TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of Georgia Tech Athletics
FROM: Dan Radakovich, Georgia Tech Director of Athletics
Let the games begin! We’ll look forward to seeing all of you down on the Flats Saturday as our Yellow Jackets begin the 2010 season, taking on South Carolina State at 1 o’clock.
For all the information you need to assist you in attending Saturday’s opener, I would urge you to visit Game Day Central on RamblinWreck.com and follow the links to ticketing, traffic and parking information, game notes, rosters and much more. Ticket sales for Saturday have been brisk, and we are expecting a crowd approaching 50,000. My long range weather forecast calls for sunny skies with temperatures in the lower 80’s. In short, it looks to be a beautiful day for football in Midtown Atlanta.
The grass is green, the field is painted and the grand old stadium off North Avenue has never looked better. There truly is something special about college football on Grant Field. The aura of those four National Championships, the historic figures like Heisman, Alexander and Dodd, and now with Paul Johnson carving out his own legacy with 20 wins in his first two years. As this season begins, no college football coach ever has won more games in his first 13 years as a head coach than our own P.J.
Thanks to the nearly 400 fans who turned out last Friday for our Second Annual “Can’t Wait Till Kickoff Luncheon” at the Cobb Galleria. This event has really taken off and next year we have plans to expand it even further with an opportunity for you to purchase tickets along with your season ticket order.
We have officially turned the page to a new team with a different cast of characters. It makes for all the more fun to move into the new season and witness first-hand the melding of a team. With Thomas, Dwyer, Morgan and Burnett departed for the NFL, how much fun will it be to follow the exploits of Hill, Allen, Jefferson, Peters and all the rest? Come December we’ll have a new list of household names.
Nesbitt, The Buzz and the Heisman
And the head of the household appears to be senior quarterback Joshua Nesbitt. I know we’re all pulling for No. 9 to have his best year ever. He’s a great story and a wonderful young man. His journey from Greene County to North Avenue is an inspiration. Our friend Coley Harvey from the Macon Telegraph did a magnificent article on Joshua in the latest edition of Buzz Magazine. If you didn’t receive a printed copy, you can access it at www.ramblinwreck.com under the “Fanzone” tab at the top of the page. There is also an interesting article on new defensive coordinator Al Groh by Matt Winklejohn and a Jack Wilkinson piece on our 1990 National Champions Reunion coming up in November.
I hope you’ve had a chance to check out our delightful page touting Joshua for the Heisman Trophy. It is a humorous and fitting tribute which is sure to catch the eye of college football pundits across the country. Check it out at www.Nesbitt4Heisman.com.
Guest Assist Info
While inside Bobby Dodd Stadium this Saturday – or any other home football Saturday this fall – if you are in need of assistance, then you can:
Text “jackets” to 78247 Or Call 678-429-1413
Sting Daily
For those of you who continue to thirst for more and more news and information on the Jackets we are continually beefing up our offerings. Most of you probably receive Sting Daily – a wonderful daily dose of feature stories and links devoted to Georgia Tech teams, coaches and athletes. Our outstanding writers get you up close and personal with all of your Georgia Tech personalities. This service is delivered directly to your in-box. To subscribe to Sting Daily go to www.ramblinwreck.com and click on the “Fanzone” tab at the top of the page. It’s a free service.
Volleyball Off and Running
We had great crowds last weekend at our opening volleyball weekend. Thanks to all of you who turned out. The atmosphere in our newly renovated O’Keefe Gym was electric. Tonya Johnson’s team lost a nail-biter to Indiana on opening night, but came back to sweep UAB and Alabama A&M. The team is off to Kansas State this weekend for a two-day tournament.
Basketball Renewals Coming In
Thanks to all of you who have renewed your men’s basketball tickets in the last week or so. We have seen a marked increase in our renewal rate thanks to our friends at Aspire who are reaching out to present, past and future season ticket holders. We will be working hard in the coming weeks to assist fans with relocations, upgrades, and we’re certainly looking to attract new season-ticket buyers who want to invest in our future as we propose to move forward on a replacement to the Alexander Memorial Coliseum after next season. If you have not yet renewed your basketball seats, we hope you’ll consider doing so when contacted by a member of our fan relationship team.
Battle at Atlantis
Georgia Tech will be one of four teams participating in the Battle at Atlantis on Saturday, December 18, 2010 during the inaugural Division I Men’s college basketball doubleheader hosted at the famed Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, Bahamas.
Mississippi State will play Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech will play Richmond in a new 4,500-seat arena to be unveiled in the 60,000 square-foot conference center. The half-million dollar temporary stadium will boast state-of-the-art regulation facilities. In addition to enjoying appearances by former NCAA All-American, NBA Star and current ESPN/CBS Sports Analyst Len Elmore, fans will enjoy over-the-top prizes including a collection of high stakes half-court shots with payouts in the six figures.
We hope that a large number of Georgia Tech fans will use that opportunity for a winter getaway and a chance to support Paul Hewitt’s 2010-11 basketball team. For more information on the Battle at Atlantis go to www.atlantis.com/battleatatlantis.
Cross Country Opens Season
The men’s and women’s cross country teams open their respective seasons Saturday morning in Athens at 8 a.m. – a dual meet with the rival Georgia Bulldogs.
eStadium Presented By eHire In 2010
eStadium presented by eHire, the free website/app that allows you to watch real-time instant replays from your smart phone, is back this year with more exciting features and functionality. Not only can fans at home games search and watch virtually every replay of a game, they can view a graphical drive tracker, and access real-time game and player statistics. More functionality is coming including social networking, shopping and other location-based services. Created by Georgia Tech faculty and students for Tech students, alumni, and fans, eStadium presented by eHire is changing the way we experience live sports.
GT Mobile Phone App
Georgia Tech is proud to continue to offer our downloadable Mobile App. If you’re reading this edition of The Good Word on your mobile phone simply click here to download the app. jackets.whoop.mobi. If you are not on your mobile, then please text the word “Jackets” to 53000 and you will receive instructions on how to download the app.
