When life hands you lemons, make lemonade, Georgia Tech edition:
Georgia Tech has announced a news conference for Tuesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with officials from the AMB Group (the parent company of the stadium and the Falcons) and the Peach Bowl to be present. It’s expected that it will be an announcement for the Yellow Jackets to play a handful of future home games at the dome.
Why so, you may ask.
Holding marquee games in the $1.6 billion sports temple would likely help Tech’s bottom line and perhaps draw attention to coach Geoff Collins’ team…
Perhaps, my ass. This is all about the moolah.
As a result of its coaching transition, Tech’s athletic department finds itself in a financial pinch and perhaps more interested than usual in moving home games out of Bobby Dodd Stadium for the right price…
Either through a guarantee or receiving gate receipts, Tech would stand to draw revenues at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (capacity: 71,000) greater than what it would receive playing at Bobby Dodd Stadium (55,000). For the 2017 season opener against Tennessee in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Tech received $2.85 million from the Peach Bowl.
There’s no short-term gain without pain, though.
Moving to a larger stadium, however, invites the potential for more fans of Clemson or Notre Dame (or another opponent) to be cheering for the opposition at a Tech home game. Tech home games typically sell out only with the assistance of visiting fans.
Sad!
Hey, speaking of “another opponent”, Georgia fans know their way around getting to Tech home games. Just sayin’.
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UPDATE: And away we go.
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UPDATE #2: More deets.
Starting in 2020, @GeorgiaTechFB will have an annual home game at @MBStadium for 5⃣ consecutive years
Full details and watch press conference LIVE: https://t.co/Eusd04UwQv
#TogetherWeSwarm pic.twitter.com/QwItxQUweB— Georgia Tech Sports (@GTAthletics) February 26, 2019
So, they’re giving up home field advantage for three of their biggest games in the next five seasons. At a minimum. If I were Geoff Collins, I’d be a little miffed about that.
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UPDATE #3: COFH won’t be moving.