Tech - uga in 2025 at MB Stadium

[Jacket20]

Going forward Bobby Dodd just seems like the place we play at for less important games. Very sad turn of events

The problem is Bobby Dodd is not full on important games and less important games, even when they beg to fill the stadium up. The important games look like home games for the opposing teams. Fill it up and maybe the future changes.

 

[WreckinGT]

I don’t think we have other games that can garner a guaranteed $10 million for a single game.

We typically make $2 million per home game vs. uga. This is a decades worth of revenue.

Like I said earlier, I get the move to MBS for the money, I just don’t get soaking the loyal STHs by forcing them to purchase this game as an extra. It’s destined to ensure we are playing in a hostile environment in our own town for what should be a home game for us.

Would be ok with permanently moving all future home COFH games to MBS? There will never be a time that we wouldn't make significantly more money having it there.

 

[Gold1]

If you are not able to see that the damage from doing this (admitting we are little brother and that our home stadium isn't good enough) is far greater for us than the $10M we will receive, then I don't know what to tell you.

 

[roadkill]

we are playing in a hostile environment in our own town for what should be a home game for us.

You just described the last several mutt games at BDS.

But I agree there is some extra risk by making STH's pay extra, especially since we seem to have some of the most tight-fisted fans in CFB.

 

[Darthdad]

The problem is Bobby Dodd is not full on important games and less important games, even when they beg to fill the stadium up. The important games look like home games for the opposing teams. Fill it up and maybe the future changes.

Someone posted in another thread (a while ago) that even during our 1990 national championship season we didn’t fill up Bobby Dodd Stadium. Having attended some of those games, I think the Clemson game was packed but the others weren’t. The point being that even with a winning team it’s tough to sell out the games.

Long-term, Tech fans need to buy the tickets and fill the stands.

 

[Towaliga]

If you are not able to see that the damage from doing this (admitting we are little brother and that our home stadium isn't good enough) is far greater for us than the $10M we will receive, then I don't know what to tell you.

If you’re not aware that u(sic)ga fans already look down on our stadium because of it’s size, then I don’t know what to tell you. Moving the game 1 time is not going to cause >$10mm damage to our program.

 

[bucknellbison31]

You just described the last several mutt games at BDS.

But I agree there is some extra risk by making STH's pay extra, especially since we seem to have some of the most tight-fisted fans in CFB.

Again, I hate this narrative. Was this true during the Collins era? Sure, but that was anomalous. I was at COFH last year, and we absolutely had home field advantage. We can argue about just how much of an advantage it was, but it was definitely better than the road game environment we'll have at MBS. Just because they normally bring a lot of fans to BDS doesn't mean we should just give up and hand them a free home game.

 

[stinger78]

If you read JBatt’s email today, you see the need. Up to $22M per school from revenue sources (media, tickets, etc.) to be paid directly to SAs by the schools. While at the same time $1M less in payouts per school to contribute to the “former athlete reparation fund.” The squeeze is going to be heavy for a school like GT. We don’t have to like it, but that’s the way it is now after the House decision.

 

[Lil G]

Goodbye home field advantage.
Yes we had home field advantage last year. It was loud as hell. This is sad.

 

[Secret_AznMan]

I hope that the folks crying about it online actually show up to a majority of our BDS games, if not then you are the reason this keeps happening!

We used to average mid 40k per game and 50k for a big game at BDS, now we're lucky if 40k show up.

 

[JacketOff]

I would be less upset about this had I not been to previous Tech games at the Benz. Even though they're technically home games, MBS treats them as neutral site — blows the horn when the other team scores, plays their fight song if needed, gives visiting fans an equal opportunity to buy tix, etc. It's not just that it won't feel like a Tech home game — it literally won't be.

That’s only when it’s been a CFA kickoff game which it was in 22 against Clemson and 23 against Louisville. The first iteration was UNC in 21 and it was treated as a true home game like Notre Dame will this week.

 

[jgtengineer]

I hope that the folks crying about it online actually show up to a majority of our BDS games, if not then you are the reason this keeps happening!

We used to average mid 40k per game and 50k for a big game at BDS, now we're lucky if 40k show up.

The good news is after the seat reduction we should be more full.

 

[jackets55]

I don't like this but I feel like J Batt is making lemonade out of the lemons that the previous AD (who couldn't even manage his own personal finances let alone the GTAA's...) left him. This MBS contract stunk & if we can end it sooner rather than later with a big payday, that's understandable.

You do realize we actually extended it. The upcoming ND game was to be the last unless COVID forced an extension.

 

[GTJacketClaw]

You do realize we actually extended it. The upcoming ND game was to be the last unless COVID forced an extension.

I thought the deal was through 2026

 

[jackets55]

I thought the deal was through 2026

Here is the original announcement on Ramblin Wreck GT to Play Annual Game at MBS

 

[stinger78]

Here is the original announcement on Ramblin Wreck GT to Play Annual Game at MBS

The deal ran through 2026. JBatt negotiated the end a year earlier with a $10M payment, but it had to be the UGAg game. Pretty shrewd deal for one year, IYAM.

 

[JacketOff]

Again, I hate this narrative. Was this true during the Collins era? Sure, but that was anomalous. I was at COFH last year, and we absolutely had home field advantage. We can argue about just how much of an advantage it was, but it was definitely better than the road game environment we'll have at MBS. Just because they normally bring a lot of fans to BDS doesn't mean we should just give up and hand them a free home game.

Then maybe, idk, buy tickets to the game at MBS? Just because the game is moving doesn’t mean anything. Tech fans have first dibs at tickets, and the same third-party market to buy tickets from. UGA fans have bought more tickets to COFH games at Bobby Dodd than Tech fans have for the last decade.

The game won’t be included in UGA’s season tickets either, which are already double the cost of Tech’s in a lot of comparable seats. That doesn’t even consider the fact that Sanford holds almost double what BDS does. You can get lower level season tickets at BDS in a lot of sections for less than $500 total. Season tickets in the upper corners for UGA run almost $1,000 after fees and contributions. For all of y'all smart millionaires, you sure do let UGA’s dumb Walmart fans make your pockets look shallow. You think folks paying $1000 to sit in the upper deck at Sanford aren’t going to buy tickets to the MBS game too?

 

[stinger78]

Then maybe, idk, buy tickets to the game at MBS? Just because the game is moving doesn’t mean anything. Tech fans have first dibs at tickets, and the same third-party market to buy tickets from. UGA fans have bought more tickets to COFH games at Bobby Dodd than Tech fans have for the last decade.

The game won’t be included in UGA’s season tickets either, which are already double the cost of Tech’s in a lot of comparable seats. That doesn’t even consider the fact that Sanford holds almost double what BDS does. You can get lower level season tickets at BDS in a lot of sections for less than $500. Season tickets in the upper corners for UGA run almost $1,000 after fees and contributions. For all of y'all smart millionaires, you sure do let UGA’s dumb Walmart fans make your pockets look shallow. You think folks paying $1000 to sit in the upper deck at Sanford aren’t going to buy tickets to the MBS game too?

A UGAg Walmart fan will live in a single wide to afford his football tickets. A Tech millionaire will sit back in the movie theater of his $1M home to watch the game on TV. Very different animals!

 

[WreckinGT]

If you read JBatt’s email today, you see the need. Up to $22M per school from revenue sources (media, tickets, etc.) to be paid directly to SAs by the schools. While at the same time $1M less in payouts per school to contribute to the “former athlete reparation fund.” The squeeze is going to be heavy for a school like GT. We don’t have to like it, but that’s the way it is now after the House decision.

If because of the House decision, we can't afford to have home games at BDS anymore then we really need to reevaluate what we are doing.

 

[bucknellbison31]

Then maybe, idk, buy tickets to the game at MBS? Just because the game is moving doesn’t mean anything. Tech fans have first dibs at tickets, and the same third-party market to buy tickets from. UGA fans have bought more tickets to COFH games at Bobby Dodd than Tech fans have for the last decade.

Where do you see that Tech fans have first dibs at tickets? Unless you have specific knowledge, I'm willing to bet that isn't true. By agreeing to this deal, we forfeit control over ticket sales to MBS or whoever is running this thing.

Also, even at full strength, Tech's fanbase would max out at, what, 45-50k? Even if every Tech fan bought a ticket at MBS, it would still mean that tens of thousands of dwags would buy up the rest. That's the reality of moving the game to a 70k seat stadium. So maybe, idk, it's not the best idea to do that...