peer-level schools that have made significant improvements in their stadiums. Frankly, we probably have some fans that want a better experience, and wins, for free. But these things come at a cost., and GTAA's priority is maximizing revenue, which is what it's going to take to get where we want to be.

 

[Oakland]

"Marvin Lewis was our CFO, and reportedly wasn’t happy with our financial decisions during COVID-19."

I would like to know what kind of game plan he had during that time if he meant the furloughing of employees. I sure would not wanted us to use the funds raised from the IA2020.

 

[TooTall]

How many "long term fans" will we losse once the team starts winning and ticket prices start rising? Who will pay more for winning?

It cost money to win(bigger recruiting budget, higher assistant coach salaries, etc) and it will cost money to keep winning.

We have an AD who is crossing his t's and dotting his i's with this survey, being very calculated about improvements and I can promise you that he won't give a fart if a fan is butt hurt over stadium upgrades once they analyze the survey and make a decision.

I said it in my survey, are we keeping BDS@HGF the way it is for historical purposes despite the need for major overhaul? Who would really care and stop giving if the west stands were redone and brought up to code and we got rid of the original stands?

AI2020 showed him that money is outhere for the program. Some of the premium seating I can afford, but only 2 instead of 3 tix I buy now, well guess what? If I can't afford it I won't buy it but I'm not gonna complain about others who want it AND can afford it. That's money to the program we all love.

Tech fans

83 days!

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

So sad to read the comments on this thread… sincerely hope this doesn’t represent the majority of ticket buyers. As we all know, money drives everything in college football, and without more the Jackets are doomed to long term irrelevance. If we can’t support good faith efforts by GTAA to maximize stadium revenue, we can’t expect improved results on the field. Win first and then I’ll support it won’t get it done…

Agreed. Stansbury deserves praise for reaching out to fans to help determine the sweet spot for stadium improvements. The survey used concrete examples of peer-level schools that have made significant improvements in their stadiums. Frankly, we probably have some fans that want a better experience, and wins, for free. But these things come at a cost., and GTAA's priority is maximizing revenue, which is what it's going to take to get where we want to be.

To be fair, my season ticket cost would more than double with the lowest option provided on adding seats to the stadium. That's the lowest option they offered. They would triple with the higher option they proposed. While I am not opposed to paying more for my tickets, I am not interested in doubling my outlay just to get a chairback. As a father of 6, price is a factor for me. I buy STs and donate yearly, but adding chairbacks would likely cut into my donations, so I am not sure that's a win for the GTAA.

I am, however, encouraged that they are making the effort to poll the fans prior to making changes. This kind of feedback could actually be beneficial if used properly.