Rumor- Ga Southern fans will love

[Cocky]

We are close to or have signed a contract to play G Tech two games in Atlanta. G Tech call us about the games not the other way around. My sources (and we all know what they are worth) said the G Tech officials were impressed with the amount of fans we brought to the baseball regionals last year. This would be a great series for us with a good close I-A in our recruiting area, but I do feel for GSU knowing how bad they want a G Tech game.

[soweagle]

Typical of Tech.

[blueballs]

Gamecocks against the "Yellow Chickens," how nice...

Actually, Cocky, this should be viewed by the JSU folks as a slap in the face and a sign of disrespect. As you well know, the "Yellow Chickens" aren't calling GSU or Furman, they learned their lesson about Furman and aren't going to step in it with GSU.

Here's one GSU fan that will be rooting for JSU, despite my Georgia roots.

[Eagle_77]

This just goes to show just how scared they are of the Eagles. That stadium would absolutely be rocking if they hosted us with standing room only and a great atmosphere but they are just too afraid. While I also believe that Cocky should consider this a slap in the face, I also believe that it should be a slap in the face of GT's fans and football fans across the state of Georgia for denying them a great in state rivalry game.

[blueballs]

Excellent post 77.

[SpiritCymbal]

That stadium would absolutely be rocking if they hosted us with standing room only and a great atmosphere but they are just too afraid.

If they did ever give us a game, their stadium wouldn't be big enough. We'd have to move it to the Georgia Dome and it would still be a sell-out. It would be great recruiting for both teams. But oh well.....not until someone in atlanta grows a set!

[ChickenMan]

Gamecocks against the "Yellow Chickens," how nice...




are those guys related to the Blue Hens... :D

[eaglefan452]

This just goes to show just how scared they are of the Eagles. That stadium would absolutely be rocking if they hosted us with standing room only and a great atmosphere but they are just too afraid. While I also believe that Cocky should consider this a slap in the face, I also believe that it should be a slap in the face of GT's fans and football fans across the state of Georgia for denying them a great in state rivalry game.


If I were a Tech fan, I wouldn't want to play GSU, so I really can't find fault in that, even though as a GSU fan, I think it is disgraceful how they refuse to play us.

[blueballs]

are those guys related to the Blue Hens... :D

I wouldn't curse our Hens or 'Cocks friends like that ... unlike Tech, Delaware and Jax State actually have the balls to play GSU.

[JSU02]

Hmmm, sounds to me like GaTech not wanting to play GaSouthern is a lot like bama and auburn not wanting to play Jax State. I guess they don't want to take the chance of losing to (or playing poorly against) an in state team. Since tech is playing us, you southern fans should try calling auburn and tuscaloosa, maybe they would take you up on it.

[Eagle_77]

Thanks blueballs.

While I would like to travel to either Bama or Auburn it just wouldn’t be the same as an instate game with Tech. Tech is backseat to UGA just like we are in many in state fans eyes and by playing us it would bring great publicity to both schools and highlight our teams instead of the often-overrated Dawgs. I would be making the same argument if our school refused to play Valdosta St. or West Georgia. In fact if we have a D-II on the schedule I would prefer it to be one of them.

[ccujacket]

Thanks blueballs.

While I would like to travel to either Bama or Auburn it just wouldn’t be the same as an instate game with Tech. Tech is backseat to UGA just like we are in many in state fans eyes and by playing us it would bring great publicity to both schools and highlight our teams instead of the often-overrated Dawgs.

I fail to see your point: Georgia Tech needs Georgia Southern to get publicity? Having grown up in Atlanta and having read the AJC I can tell you Georgia Tech get's similar if not equal coverage. Georgia Southern is lucky to get mentioned.

There is no benefit whatsoever to Georgia Tech playing Georgia Southern. Georgia Tech may not get the best attendance in I-A but they do outdraw GSU by 20,000 - 30,000.

Have to move the game to the Dome? You guys are delirious.

[pete4256]

I fail to see your point: Georgia Tech needs Georgia Southern to get publicity? Having grown up in Atlanta and having read the AJC I can tell you Georgia Tech get's similar if not equal coverage. Georgia Southern is lucky to get mentioned.

There is no benefit whatsoever to Georgia Tech playing Georgia Southern. Georgia Tech may not get the best attendance in I-A but they do outdraw GSU by 20,000 - 30,000.

Have to move the game to the Dome? You guys are delirious.


I don't know about having to move the game to the dome, but I think GSU would "travel" 15k to this game. I'm not sure how the rest of the ACC travels, so there's no way I can guess whether we'd do more than sell out Tech's place.

[blueballs]

Seeing where GSU/UGA sold out Sanford Stadium the last two times I can't see where it is a stretch to say GSU/GT would sell out Bobby Dodd stadium or the Georgia Dome, both of which are smaller than Sanford Stadium.

GSU has a ton of alumni in the ATL area who are much more likely to drive across town than drive the 200+ miles to Statesboro, so a sell out isn't out of the question at all- especially when you factor in the UGA fans who might show up to root against Tech.

You're dead on correct about Tech not needing GSU to get pub in the ATL fishwrap. It's their hometown paper... if you want a better guage of Tech's popularity in-state check out the distribution of coverage in the Macon and Savannah papers. You'll find Tech and GSU's coverage isn't that different and they both suck hind tit to UGA.

But with that being said it doesn't take a genius to figure out that GSU/GT will cause more buzz in state than JSU/GT or any other out of state 1-AA. If I remember correctly, GSU/UGA was televised this past year. I can guarantee you that JSU/GT won't be.

As for Auburn, I don't look for them to schedule GSU anytime soon either as GSU scared the daylights out of them the last time they played.

[Cocky]

Gamecocks against the "Yellow Chickens," how nice...

Actually, Cocky, this should be viewed by the JSU folks as a slap in the face and a sign of disrespect. As you well know, the "Yellow Chickens" aren't calling GSU or Furman, they learned their lesson about Furman and aren't going to step in it with GSU.

Here's one GSU fan that will be rooting for JSU, despite my Georgia roots.


I guess GSU playing Auburn was a slap in the face for Southern. Auburn is unwilling to play us. We tried to get a game with them this year but they picked WKU. Anyway it more respectful to be turned down by Auburn than G Tech.

[SpiritCymbal]

I guess GSU playing Auburn was a slap in the face for Southern. Auburn is unwilling to play us. We tried to get a game with them this year but they picked WKU. Anyway it more respectful to be turned down by Auburn than G Tech.

Apples/Oranges. We played Auburn 14 years ago...before JSU was even Division I. But anyway....I don't consider it a slap in the face of JSU. But it does make you wonder why GT is so adament about refusing to play us, and then turns around and calls JSU up and offers a 2 year deal.

[JaxSinfonian]

Actually, Cocky, this should be viewed by the JSU folks as a slap in the face and a sign of disrespect.

I don't mind that at all. You might say it makes it more fun, even. I like sneaking up on people.

Blueballs, as for how much buzz a JSU-Tech game vs. a GSU-Tech game would generate, I think you're right, but you should be wrong. It's amazing how something imaginary like a state line can cause people to think you're on a different planet.

JSU is 100 miles closer to Atlanta than Statesboro is. We've got a very active alumni chapter there, and a little more than 10 percent of the student body in any given year is from Georgia, mainly the western counties on the fringes of metro Atlanta. If this two-game deal comes to pass, both games will be sellouts, I think, with a ton of Gamecock fans in the stands. If they thought we brought a crowd to the baseball regionals ... heh, heh.

But when gameday rolls around, I'll be surprised if the AJC sports staff actually realizes we're in Alabama and not Florida.

[OL FU]

It absolutely sucks that Tech will not play the Eagles. On the hand, I can't blame them. There have been a few years that skipping the GSU game would have been a smart thing to do.

On the other hand, I hope it works out for JSU. It's fun to pull the stingers out of those Atlanta jackets.

[Eagle_77]

I fail to see your point: Georgia Tech needs Georgia Southern to get publicity? Having grown up in Atlanta and having read the AJC I can tell you Georgia Tech get's similar if not equal coverage. Georgia Southern is lucky to get mentioned.

There is no benefit whatsoever to Georgia Tech playing Georgia Southern. Georgia Tech may not get the best attendance in I-A but they do outdraw GSU by 20,000 - 30,000.

Have to move the game to the Dome? You guys are delirious.

blueballs beat me to it and touched on this a little but you are the one dead wrong on this. In ATL GT gets more or equal coverage to UGA but state wide it’s a no contest. UGA is king in Georgia hands down. While GT is on a national scale, mainly because of the BBall team, it would highlight both teams for a weekend and possibly steal some coverage from UGA.

As far as attendance at this game goes if we can travel to UGA and help set the state record twice for the largest crowd to watch a football game of any type in the state of Georgia then I am confident that we could put a pretty good crowd in the Georgia Dome and there wouldn’t be enough tickets if we played it at GT. The Georgia Dome holds 71,250, which is about 21,000 less than what was at the UGA game. So are you going to tell me that GT is just as popular as UGA but cant do their part in selling out the Georgia Dome at less capacity than Samford Stadium by 20,000+? How are 20,000 more tickets sold than your usual home game not a benefit? Lets say that tickets cost $25 a piece to this game. Thats 20,000 X $25= $500,000 more dollars than a usual home game. Who doesn’t benefit from that?

JaxSinfonian you are right that JSU is closer to ATL and will probably bring a great crowd but the buzz just will not be there and it will not be as big of a crowd as a game between GSU and GT would produce. A very large amount (I would go as far as saying half) live within 1 hour of ATL before they come to Southern and often travel back there for weekends at home. A game between GT and GSU would bring the usual followers and the students and their parents that grew up in or near ATL for the novelty of the game. So that’s all the usual GT and GSU fans then students and parents and plain old football fans that come to the game. All of which you will not get with another I-AA team.

[blueballs]

I don't mind that at all. You might say it makes it more fun, even. I like sneaking up on people.

Blueballs, as for how much buzz a JSU-Tech game vs. a GSU-Tech game would generate, I think you're right, but you should be wrong. It's amazing how something imaginary like a state line can cause people to think you're on a different planet.

JSU is 100 miles closer to Atlanta than Statesboro is. We've got a very active alumni chapter there, and a little more than 10 percent of the student body in any given year is from Georgia, mainly the western counties on the fringes of metro Atlanta. If this two-game deal comes to pass, both games will be sellouts, I think, with a ton of Gamecock fans in the stands. If they thought we brought a crowd to the baseball regionals ... heh, heh.

But when gameday rolls around, I'll be surprised if the AJC sports staff actually realizes we're in Alabama and not Florida.

Very good points, Jax.

[FU97]

I wouldn't think that a GSU-GT game would be at the Dome. You talk about the crowd at the UGA games but UGA routinely sells out their stadium for practically every game. GT is lucky to sell out and fill the stadium when FSU or Miami comes to town. Would GSU bring a lot of fans to the game? Sure, I'd guess that 12-15k would be a safe assumption. I'd also assume some of the Tech people wouldn't be interested in the game. The net result could probably be more than Bobby Dodd could handle, but not nearly enough for GT to consider moving the game to a venue where they would have to pay to rent when they could just play it in their own stadium. Why move all the equipment, cause heartache for the team/band when you can just play it in your own stadium and probably clear more money.

Thinking that GT/GSU would draw 71,000 is crazy IMHO. The combined regular attendence of both teams probably doesn't get to 71,000.

[SpiritCymbal]

I would disagree about the Ga. Dome not filling up. GSU brought only 15K to UGA last year b/c that's all the tickets we were allowed to have. The last two times we played UGA (2000,2004) GSU's alotment was sold out pretty soon after they went on sale. It wouldn't be a stretch to think that more would have been at those games if allowed.

GT Average Attendance = 52,862
GSU Average Attendance = 16,937

It's not unreasonable to count on those 69,799 people to show up for the game. Bobby Dodd Stadium only holds 55,000. There is more than enough difference to warrant a look at Ga. Dome for the game.

Of course.....all of this is for naught until some people at Georgia Tech grows some balls!

[Cocky]

The B'ham News has confirmed the rumor plus Samford gets a two game series. Maybe GSU can use this to get a series from G Tech but from the posts it doesn't sound promising. I will try to link the story which says we aren't making any inroads to Alabama or Auburn.




http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1115889755192720.xml (http://)

[ccujacket]

I have heard there is talk about scheduling GSU as well. So hold your horses GSU fans.

[Cocky]

The Anniston Star is reporting that we are talking to Clemson but they would rather play an in-state school if possible. If the in-state part is true you will not see us playing Clemson anytime soon. Furman, Wofford, and every other I-AA AD should call and offer to play.

[blueballs]

I have heard there is talk about scheduling GSU as well. So hold your horses GSU fans.

Where'd you hear that?

That's news to all GSU boosters and even a few who have close ties to Tech.

[Cocky]

GSU would have to come after 2009. I feel sure that G Tech will not schedule two I-AA school in a single year.

[OL FU]

The Anniston Star is reporting that we are talking to Clemson but they would rather play an in-state school if possible. If the in-state part is true you will not see us playing Clemson anytime soon. Furman, Wofford, and every other I-AA AD should call and offer to play.

Clemson has historically played Furman every 3 to 4 years ( 25 miles apart). We played in 2003. Lost 28-17. I think as long as Clemson can count the game towards bowl eligibility, they will have no problem paying Furman. They are aware of Furman's past success against !-A. But we have not beat them since the 30's. They will not worry until we do.

[Eagle_77]

Of course.....all of this is for naught until some people at Georgia Tech grows some balls!

Well said. I love the fact that people who know very little about our program other than the success we have had knows more about our program than us. But with that being said there is know way to prove what we know until GT grows a set.

Someone said that UGA sells out every home game. That is not true but they do come close nearly everytime. But the point was missed. More people were at the two games played between UGA and GSU then any other crowd on any level in the state of GA. Both the stadium record and state records were both broken. So your gonna tell me that the UGA fans were THAT interested both times to turn out to see GSU? In case there is someone out there that is still missing the point: The UGA/GSU games sold more tickets then anybody UGA has hosted including instate rival GT. They are less than 2 hours apart. While you can count 15,000-16,000 tickets would sell out at the GSU ticket office I believe that another 3,000-4,000 tickets would sell from those people that live in or near ATL that are related to someone attending GSU. Thats 18,000-20,000 that could be related to GSU.

[FU97]

Clemson has historically played Furman every 3 to 4 years ( 25 miles apart). We played in 2003. Lost 28-17. I think as long as Clemson can count the game towards bowl eligibility, they will have no problem paying Furman. They are aware of Furman's past success against !-A. But we have not beat them since the 30's. They will not worry until we do.

Furman has Clemson on the schedule in 2008 and I think in 2010 as well. The Chickens down in Columbia haven't given us the time of day since we beat them in the early 1980's.

[eaglesrthe1]

Well said. I love the fact that people who know very little about our program other than the success we have had knows more about our program than us. But with that being said there is know way to prove what we know until GT grows a set.

Someone said that UGA sells out every home game. That is not true but they do come close nearly everytime. But the point was missed. More people were at the two games played between UGA and GSU then any other crowd on any level in the state of GA. Both the stadium record and state records were both broken. So your gonna tell me that the UGA fans were THAT interested both times to turn out to see GSU? In case there is someone out there that is still missing the point: The UGA/GSU games sold more tickets then anybody UGA has hosted including instate rival GT. They are less than 2 hours apart. While you can count 15,000-16,000 tickets would sell out at the GSU ticket office I believe that another 3,000-4,000 tickets would sell from those people that live in or near ATL that are related to someone attending GSU. Thats 18,000-20,000 that could be related to GSU.

Would also like to add that even though Sanford stadium might officially "sell-out", it's also easy to pick up a ticket for $5 right out in front of the stadium on game day whenever the likes of UK, Vandy, or Ole' Miss comes to town.
Game day tickets were going for $75 for the UGA-GSU game on game day last year with every seat taken. I saw much higher prices in the weeks leading up to the game on Ebay and in the paper. Shows that there was still some pent up demand.


I would say that if Tech would have had GSU on this years home schedule, that game would be 3rd in attendance. Right behind the UGA and Clemson games.