Georgia Tech Fans,
It’s been a few days, but I am still smiling thinking about last Saturday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. So many of you have shared with me how that victory will be etched in your memory for many years to come. It’s a moment I certainly won’t forget, and I look forward to many more.
Thank you to everyone who attended that game and created such an incredible atmosphere on The Flats. As you can see below, Coach Key felt that it was the most electric environment that he’s ever seen here.
From the fun and energy that keeps building every week at Helluva Block Party on North Avenue, to the intense experience inside the stadium, what you bring to Bobby Dodd Stadium matters. First and foremost, it matters to our student-athletes – Saturday’s atmosphere undoubtedly played a part in their ability to pull out that win. But it also matters in the big picture, as fan support is a vital part of bringing our program back to prominence on a national stage. We took a big step forward last weekend – with it all being chronicled for a nationwide audience throughout the weekend on ACC Network – but we need that to become the norm on football Saturdays on The Flats.
I join Coach Key in urging those of you who were a part of Saturday night’s incredible crowd to bring that same intensity to our remaining home games versus Syracuse on Nov. 18 and Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate against Georgia on Nov. 25 – and bring a friend! If you weren’t on The Flats for the homecoming win over UNC, I encourage you to come out this month and see what you missed.
While there’s plenty of football left to play, I wanted to take a moment to look ahead to our future schedules. The ACC announced a new model for the next seven seasons earlier this week, and I appreciate the hard work of the conference. It’s a complex process, but our aim was to achieve a balanced schedule that would create opportunities for success. Also, we wanted our fans to see a wide range of opponents in Atlanta, as all 16 fellow members of the ACC will visit Atlanta over the next six seasons. Through this process we have secured both goals and are positioned for success going forward.
We have had a great Fall here on The Flats in many of our other sports as well so far. Consider:
- Our cross country teams both improved on their ACC finishes from a year ago and are gearing up for NCAA Regionals;
- Our swimming and diving teams are off to strong starts, with our men ranked No. 23 nationally and the women coming off a fantastic dual-meet win over Florida State;
- Coming off its national runner-up finish in the spring, our golf team has concluded the fall portion of its schedule with three top-three finishes, a No. 5 national ranking as a team and senior Christo Lamprecht at No. 1 in the PGA Tour University rankings;
- Our volleyball team is ranked No. 10 nationally with a 19-3 overall record going into tonight’s huge match versus No. 3 Louisville at sold-out O’Keefe Gym.
The calendar turning to November also means that basketball season is here. New head coach Damon Stoudamire’s men’s team made their debut at McCamish Pavilion on Wednesday night with an exhibition win, and one thing that appears to be certain is the Coach Stoudamire’s squad will bring a fast-paced, high-energy, entertaining product to the court every night this season.
On the women’s side, Coach Nell Fortner’s squad also had a big exhibition win on Thursday, and looks to be a team that will compete and entertain throughout the season.
Both the teams make their 2023-24 regular-season debuts on Monday at McCamish Pavilion. Like football, your enthusiastic support for both of these teams throughout the season makes a difference, both on and off the court, as we look to bring these proud programs back to national prominence as well. The Thrillerdome is truly one of the great venues in all of college basketball, and I highly encourage you to check out our great ticket offers for both squads and be a part of ACC basketball on The Flats.
November also marks the return the Competitive Drive Initiative. CDI Turn 2 officially kicks off next week, and the goal is the same as last year – to raise funds for student-athlete scholarships, with the Georgia Tech Foundation providing a generous matching gift. Last year’s Competitive Drive Initiative shattered our goals and made a profound impact on our student-athletes over the final two months of 2022. Thanks to the match from the Georgia Tech Foundation, your contributions to the Competitive Drive Initiative have double the impact on our student-athletes, so I highly encourage you to help us move the needle by being a part of it over the next two months. Be on the lookout for more information when CDI Turn 2 officially launches next week.
Thank you as always for your support of the Yellow Jackets. I look forward to seeing you at a game very soon and hope that you and your family have a Happy Thanksgiving. Go Jackets!
Sting ‘Em!
J Batt
Director of Athletics
