Ten years have passed since the opening of McCamish Pavilion on the night of Nov. 9, 2012, to a sellout crowd of fans that watched the Yellow Jacket men’s basketball team defeat Tulane. The sparkling, state-of-the-art facility that the Tech men’s and women’s basketball teams call home has hosted more than 340 Yellow Jackets basketball games as well as a number of Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Dream games. It also is the home of Georgia Tech’s commencement exercises and convocations, as well as a number of other non-sporting events, including memorial services, television, movie and photo shoots, concerts, a speech by former President Barack Obama and the inauguration of Georgia’s current governor, Brian Kemp. McCamish Pavilion also served as a voting precinct during the 2020 presidential election.
Here is a look at the top 10 athletic events in McCamish Pavilion, in chronological order.
Georgia Tech men’s basketball officially opened McCamish Pavilion on Nov. 9, 2012, to a sellout crowd of 8,600 by defeating Tulane, 79-61, and welcomed back alumni basketball players as far back as the 1950s to celebrate the opening night.
Georgia Tech women’s basketball drew 5,517, an attendance record for a women’s basketball game on The Flats, on Nov. 11, 2012, to entertain perennial power Tennessee for its first game player in McCamish Pavilion.
On Feb. 6, 2014, the Yellow Jacket women recorded their first win over a ranked opponent in McCamish Pavilion, downing No. 13/11 North Carolina, 94-91.
In its first post-season game played in McCamish Pavilion on March 19, 2015, the Georgia Tech women’s team overpowers Elon, 69-47, in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.
For its first victory over a ranked opponent in McCamish Pavilion, Georgia Tech used a late 11-0 run to knock off No. 4 Virginia, 68-64, on Jan. 9, 2016. This remains the highest-ranked foe the Yellow Jackets have defeated in the arena.
Georgia Tech drew Houston for its first post-season game since 2010, a noon start in which the Yellow Jackets whipped the Cougars, 81-62, on March 16, 2016 in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.
Georgia Tech never trailed and led No. 5 Louisville by as many as 11 points, and clinched the victory with a steal and a pair of free throws from Michael Devoe with seven seconds remaining for a 64-58 victory over the Cardinals, the second-highest ranked men’s team to go down to defeat in McCamish Pavilion.
Surging toward its first ACC Championship in 28 years and first NCAA Tournament berth in 11 years, Georgia Tech defeated Duke for the first time since 2010, an 81-77 overtime victory at McCamish Pavilion on March 2, 2021, keeping alive a season-ending six-game winning streak.
In front of the second-largest audience to see a women’s basketball game at McCamish Pavilion (4,578) on Dec. 9, 2022, Georgia Tech scored a decisive, 57-44 victory over No. 3/2 UConn.
Georgia Tech’s 10th-ranked volleyball team played in McCamish Pavilion for the first time, hosting No. 9 Pitt on October 9, 2022.
