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Support The Swarm Fund | Men’s Basketball Support The Swarm Incentives
THE FLATS – Following guidelines from public health officials and the Atlantic Coast Conference, Georgia Tech athletics has announced a series of safety protocols that will be in place for men’s basketball games at McCamish Pavilion during the 2020-21 season.
In order to maintain social distancing guidelines recommended for indoor events by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), McCamish Pavilion’s capacity will be limited to approximately 1,200 seats for the 2020-21 season. Of those 1,200 seats, 900 will be reserved for Georgia Tech students. In the event that the full allotment of 900 seats are not allocated to Georgia Tech students, particularly when students are largely away from campus from late November through early January, those tickets will be made available to Georgia Tech faculty and staff. Details on the ticket distribution process for Georgia Tech students, faculty and staff will be finalized and communicated in the very near future.
The remaining 300 seats will be distributed to student-athletes’, coaches’ and athletics department guests. Regrettably, due to the limited capacity and allocation of available tickets, there will not be any public ticket sales.
“I appreciate the work of the athletics department staff, Institute leadership and Georgia Tech student leaders that created a plan that gives us the best opportunity to keep our student-athletes, staff and campus community safe this basketball season, which remains our top priority,” Georgia Tech director of athletics Todd Stansbury said. “While it’s disappointing that we won’t be able to give more fans the opportunity to see our exciting men’s basketball team live in action at McCamish Pavilion this season, we feel that this plan offers the best way to maintain the safety of our ‘campus bubble,’ provide a safe opportunity for our students to socialize, create additional incentive for students and staff to continue to participate in campus-wide Covid-19 surveillance testing, and navigate the health and safety challenges that come with hosting fans and playing a sport in an indoor venue.
“I’d also like to thank our very passionate basketball fans in advance for your understanding and continued support of our men’s basketball program,” Stansbury continued. “Your continued financial support of the Yellow Jackets as we navigate this unprecedented situation together is vital for the future of the program. Without your support, it will be very difficult to maintain the great momentum that Coach [Josh] Pastner and his staff have built through recruiting and student-athlete development.”
Georgia Tech men’s basketball returns four starters from last year’s squad that finished 11-9 in ACC play, good for a fifth-place conference finish (Tech’s highest in 15 years) and its most league wins in 24 years. Season ticket members can support the Yellow Jackets and help maintain the positive trajectory of the program by converting their investment in 2020-21 (tickets plus associated TECH Fund donation) to a donation to the Support The Swarm Fund.
VIDEO: Message from head coach Josh Pastner
In order to incentivize converting season ticket investments into Support The Swarm donations, Georgia Tech athletics is offering the following exclusive benefits for men’s basketball season ticket members that give to the Support The Swarm Fund:
- photo cutouts to be placed in McCamish Pavilion seats for the entirety of the 2020-21 season;
- a virtual Chalk Talk session with a member of the Georgia Tech men’s basketball coaching staff;
- a personalized replica Georgia Tech men’s basketball credential*;
- a Georgia Tech winter “beanie” hat;
- a GT adidas duffel bag;
- a free upgrade to Callaway Club status for one game during the 2021-22 men’s basketball season;
- a Tech mini basketball autographed by head coach Josh Pastner.
Limited capacity at athletics events at Bobby Dodd Stadium and McCamish Pavilion this year, as well as unexpected expenses associated with Covid-19 has caused Georgia Tech athletics to make significant budget cuts for the current 2021 fiscal year. Every team and department is affected. Reaching Support The Swarm’s $15 million goal would not only keep Tech from having to institute additional budget cuts, but would also allow the department to roll back some of the most significant cuts in the current FY21 budget, which include a 50% reduction in every team’s recruiting budget. By reaching the $15 million goal, Georgia Tech athletics can likely limit the impact of this year’s financial challenges to 12-18 months, rather than an impact that could stunt the Yellow Jackets’ momentum and ability to compete at the highest levels of intercollegiate athletics for 3-5 years.
To convert season tickets investments into a Support The Swarm donation and receive the great benefits listed above or to discuss other options as outlined in Georgia Tech athletics’ Fan First Guarantee, call 888-TECH-TIX to speak with a Georgia Tech athletics ticket office representative.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the A-T Fund’s Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes, and the Support The Swarm Fund, created to give fans an opportunity to help Georgia Tech athletics maintain its recent momentum through the financial challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic! To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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