Former GT Prez Bud Peterson revisits Georgia Tech’s role in last realignment frenzy

Tech being left out of the SEC or Big Ten is not just a problem for the athletic program and university in general, but a problem for the entire state of Georgia. There could only be one university in Georgia playing sports at the highest level and thus the state benefiting from that revenue and media exposure. It is an economic development problem! Who, outside of South Carolina, would've heard of Clemson if not for the athletics? Would anyone really attend Alabama from out of that state if not for their athletic success? Tech's athletic success in the 50's led to national prominence and helped it grow out of being a regional university to a national brand. Athletics at universities are an important marketing tool in this country.

Likely... South Carolina will have 2 universities in a major conference, Florida will have 3, Alabama 2, Mississippi 2... and on and on while Georgia might have... 1...? Georgia's governors are fond of recruiting flagship businesses and manufacturing facilities because of all of the tertiary business that comes with it. When KIA chose Georgia it was a win, but not just because of that one facility. It was a win because of all of the supply chain businesses that also came to Georgia, the hotels and transportation and restaurants that are used, the exchange of people and the building of new relationships for more economic development... which came with Hyundai and numerous of Korean investments in the state. It is the same with the athletic programs. It is not just the ticket sales on gameday, but all of the tertiary positive business effects. It is not just revenue for the school, but revenue businesses in the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta enjoy.

I hope Tech is working with the political leadership in the state, who in turn, I'm slightly embarrassed to say, should be working with the leadership at UGA to get Tech back into the SEC. UGA won't help on its own (although they should since it would basically an auto conference win for them). It is a long shot, but I don't trust the Big Ten to actually have Southern ambitions, or even if they did, that those ambitions include Tech.

Vote Valdosta_Jacket for Governor! "We'll get Tech back in the SEC!"
 
MidnightJacket said:
The AJC can't write a story about something they don't have first hand knowledge of. More details have been provided on other boards by people tied into the program who have said an offer WAS on the table and it was declined, citing our alumni would prefer to play regional teams than midwestern ones. Allegedly DRad was in favor of the move to bridge the financial gap of our program, but the prez is ultimately the one who makes the call.
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And hence, maybe the major reason he left.
 
Valdosta_Jacket said:
I hope Tech is working with the political leadership in the state, who in turn, I'm slightly embarrassed to say, should be working with the leadership at UGA to get Tech back into the SEC
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The political leadership in this state cares little about GT. I would imagine that most of them would be quite happy/fine with GT athletics dropping down to a MAC level in the post B1G/SEC world or disappearing altogether.
 
GT98 said:
The political leadership in this state cares little about GT. I would imagine that most of them would be quite happy/fine with GT athletics dropping down to a MAC level in the post B1G/SEC world or disappearing altogether.
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I do not think that the "powers that be" in Georigia view uga being a sole P5 team in the state as a bad thing. Quite the opposite, when people say uga is the number 1 coaching job in NCAA they say it because the state of Georgia has football talent rivaling Texas, Florida and California. With the exception of those other states have multiple P5 schools. Quite candidly today most analysts see uga as the states' only football school (no different than people dismissing vanderbilt in the state of Tennessee). GT can either throw in the towel or decide to complete. But there is also the fact that people know who MIT is, and it has nothing to do with their football team. GT the institute will be absolutely fine no matter what happens in realignment. But the GT fans are left to be disappointed.
 
Another point that has been brought up numerous times is Tech's attendance. It has always been a problem except when we are really good. But even still take a look at this 1992, a top 25 match up between NC State and GT who still is starting the QB who won them a national championship. Look at all those empty seats in the old north and even along the sidelines. Is attendance bad because Tech fans don't want to see ACC football? Or is attendance bad because we just don't have many fans?
 
Valdosta_Jacket said:
Tech being left out of the SEC or Big Ten is not just a problem for the athletic program and university in general, but a problem for the entire state of Georgia. There could only be one university in Georgia playing sports at the highest level and thus the state benefiting from that revenue and media exposure. It is an economic development problem! Who, outside of South Carolina, would've heard of Clemson if not for the athletics? Would anyone really attend Alabama from out of that state if not for their athletic success? Tech's athletic success in the 50's led to national prominence and helped it grow out of being a regional university to a national brand. Athletics at universities are an important marketing tool in this country.

Likely... South Carolina will have 2 universities in a major conference, Florida will have 3, Alabama 2, Mississippi 2... and on and on while Georgia might have... 1...? Georgia's governors are fond of recruiting flagship businesses and manufacturing facilities because of all of the tertiary business that comes with it. When KIA chose Georgia it was a win, but not just because of that one facility. It was a win because of all of the supply chain businesses that also came to Georgia, the hotels and transportation and restaurants that are used, the exchange of people and the building of new relationships for more economic development... which came with Hyundai and numerous of Korean investments in the state. It is the same with the athletic programs. It is not just the ticket sales on gameday, but all of the tertiary positive business effects. It is not just revenue for the school, but revenue businesses in the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta enjoy.

I hope Tech is working with the political leadership in the state, who in turn, I'm slightly embarrassed to say, should be working with the leadership at UGA to get Tech back into the SEC. UGA won't help on its own (although they should since it would basically an auto conference win for them). It is a long shot, but I don't trust the Big Ten to actually have Southern ambitions, or even if they did, that those ambitions include Tech.

Vote Valdosta_Jacket for Governor! "We'll get Tech back in the SEC!"
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Even if we got back into the SEC we would look like something between Vanderbilt and South Carolina every year in terms of wins. It would be probably closer to Vanderbilt under the new NIL and player free agency every year. We would win on average 2 or 3 more games a year in B1G.
 
Tampa Jacket said:
Even if we got back into the SEC we would look like something between Vanderbilt and South Carolina every year in terms of wins. It would be probably closer to Vanderbilt under the new NIL and player free agency every year. We would win on average 2 or 3 more games a year in B1G.
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I hear you and understand your logic, but our success in football over the past 100 years is lightyears away from Vandy and SC. I would not discount us so quickly. I think there would be an immediate jolt of energy if we lucked back into the SEC. We are not A&M coming in for the first time. There is a lot of history between Tech and the schools in the conference.
 
Valdosta_Jacket said:
I hear you and understand your logic, but our success in football over the past 100 years is lightyears away from Vandy and SC. I would not discount us so quickly. I think there would be an immediate jolt of energy if we lucked back into the SEC. We are not A&M coming in for the first time. There is a lot of history between Tech and the schools in the conference.
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I just don't get why everyone wants to say we would be Vandy. Maybe it's recency bias with our recent suckage, but Vandy can't hold our jock strap in terms of football success and tradition.
 
The SEC talking to Tech back in 2012 isn't too surprising - we are a former member, and as I've always understood, most of the schools like us and wanted us back. UGA and the mississippi schools don't, and that's probably why the discussions ended.
 
rocky top buzz said:
Another point that has been brought up numerous times is Tech's attendance. It has always been a problem except when we are really good. But even still take a look at this 1992, a top 25 match up between NC State and GT who still is starting the QB who won them a national championship. Look at all those empty seats in the old north and even along the sidelines. Is attendance bad because Tech fans don't want to see ACC football? Or is attendance bad because we just don't have many fans?
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You can't pull up footage from 30 years ago and use that as evidence for today's fanbase. I do think our stadium is a pinch bigger than what we need given the state of our program, but there's potential for filling it out. There's a lot of casual sidewalk fan support for GT in Atlanta, they'd pull for GT if we're putting out a solid product. If we ever start winning big and taking our share from uga, I think it would pretty easily fill up. But inconsistency year to year I think is hurting our efforts there tremendously, prior to GC.
 
rocky top buzz said:
Another point that has been brought up numerous times is Tech's attendance. It has always been a problem except when we are really good. But even still take a look at this 1992, a top 25 match up between NC State and GT who still is starting the QB who won them a national championship. Look at all those empty seats in the old north and even along the sidelines. Is attendance bad because Tech fans don't want to see ACC football? Or is attendance bad because we just don't have many fans?
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Back then it was because nobody wanted to see ACC football. Now it's because we sadly lost a majority of our fans.
 
Even if we weren't approached by either conference, they were expecting to.

"...Peterson said in a recent interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a group of presidents of schools most likely to field interest from other conferences – his included – gathered to consider their commitment."

So, which schools were those?

F$U? They were good, but no longer great. Jimbo Fisher was just hired. They always seem like a candidate to leave.

VPISU? Definitely. Beamer was in the middle of his run.

Miami? Old glory days, but four years into Randy Shannon at 21-7.

Clemson? Dabo was coming into his third year at 13-8. Always the most football-centric school in the ACC.

Maryland? Probably. (And they did!) Friedgen was 10 years in at 66-46.

Annndddd... Georgia Tech. CPJ's early years.

The first three weren't far from having moved to the ACC to help improve the quality of football. Clemson was just re-establishing themselves. Maryland was trying to go broke before it was fashionable. It made sense to stay together then. And they were only a year out from their agreement with Notre Dame, which ties them to joining the conference. It was a pretty strong position for the conference at that time. Not so much for the individual teams.
 
Tampa Jacket said:
Even if we got back into the SEC we would look like something between Vanderbilt and South Carolina every year in terms of wins. It would be probably closer to Vanderbilt under the new NIL and player free agency every year. We would win on average 2 or 3 more games a year in B1G.
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Name those 2 or 3 wins a year more in the B1G. GT has had 9 wins in 3 years with losses to FCS, G5 schools.

There is only 1 program on par with GT currently in the B1G, and that’s Illinois. You’re really underestimating how good a vast majority of the B1G is, and even the bad schools have good HC’s Brett B at Illinois, Greg S at Rutgers.
 
Valdosta_Jacket said:
I hear you and understand your logic, but our success in football over the past 100 years is lightyears away from Vandy and SC. I would not discount us so quickly. I think there would be an immediate jolt of energy if we lucked back into the SEC. We are not A&M coming in for the first time. There is a lot of history between Tech and the schools in the conference.
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I think the majority of people who discount Tech in general (myself being one of them) has more to do with the school not caring more so than anything else. Somehow even if GT is in the B1G in 25’, the school will still go cheap on supporting athletics despite all the extra $$$. GT has driven away sidewalk fans like myself. The nose in the air “we’re better than everyone else” mindset of the school with a lack of support to athletics will continue to dwindle the pool of sidewalk fans.

Look around at the schools in the SEC, B1G at the moment. 99% have better facilities over GT. This is an elite engineering school with facilities now that mirrored UGA, Clemson, etc a decade ago.

All of a sudden FSU and Miami are investing a ton of $$$ in upgrades. You think that’s any coincidence to what’s going on in CFB?
 
FightOn!Jacket said:
Name those 2 or 3 wins a year more in the B1G. GT has had 9 wins in 3 years with losses to FCS, G5 schools.

There is only 1 program on par with GT currently in the B1G, and that’s Illinois. You’re really underestimating how good a vast majority of the B1G is, and even the bad schools have good HC’s Brett B at Illinois, Greg S at Rutgers.
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The B1G is good. But there is no debate whatsoever. They are not nearly as good as the SEC. And the level of competition in the Big Ten would be much easier than the level of competition we would face in the SEC.
 
rocky top buzz said:
Another point that has been brought up numerous times is Tech's attendance. It has always been a problem except when we are really good. But even still take a look at this 1992, a top 25 match up between NC State and GT who still is starting the QB who won them a national championship. Look at all those empty seats in the old north and even along the sidelines. Is attendance bad because Tech fans don't want to see ACC football? Or is attendance bad because we just don't have many fans?
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Umbrellas everywhere in that video…
 
Until the existing president and administration gets behind athletics 100%...and I'm not talking about the half-ass crap they spew, I mean...full-throat support for the athletics programs at Ga Tech, the programs will continue to struggle.

Just about all of Dodd's former players have died out. The coaches that came after him stayed an average of what? 5 or 6 seasons with CPJ the longest? There is no core support for the football program like in the 70s thru the early 2000s from former players. We don't have a Kim King willing to go out and hire a former defensive coordinator that later become head coaches and jump start the program as in the late 1990s and TIAR.

My personal expectations from here on out is to average 3-5 wins annually regardless which conference GT winds up with the current mindset from the Hill.

GO JACKETS!!
byteback
 
Valdosta_Jacket said:
I hear you and understand your logic, but our success in football over the past 100 years is lightyears away from Vandy and SC. I would not discount us so quickly. I think there would be an immediate jolt of energy if we lucked back into the SEC. We are not A&M coming in for the first time. There is a lot of history between Tech and the schools in the conference.
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We’re ahead of Vanderbilt for sure. But I don’t think you’re giving South Carolina enough credit. SC has beaten UGA 33% of the time since 1990. And they have not been beaten nearly as lopsidedly as we have when they have lost. Over the same time period we have beaten UGA just 23%.
 
GTJacket23 said:
Umbrellas everywhere in that video…
Click to expand...

There are a lot of great schools with rich football histories that play in mostly empty stadiums that have one thing in common: They're in cities with pro sports. Tech, Miami, Pitt, UCLA... there are a lot of them. But, they can be successful if they are at least in the top tier of college football. But, if they fall out of the top tier, they're dead.
 
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