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Friday, December 14, 2007
Creative fundraising: Only $11.2 million to go
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve got to hand it to Georgia Tech’s athletics department. Someone there was smart enough to figure out a quick way to capitalize on the excitement surrounding the hiring of a new football coach.
Tech fans were invited to bid on the first Paul Johnson autographed Georgia Tech football (the contest closed Friday). The white football with the gold GT logo and Johnson’s autograph was to have fetched at least $650 (the current high bid as I write this blog).
Here’s a link: http://ramblinwreck.cstvauctions.com/gallery.cfm.
Tech is paying Johnson $11.2 million over seven years, before incentives and benefits. At an average of $700 a football, that would be only a little more than 2,200 footballs a year.
The athletics department also has to pay off the remaining $4 million on Chan Gailey’s contract, plus the approximately $500,000 owed Navy to buy out Johnson’s contract, plus remaining debt on the Bobby Dodd Stadium expansion. That’s a lot of dough. And there’s only so much ticket sales and Tech Fund contributions can cover.
So why stop with autographed footballs? How about auctioning off:
—One play call a game. Whoever puts up the most cash can design and call the first play of the third quarter.
—A football scholarship. Chan Gailey had to get by on 79 scholarship players this season and last season. What could it hurt to auction off one of the 85 Johnson will have at his disposal in 2008? (The winner would have to meet NCAA and Georgia Tech eligibility requirements and sign a waiver agreeing not hold Tech liable for any injuries suffered in practices or games.)
—A spot in the halftime show. You can fill the role of Big Boi and perform with the Georgia Tech Marching Band on the biggest karaoke stage in Atlanta!
Ideas?
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