Yellow Jacket Fans,
It’s an exciting time on The Flats!
Of course, our football team is 5-0 and ranked No. 13 nationally – both best in more than a decade – as we prepare to host Virginia Tech tomorrow afternoon for Buzz Day at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. But, additionally, our golf team is ranked 18th and coming off sophomore Albert Hansson winning one of the nation’s most prestigious tournaments, our cross country teams have a pair of victories under their belts, our young but ultra-talented volleyball team continues to battle against a grueling schedule in front of sold-out crowds at O’Keefe Gym, and winter sports – including Tech basketball at the Thrillerdome – are right around corner.
Here is a deeper look at some of the great things happening on The Flats.
BIG DAY COMING UP ON SATURDAY
We couldn’t be more excited about everything that is in store for fans on Saturday as you make your way to The Flats for Virginia Tech’s first visit to Bobby Dodd Stadium in three years.
We’re proud to celebrate the 45th anniversary – and fourth national championship – of one of the nation’s most iconic mascots, Buzz! Buzz has been engaging with fans throughout Atlanta for several days (and it was my honor to share the stage with him earlier this week on Fox 5’s Good Day Atlanta). Judging by the reaction on social media, it appears that our Buzz-inspired helmets are a big hit with fans, and we hope that you’ll celebrate with us on gameday by getting a free Buzz national championship poster signed by the man himself during Helluva Block Party (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.), as well as enjoying a Buzz Bundle (hot dog, chips and a soft drink for just $12) at Tech Classics concession stands throughout Bobby Dodd Stadium. In addition, our student-athletes will be passing out free Buzz t-shirts to all Georgia Tech students at the game on Saturday.
Hall of Fame Weekend/1990 Celebration/Dodd Trophy Recognition
This Saturday’s football game is extra special as we welcome home some of Georgia Tech athletics’ most legendary figures when we celebrate Hall of Fame Weekend, the 35th anniversary of the 1990 national championship team and the 50th anniversary of the Dodd Trophy.
On Friday night, we officially induct 15 members of the classes of 2024 and 2025 into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame. The inductees will also be honored during halftime of Saturday’s game, so be sure to stay in your seats and give the 15 newest members of one of the most tradition-laden Halls of Fame in all of college sports a huge round of applause.
During the game, we will also have two very special recognitions. First, we welcome back the members of Georgia Tech’s 1990 football team (currently, we have over 75 players/ coaches/ staff attending, which won the school’s fourth national title, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of their legendary season). Second, on the 50th anniversary of the Dodd Trophy, college football’s most prestigious Coach of the Year award, named after our very own Bobby Dodd, the five Tech Men that have won the award – Bill Curry, Bobby Ross, George O’Leary, Ralph Friedgen and one of our newly inducted Hall of Famers, Paul Johnson – will be honored.
Please join me in congratulating and honoring these Tech legends during Saturday’s game!
ACC Huddle
For the third time this season, Georgia Tech will be the focal point of ACC Huddle, the ACC Network’s college football pregame show that originates from the site of the conference’s top game of the weekend. Be sure to stop by the ACC Huddle set – located on Tech Tower Lawn as part of Helluva Block Party – on Saturday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. for some FREE breakfast while viewing a great show and providing an awesome backdrop for ACCN viewers across the country. Fans will have the chance to see and hear from head coach Brent Key when he drops by the set for a live interview at 10:20 a.m.
UNDER ARMOUR
As I’m sure you’ve seen, we announced last week that we have entered a 10-year partnership with Under Armour for UA to become the official apparel provider of Georgia Tech athletics, beginning on July 1, 2026.
I’m very proud and excited for this partnership for many reasons.
First and foremost, this partnership prioritizes student-athletes and fans. Student-athletes will not only benefit from Under Armour’s forward-thinking approach to Name, Image and Likeness partnerships, but also from having opportunities for hands-on involvement with UA’s innovation and design processes. Fans will benefit from Under Armour’s commitment to expanding the availability of Georgia Tech apparel in the retail marketplace.
We’re also thrilled to partner with an organization that we closely share values and history with, and we’re grateful for the significant investment that Under Armour is making in Georgia Tech as a premier collegiate partner.
But as I’ve said several times over the past week, the biggest reason that the entire Tech community should all be excited about our partnership with Under Armour is that they believe in Georgia Tech and Tech athletics. Not who we were in the past, and not only who we are today, but who we can be in three, five, 10 years. Through their investment, Under Armour has shown that they believe in Georgia Tech, and I couldn’t be more excited to continue to grow our brands together.
But we won’t stop here. We will continue to seek out partners that believe in every aspect of what we do that believe in our ability, our potential and our standing in the marketplace.
THANK YOU
On behalf of our entire department, our coaches and our student-athletes, I want to close by saying thank you for your incredible support. Hopefully, you have seen the concerted effort that we have made in engaging, and in some cases reengaging, with our fans, media, students, alums, donors and ticket holders. Engaging with Yellow Jacket Nation is a priority for me and my staff, as we have such a powerful brand and story to tell, on one of the most dynamic campuses and in one of the greatest cities in the world.
As the excitement for our football program grows, so does your support. Attendance for home football games is up 14% this season, and that will only rise this weekend, as just a limited number of tickets remain for Saturday’s game versus Virginia Tech.
Tickets are going fast for the remainder of our home schedule. Click HERE to get yours while they last!
Also, remember that basketball season is right around the corner, as both our men’s and women’s teams open their seasons in less than one month. I’m bullish on Coach Damon Stoudamire’s and Coach Karen Blair’s teams, as both are displaying an exciting brand of basketball when I stop by the gym to watch them practice.
