Georgia Tech Football: Jackets to play game per season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

On Tuesday afternoon, Georgia Tech in partnership with Mercedes-Benz Stadium announced that the Yellow Jackets starting in 2020 will play one game per season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Georgia Tech and Mercedes-Benz Stadium came to a five-year agreement recently on the Yellow Jackets playing one game per season at the stadium. On Tuesday afternoon, the two announced the partnership and agreement at a press conference live from the stadium.

The agreement from between the two teams will allow Georgia Tech for at least the next five years to play one game at the stadium per season. Each season, the game is expected to be one of Tech’s premier games. The first game will be on November 14th, 2020 against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

So far out, three of the five-years have currently already been determined. As said above, the Jackets will play Notre Dame on November 14, 2020. Other games that have already been announced is a September 5, 2022 matchup against Clemson which will also serve as a Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game. The third game determined is set for October 19, 2024, and once again will feature the Yellow Jackets taking on Notre Dame. Each of the games will be considered home games for Georgia Tech.

By playing at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Yellow Jackets will have the opportunity to play in front of 16,000 more fans annually when comparing the capacity figures for both Bobby Dodd Stadium and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Of course, while that means a greater amount of Georgia Tech fans potentially attending games, it also opens up more seats to be taken up by fans of the opposing teams.

The Yellow Jackets of course already have a bit of history at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, playing their season opener in 2017 there against Tennessee. The Jackets lost a heart breaker in overtime, 42-41.

For the Yellow Jackets, the move is a great branding move and will become a selling point to recruits. Come to Tech and have the chance not to only play in one of the best football conferences but have the chance to play one game per season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. One of the world’s best stadiums and they’ll do say by playing some of the country’s most historic programs. With it being a home game, recruits attend the game on both unofficial and official visits which should only add to Geoff Collins and the coaching staff’s already loaded repertoire on the recruiting trail.

The Georgia Tech athletic department put together a fantastic page together on the Ramblin’ Wreck website about the deal and also have answers to a few FAQs. Overall, the agreement is a strong one for the Yellow Jackets and should result in a huge payoff. For fans, it shouldn’t be too major of inconvenience thanks to the stadium’s proximity to campus.

While the Jackets will play one less game at Bobby Dodd from 2020 to 2024, it’s a smart move for the program and one that could potentially result in a huge payoff down the road. Put this move in the win column for athletic director Todd Stansbury.