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The Good Word

TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of Georgia Tech Athletics

FROM: Dan Radakovich, Georgia Tech Director of Athletics

Greetings, Yellow Jacket fans. On a week of momentous occasions, I hope you have seen and heard by now that yesterday certainly qualified as a bonafide historic day for Georgia Tech Athletics.

At a noon luncheon for our Life Members, my annual State of Georgia Tech Athletics address was punctuated by our announcement that we have completed a new 10-year agreement with our multi-media rights partner, International Sports Properties (ISP). This new deal in and of itself is a huge stroke for our program, creating nearly $50 million in guaranteed revenue over the next decade. In negotiating this new agreement, we were able to completely change the nature of our previous business relationship with ISP, moving into a true revenue-sharing partnership and creating a new interwoven media sales unit to be known as Georgia Tech Sports Properties.

But the offshoot of this successful negotiation with ISP has resulted in a tremendous ripple effect. Two of our oldest and dearest neighbors have also reached long-term agreements with us that will assist in our future financial success. Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Enterprises have committed to a 13-year relationship with Georgia Tech, joining our friends at Russell Athletic, who previously had announced a 10-year deal.

Perhaps most exciting is the news about our new FM radio partner, WYAY (True Oldies 106.7 FM). Beginning in August, this powerful FM giant will carry all football and men’s basketball games, as well as our weekly Paul Johnson and Paul Hewitt coaches’ shows. As most of you know, this has been a top priority since I arrived at Tech. This coverage is in addition to our AM coverage with 790 The Zone, giving Georgia Tech a bonanza in the Atlanta radio marketplace. This could not have been accomplished without the cooperative efforts of ISP, Georgia Tech Sports Properties and the folks here within Georgia Tech Athletics who have worked long and hard to bring this about.

As I am off to South Florida today for our winter Atlantic Coast Conference meetings, I wanted to leave you with links to the press release on yesterday’s events and the video coverage of our afternoon press conference. I hope you enjoy the information. In just a few days, we will be posting the entire video and Power Point presentation that I made to our Life Members. It includes information on a number of initiatives with our athletics program. Please check the Video tab on Ramblinwreck.com as that becomes available online next week.

I’ll have a full report on our ACC meetings in the next edition of the Good Word.

Press release(includes link to video of press conference)

NO. 2 UNC IN TOWN TONIGHT TO FACE TECH
Coach MaChelle Joseph’s basketball team returns home tonight for the first time in two weeks to face the No. 2/3-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels at Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Tip-off is 7 p.m. The Yellow Jackets will be trying to snap their 11-game losing streak to UNC.

FOOTBALL NUGGETS
Football Signing Day Celebration is coming up Feb. 4. More details about that event will be distributed soon on RamblinWreck.com… Senior defensive tackle Vance Walker is attempting to turn the heads of NFL scouts this week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The annual all-star game will be played Saturday at 7 p.m. and can be seen on the NFL Network… Sophomore running back Jonathan Dwyer is featured today in Sporting News Today.

SOFTBALL STADIUM NEARING COMPLETION
Georgia Tech’s new softball facility, located in the heart of campus at 8th and Fowler streets, will be dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony March 10. A photo gallery of this impressive facility is on our website.

MEN’S BASKETBALL AT CLEMSON SUNDAY
Coach Paul Hewitt’s team, which fell to 9-9 overall and 0-5 in the ACC, has now played in 10 games this season that were decided by seven points or less. The Yellow Jackets, in fact, have played four overtime games including each of the last two. Things don’t get any easier for a youthful Tech team. The Jackets play Sunday at nationally-ranked Clemson (7:45 p.m.) before hosting No. 1-ranked (for now) Wake Forest Jan. 31 at noon.

SWIMMING AT HOME NEXT WEEKEND
Georgia Tech’s swimming and diving teams will be in Blacksburg, Va., this weekend before returning home to host Emory Jan. 31 at noon in the final tune-up before postseason competition. The Yellow Jackets will honor their seniors in a ceremony prior to the start of the meet.

MEN’S TENNIS OFF TO 2-0 START
Coach Kenny Thorne’s men’s tennis team is 2-0 after beating Wofford and USC-Upstate last weekend. The Yellow Jackets will face a stiff challenge on the road Saturday at South Carolina.

WOMEN’S TENNIS HOME OPENER WEDNESDAY
Coach Bryan Shelton’s women’s tennis team plays its first home match of the 2009 spring season Wednesday at 3 p.m. against Auburn at the Bill Moore Tennis Center. The Yellow Jackets, paced by defending NCAA champion Amanda McDowell, should again be one of the nation’s top teams.

TRACK TEAMS IN ARKANSAS
Both the men’s and women’s track teams, coming off a productive weekend at the University of Kentucky, travels to SEC country again this weekend. Coach Grover Hinsdale’s teams will compete in the Razorback Invitational Friday and Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark.

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