Aug. 18, 2011
TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of Georgia Tech Athletics
FROM: Dan Radakovich, Georgia Tech Director of Athletics
The countdown is on! Two weeks from tonight the Jackets kick off the 2011 football season at Bobby Dodd Stadium against Paul Johnson’s alma mater, Western Carolina. Game time is 7:30 p.m. and preparations are in full swing down here on the Flats.
Coach Johnson and the team are wrapping up that grueling 17-day stretch known as fall camp. It’s all football, all the time for the Jackets in this period just before the start of classes on Monday. By all accounts camp is going well, and the team is coming together for what should be an exciting and entertaining football season.
We continue to sell season tickets and group opportunities right on through the next couple of weeks. Our season ticket total has surpassed 23,200 and I want to encourage any of you who are thinking about jumping on board to enjoy this magnificent seven-game home schedule, including gaining access to our game with Georgia, there is still time to act. Good seats are available in all price ranges.
Customer service a top priority
When you come to Bobby Dodd Stadium this fall, we hope you’ll find a fun and welcoming atmosphere. Our operations staff has worked long and hard to address some customer concerns and suggestions. We did an extensive survey last spring of our ticket purchasers and gathered a number of ideas we will put into play this fall. I hope you’ll take a moment to read about some of the new initiatives. We realize our fans are our biggest asset and we are putting an extra effort into improving our customer service. We always want your experience on our campus to be positive.
Don’t miss the Kickoff Luncheon
There are a couple of events I’d like to bring forward that will occur prior to the football opener. Both of these are designed to get the blood flowing and the adrenalin pumping for the season. First is our annual Kickoff Luncheon on Friday, August 26th at the Cobb Galleria. This is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated events of the year. We are excited that Sean Bedford, our recently graduated walk-on-turned-All-ACC center, Aerospace Engineering graduate and Burlsworth Trophy winner, will be one of our speakers this year. You’ll also hear from Derrick Moore, Roddy Jones and Coach Paul Johnson. Our outstanding band, cheerleaders and Buzz will be on hand, and you’ll have a chance to purchase Georgia Tech game apparel at the event. There are still individual seats and full tables of 10 available. You can purchase luncheon tickets online by clicking this link .
Welcome to Tech Town
On Saturday August 27th from 4-6 p.m., Atlantic Station will become Tech Town for an old fashioned Georgia Tech pep rally and pre-season party. There will be music, spirit, giveaways, and several current players are scheduled to appear. The Yellow Jacket marching band will be in full force as they march through the streets. All of this will occur at the Central Park area of Atlantic Station. Many factions at Georgia Tech have been in communication with the new ownership and management at Atlantic Station. They have made tremendous strides in completing a re-branding on the facility. A change in the type of establishments within the complex, a comprehensive security upgrade and more family-oriented entertainment has completely changed the dynamic. While this is just the kickoff party, stay tuned for a major announcement in the coming days about an exciting Atlantic Station-Tech Town initiative that will last throughout the season and will give Tech fans a true gathering place on game weekends.
Volleyball is here too
I’ve spent much time talking about all of these football initiatives, but I am equally excited about the beginning of our volleyball season. You can catch a sneak peek at Tonya Johnson’s team when they hold a Gold-White scrimmage Saturday at 4 p.m. In addition to the scrimmage there will be tours of the upgraded facilities at O’Keefe Gymnasium, autographs and more. The team will also host a group from Big Brothers-Big Sisters that day at 2:30 p.m. The regular season begins next Friday, the 26th, when the Jackets take on Kansas State at 7 p.m. on the home court.
Paul Johnson Radio Show Moves to Hudson Grille
There is a new venue and new excitement this year for our weekly Paul Johnson Radio Show. This year the shows will be held at Hudson Grill in Midtown. Located at 942 Peachtree, Hudson Grille offers a fantastic upstairs setting with great food and drink specials. The first show is Tuesday, Aug. 30, from 7-8 p.m. Just two days before the opener, this will be a great time to come out and join Wes Durham and Coach Johnson for the last-minute updates on the 2011 Jackets.
Becoming familiar with ESPN3.com
Over the coming months and beyond you will begin to hear more and more about ESPN3.com as a carrier for many of our Georgia Tech events and other college sports. ESPN3.com is ESPN’s live broadband sports network, a 24/7 destination that delivers thousands of global sports events annually. It is currently available in approximately 70 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed internet connection or cable TV video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers connected to on-campus educational networks and on-base military networks.
We want to make an effort over time to give you a better understanding and feel for the ESPN3 platform and how to access the program in many ways – through your laptop, home computer, smart phone and also right through your home television with the proper equipment. I am providing the link below which is a list of frequently asked questions as a start. Through our web site and other media, we will be disseminating further information on easy ways to access this burgeoning format, which ESPN calls the last network they will ever need to launch. It is certainly the future of sports TV.
2010-11 Annual Report
We have recently posted this year’s Annual Report on www.ramblinwreck.com and I urge you to take a moment to review the site. This year’s product is certainly more digital friendly and hopefully fun and easy to follow. You can access the Annual Report here.
Men’s Basketball Season Ticket Priority Deadline is Friday
The men’s basketball season ticket priority deadline is this Friday, August 19 at 5 p.m. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to receive the best seating available at Philips Arena. Beginning the week of August 22, season tickets purchased by the deadline will be assigned by Alexander-Tharpe (A-T) priority points. Purchase your season tickets today!
Tickets may be purchased through the Georgia Tech Ticket Office — online at www.ramblinwreck.com or via telephone at 888-TECH-TIX (832-4849) or 404-894-5447.
The 10-game Philips Arena men’s basketball season ticket is priced at $300. Season tickets include non-conference games against Alabama and ACC-Big Ten Challenge opponent Northwestern, as well as all eight ACC home opponents, including Duke, Virginia, Miami, Boston College, NC State, Clemson, Maryland and Wake Forest. Some sections of Philips Arena also have an associated TECH Fund contribution.
The entire Tech 2011-12 schedule, with dates, times and TV, will be announced next week.
