Yellow Jackets Announce 2012 Football Schedule

Feb. 27, 2012

2012 ACC Football Schedule (Composite & Team-by-Team) | 2012 ACC Football Schedule (Helmets Version)

ATLANTA – Georgia Tech’s nationally-televised season opener under the lights at Virginia Tech on Labor Day and seven home games highlight the 2012 football schedule, which was released Monday.

Historically, the winner of the Georgia Tech-Virginia Tech game has had huge implications in the ACC Coastal Division race. The Yellow Jackets (two division crowns) and Hokies (five) are the only teams who have captured the Coastal crown.

The last time the two Techs were scheduled to open a season – the 2000 BCA Bowl in Blacksburg, Va. – the game was cancelled because of bad weather. The last time the Yellow Jackets opened a season with a conference game came in 1996 at NC State.

“Opening the season on the road at Virginia Tech will certainly be a challenge,” Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson said. “But it’s a challenge I think our players will be excited about. It should help their motivation in preseason camp.”

With its opener coming on the road, seven of Tech’s remaining 11 games will come at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Playing Virginia Tech on a Monday night also means the Yellow Jackets will play their home opener just five days later against Presbyterian.

The game against Presbyterian will mark the first meeting with the Blue Hose since 1937. Brigham Young is back on the schedule for the first time since 2003. Boston College replaces NC State on Tech’s ACC schedule. The Yellow Jackets haven’t played the Eagles since 2008 when Johnson coached – and won – his first ever ACC game.

Tech will play at Maryland for the first time since 2007. The Yellow Jackets will play Middle Tennessee State for the third consecutive season.

The Yellow Jackets will wrap up the season with their 107th meeting with in-state rival Georgia, in Athens on Nov. 24.

Times and television network assignments will be announced later.

For ticket information, go to ramblinwreck.com/tickets or call 1-888-TECH-TIX.

SCHEDULE NOTES
— The trade-off for playing in a nationally-televised game on Labor Day is that the Yellow Jackets will not play in an ESPN Thursday night game for the first time since 1992.
— The Yellow Jackets will open the season by playing three games – including two ACC games — over a 13-day span.
— In between road games to open and close the regular season, Tech will play seven of 10 games at home.
— Eight of Tech’s 12 games will be within state lines, and the game at Clemson gives the Yellow Jackets nine games within driving distance.
— The Jackets will play five games before Oct. 1 for the first time since 2007.
— Tech will play just three games in October for the first time since 2007.
— The Jackets will play both the ACC Coastal champion (Virginia Tech) and Atlantic Division champion (Clemson) before October 1.
— Interesting to note that the three ACC teams that beat Tech last season – Virginia Tech, Virginia and Miami – appear on the schedule the first four weeks of the season.

2012 GEORGIA TECH FOOTBALL SCHEDULE