Giving up another home game in 2023?

[BrentwoodJacket]

Still haven't seen an explanation why the CFA games make financial sense for us. In the history of the CFA games which other teams have given up a home game to participate?

 

[vapspwi]

Still haven't seen an explanation why the CFA games make financial sense for us. In the history of the CFA games which other teams have given up a home game to participate?

Yeah, I can kinda see how it would work out for a “home” game against somebody like ND as was originally planned for 2020. Sell more (and more expensive) tickets than you could at home, get some hype from the opponent and from the sexy new venue, etc.

It’s harder to see how the finances work out in our favor for a “home” game against UNC like last year, but maybe the venue attracted more people than would have come to BDS.

The neutral CFA games are harder still to understand, because I don’t know how the payouts and ticket sales revenue and stuff like that works for a game somebody else is promoting versus the “home” games.

I assume that GTAA aren’t total idiots, and there’s some financial advantage to doing this, but the advantage has probably been lessened by circumstances (Covid, the fact that we suck) just like other moves we’ve made (like the artificial turf).

JRjr

 

[BrentwoodJacket]

I assume that GTAA aren’t total idiots, and there’s some financial advantage to doing this, but the advantage has probably been lessened by circumstances (Covid, the fact that we suck) just like other moves we’ve made (like the artificial turf).

JRjr

What actions would lead you to make that assumption?

 

[gtg970g]

Yeah, I can kinda see how it would work out for a “home” game against somebody like ND as was originally planned for 2020. Sell more (and more expensive) tickets than you could at home, get some hype from the opponent and from the sexy new venue, etc.

It’s harder to see how the finances work out in our favor for a “home” game against UNC like last year, but maybe the venue attracted more people than would have come to BDS.

The neutral CFA games are harder still to understand, because I don’t know how the payouts and ticket sales revenue and stuff like that works for a game somebody else is promoting versus the “home” games.

I assume that GTAA aren’t total idiots, and there’s some financial advantage to doing this, but the advantage has probably been lessened by circumstances (Covid, the fact that we suck) just like other moves we’ve made (like the artificial turf).

JRjr

Whoever is next AD needs to come in and clean house. Todd have lip service to "evaluating all aspects of the operation" but I don't think any changes were actually made. Operationally the AA just does not appear to be well run and I have no faith that the MBS deal was properly evaluated.

 

[coit]

First, based on the number of Clemson fans sitting in the crappy season ticket holder seats around me, I’m not sure we did have the same number of season ticket holders there - seems like some folks decided to sell their tix, either because they didn’t want to go to MBS or couldn’t go to a game on Monday night instead of Saturday.

Fans could have sold their tickets to BDS just as easily as they could’ve sold theirs to MBS. As for Saturday versus Monday, we have had Thursday home games for decades, save for a few years. Not sure how it is any different.

Second, there is at least some competitive advantage to being in your own stadium where you control all the tickets and the visitors get a reduced allotment (compared to a 33/33/33% split or whatever between GT/Clem/CFA for the neutral site game).

Your previous position that I replied to wasn’t about BDS vs MBS, it was about 2021 UNC versus 2022 Clemson.

It’s a matter of degrees. Clemson was a neutral site game. UNC 2021 was a “home game” played in a different stadium in that we controlled all the tickets - we didn’t screw our season ticket holders (at least not as much) and didn’t give up our meager home field advantage.

You seem to be mad because our ticket locations got shuffled around.

This is a game for the players, for recruiting. I never get why certain fans think that decisions are made for their interest. Your job is to pay the money so we can have a football team. And this MBS deal was about additional money for the school. I don’t know if it actually works out better financially, but that’s my recollection at the time it was announced.

Hey, I’d rather play all of our home games at BDS. But I had a nice day staying at the Glenn and getting some grub at Hudson’s and having a leisurely stroll to and from the game. I don’t see why anyone is crying about playing 1 game a year there. Just wanna bitch about anything and everything is the only answer I can see.

Playing at MBS is a recruiting tool and it is fun for the players. That’s really all that should matter to any of us.

 

[BrentwoodJacket]

Fans could have sold their tickets to BDS just as easily as they could’ve sold theirs to MBS. As for Saturday versus Monday, we have had Thursday home games for decades, save for a few years. Not sure how it is any different.



Your previous position that I replied to wasn’t about BDS vs MBS, it was about 2021 UNC versus 2022 Clemson.



You seem to be mad because our ticket locations got shuffled around.

This is a game for the players, for recruiting. I never get why certain fans think that decisions are made for their interest. Your job is to pay the money so we can have a football team. And this MBS deal was about additional money for the school. I don’t know if it actually works out better financially, but that’s my recollection at the time it was announced.

Hey, I’d rather play all of our home games at BDS. But I had a nice day staying at the Glenn and getting some grub at Hudson’s and having a leisurely stroll to and from the game. I don’t see why anyone is crying about playing 1 game a year there. Just wanna bitch about anything and everything is the only answer I can see.
t
Playing at MBS is a recruiting tool and it is fun for the players. That’s really all that should matter to any of us.

I would like to know how effective this recruiting tool is and how much we are paying for this tool. It is also frustrating that we have to pay for this tool while no other team has to pay.

 

[MidGABuzz]

If Louisville and Georgia Tech play a football game at a neutral site does it make a sound?

Depends on if it is Thursday.

 

[midatlantech]

Let me add that the early season games at BDS are typically uncomfortably hot. The Benz was airconditioned, had lots of amenities, had the outdoor park/games to enjoy, had a unique environment/excitement. I enjoyed the game there and will continue to.

 

[GT flunkout]

Lolol. Some people still want to believe last weekend was a home game with Clemson painted in one end zone. "no I never believed that" ok.

Fans could have sold their tickets to BDS just as easily as they could’ve sold theirs to MBS. As for Saturday versus Monday, we have had Thursday home games for decades, save for a few years. Not sure how it is any different.

Your previous position that I replied to wasn’t about BDS vs MBS, it was about 2021 UNC versus 2022 Clemson.

You seem to be mad because our ticket locations got shuffled around.

This is a game for the players, for recruiting. I never get why certain fans think that decisions are made for their interest. Your job is to pay the money so we can have a football team. And this MBS deal was about additional money for the school. I don’t know if it actually works out better financially, but that’s my recollection at the time it was announced.

Hey, I’d rather play all of our home games at BDS. But I had a nice day staying at the Glenn and getting some grub at Hudson’s and having a leisurely stroll to and from the game. I don’t see why anyone is crying about playing 1 game a year there. Just wanna bitch about anything and everything is the only answer I can see.

Playing at MBS is a recruiting tool and it is fun for the players. That’s really all that should matter to any of us.

This is such a öööö take and the fact that you don't recognize it is sad. öööö the fans, you'll swallow down the öööö and like it, even if it's a horrible Financial deal, makes us look like öööö and amateurs, just lobotomize yourself already and enjoy the suck and stop being a complainer. The weather is beautiful, take a waldk! It's attitudes displayed in this post that give cover to a litany of bad AA decisions. Just stop it already. You're better than that. I think.

Trading a home game for a neutral site game is garbage. The fact that GTAA has never been completely transparent about that speaks in volumes.

 

[SMoney]

They apparently have curtains they can lower to block off the upper deck. Not sure why they didn’t do that for this game or the UNC game.

JRjr

They curtains all say Atlanta United. They never block the upper deck for falcons games. So would have looked bad with the ATLUTD curtains I suppose…

 

[GTRules]

Stop talking nonsense.

The entire football board has been nonsense for the last couple of years.

 

[wesleyd21]

Imagine Prime Time coaching in it tho

 

[vapspwi]

Fans could have sold their tickets to BDS just as easily as they could’ve sold theirs to MBS. As for Saturday versus Monday, we have had Thursday home games for decades, save for a few years. Not sure how it is any different.



Your previous position that I replied to wasn’t about BDS vs MBS, it was about 2021 UNC versus 2022 Clemson.



You seem to be mad because our ticket locations got shuffled around.

This is a game for the players, for recruiting. I never get why certain fans think that decisions are made for their interest. Your job is to pay the money so we can have a football team. And this MBS deal was about additional money for the school. I don’t know if it actually works out better financially, but that’s my recollection at the time it was announced.

Hey, I’d rather play all of our home games at BDS. But I had a nice day staying at the Glenn and getting some grub at Hudson’s and having a leisurely stroll to and from the game. I don’t see why anyone is crying about playing 1 game a year there. Just wanna bitch about anything and everything is the only answer I can see.

Playing at MBS is a recruiting tool and it is fun for the players. That’s really all that should matter to any of us.

I’m not even sure what you’re arguing at this point. Here’s my position as a fan in a nutshell. (Maybe the math is different if I’m the AD or a player, but I’m not, I’m just the guy helping to pay the bills.)

Home games at BDS=good. “Home” games at MBS=OK once in a while, with some pros and some cons. Neutral game at MBS=great if we don’t give up a true home game for it, and very annoying if we do give up a true home game for it.

More games like set up like UNC ‘21 might be fun. More games set up like Clemson ‘22 are not very appealing.

JRjr

 

[BackstreetBuzz]

I thought the crowd Monday night was more neutral than it has been in recent years with UGA and Clemson. I would estimate the crowd as 60% Clemson, 40% GT, which seemed better for GT than recent games with Clemson in BDS.

 

[RamblinWreck27]

If Louisville and Georgia Tech play a football game at a neutral site does it make a sound?

Hey now, that's our future ACC POD rival you're talking about, if you can't see the rivalry and tradition between our two programs then you just don't want to see it.

 

[coit]

More games like set up like UNC ‘21 might be fun. More games set up like Clemson ‘22 are not very appealing.

Ok, I’ll ask you for a 3rd time, what is the difference?

 

[vapspwi]

Ok, I’ll ask you for a 3rd time, what is the difference?

Jesus, have you had a stroke?

UNC ‘21 - we controlled all the seats, so season ticket holders got roughly equivalent seats and UNC got the usual visitor’s pittance. GT kept all the revenue from ticket sales. The A/V and game production was all GT like a BDS game - our videos and graphics, our music, our band does what they want to do.

Clemson ‘22 - seats were divided between GT and Clemson (presumably equal shares) with another share going to CFA and MBS, so season ticket holders (particularly club people, apparently) got a big downgrade. The revenue structure was different. The A/V and game production was mostly neutral with maybe a little from GT and a little from Clemson. Our band was apparently restricted in what they could play, since they only played one verse of RW after the TD. (Good on them for letting us bring the Wreck, though.)

I’ll go along with the UNC model without much of an issue, because it’s basically recreating the BDS experience in MBS. I’ll complain about the Clemson model because we traded the BDS experience for something that’s worse from the perspective of a GT fan.

If we moved, say, the UCF road game to MBS, fine. But giving up the biggest home game on the schedule and reducing my trips to BDS to 5 doesn’t appeal to me as a person who likes going to BDS.

JRjr

 

[coit]

Jesus, have you had a stroke?

UNC ‘21 - we controlled all the seats, so season ticket holders got roughly equivalent seats and UNC got the usual visitor’s pittance. GT kept all the revenue from ticket sales. The A/V and game production was all GT like a BDS game - our videos and graphics, our music, our band does what they want to do.

Clemson ‘22 - seats were divided between GT and Clemson (presumably equal shares) with another share going to CFA and MBS, so season ticket holders (particularly club people, apparently) got a big downgrade. The revenue structure was different. The A/V and game production was mostly neutral with maybe a little from GT and a little from Clemson. Our band was apparently restricted in what they could play, since they only played one verse of RW after the TD. (Good on them for letting us bring the Wreck, though.)

I’ll go along with the UNC model without much of an issue, because it’s basically recreating the BDS experience in MBS. I’ll complain about the Clemson model because we traded the BDS experience for something that’s worse from the perspective of a GT fan.

If we moved, say, the UCF road game to MBS, fine. But giving up the biggest home game on the schedule and reducing my trips to BDS to 5 doesn’t appeal to me as a person who likes going to BDS.

JRjr

So you contend that we got all of the ticket sale revenue at the UNC game, but we apparently didn't get all of the ticket revenue for the Clemson game. Do you have a link to that?

Here's a link to the announcement with a detailed list of reasons why GTAA entered into the deal.

GT to Play Annual Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Jackets to host one game per season at home of Atlanta Falcons from 2020-24

ramblinwreck.com

This from 2019, and mentions specifically that 2022 will be different. It also says that we were paid for this commitment. Here's the quote:

"Revenue – Based on conservative ticket sales estimates, as well as a financial guarantee to participate in the 2022 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, Georgia Tech expects a significant revenue lift over the five years that it will hold an annual game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is valuable revenue that it can reinvest in services and facilities for student-athletes and close the budget gap between Tech and some of its peers."​

And you continue to complain about the seating arrangements. I'll tell you what seating sucked. The Tennessee game. Here's what the Q&A says about seating:

"I didn’t like my seat for the 2017 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game versus Tennessee at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Will the setup be the same for these games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium?​

​

A. No. The 2020 (vs. Notre Dame), 2021 (TBA), 2023 (TBA) and 2024 (Notre Dame) games will be Georgia Tech home games, meaning that Tech will have nearly the entire stadium’s inventory to make available to its fans.​

​

For the 2022 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game (vs. Clemson), Georgia Tech will have access to a wider variety of seating options than it did for the 2017 Chick-fil-A Game against Tennessee, while Clemson will receive a visitor’s ticket allotment (for the 2017 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, Georgia Tech and Tennessee received equal ticket allotments, which made the seating options that GT could offer its fans more limited).​

​

Therefore, for all five games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Georgia Tech season-ticket members will have priority access to preferred seating options, including premium seating inventory (club seats and suites)."​

While not spelled out exactly, it does seem to indicate that the 2022 game will be different, but better than the Tennessee game. And that was true for my tickets since I was in 300s for Tennessee and 200s for Clemson. The Tech sections were all together from the end zone where the band sat around to the corner near the entrance. Seemed like a pretty decent setup.

As for what the band could and couldn't play, clearly the stadium had a plan for its own music, and definitely seemed to limit what either band could play. But it doesn't really matter because that stadium has really terrible acoustics for some reason. I was in 217 basically looking down at the band but I couldn't really hear anything they were playing over the general ambient noise. Maybe because it is enclosed? Not sure. I would imagine those that were further away were able to hear them better since they could face the band. I certainly was able to hear the Clemson band when they played.

 

[77GTFan]

When Coit says our job is to pay the money so we can have a football team, I understand. But, I think that is a growing problem for college football. The truth is, the bulk of the money comes from the distribution of media rights. Therefore, the ticket buyers and contributors are far less important than years ago. Yet, they are gouged for higher contributions and ticket prices, while only the very richest boosters have any real say. Decisions are made in the interests of the media, not the players and coaches, and certainly not the fans.

I had an around the pool conversation with old guys like me while on vacation and heard a UNC, South Carolina and Virginia Tech fan all say that the changes in college sports had turned them off - all three had moved from contributors and season ticket holders to just watching on TV. The super teams are still filling stadiums, but college football attendance at many schools is down.

This is why I don’t mind one or two super conferences for football to carry on as a mega business while the tier below finds a way for players, students and fans to enjoy football in a simpler model.

 

[Walton]

Still haven't seen an explanation why the CFA games make financial sense for us. In the history of the CFA games which other teams have given up a home game to participate?

Technically all of them, they could have played a home game against a nobody.