Dear Yellow Jacket Fans,
As we continue to monitor weather conditions throughout the day, we want to provide an update on a few elements of tonight's gameday experience for our highly anticipated matchup with Tennessee.
The latest forecasts continue to trend in a positive direction for this evening, and we remain excited to welcome fans to a packed Bobby Dodd Stadium and to create another unforgettable atmosphere on The Flats.
Due to the inclement weather that moved through the Atlanta area earlier today and based on the recommendation of our partner, ATL Special Effects, tonight’s enhanced halftime fireworks show has been postponed. We are already in the process of evaluating opportunities to hold the show – which was planned as a special addition to tonight's game and as a way to celebrate the passion, energy and loyalty of the Georgia Tech family – later this season and will share details as soon as plans are finalized.
While weather conditions continue to improve, the heavy rainfall that moved through Atlanta throughout this morning significantly impacted the setup window required to deliver the enhanced show as planned. Unlike our traditional gameday pyrotechnic effects, this larger production features aerial shells that launch significantly higher into the sky and requires approximately 10 hours of staging, setup, loading, programming and preparation prior to kickoff. The enhanced display was designed to run for 5-6 minutes and involves extensive coordination to map, synchronize and sequence each individual firing device to create the full show experience. Unfortunately, the weather impacts earlier today prevented that detailed installation and programming process from being completed within the available timeframe.
At this time, we still anticipate the traditional fireworks effects that are part of our gameday presentation, including during Georgia Tech’s team runout, touchdown celebrations and at the break between the third and fourth quarters. These effects require significantly less preparation time due to their short burst form, and current forecasts indicate conditions that should allow ATL Special Effects to have those elements in place for tonight's game. We are also continuing to work closely with our military partners regarding tonight's scheduled flyover and remain hopeful that conditions will allow this special pregame experience to take place as planned.
Thank you for your continued support of Georgia Tech Athletics. We look forward to seeing you tonight as we pack The Flats and cheer on the Yellow Jackets! Gates open at 5 p.m. – be early, stay late and be loud! Go Jackets!