Sports

Georgia Tech, Georgia State arranging exhibition for charity

February 11, 2017 Atlanta - Georgia Tech’s center Ben Lammers (44) blocks the shot by Boston College’s guard Jerome Robinson (1) in a basketball game at McCamish Pavilion on Saturday, February 11, 2017. Georgia Tech won 65 - 54 over the Boston College. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM
February 11, 2017 Atlanta - Georgia Tech’s center Ben Lammers (44) blocks the shot by Boston College’s guard Jerome Robinson (1) in a basketball game at McCamish Pavilion on Saturday, February 11, 2017. Georgia Tech won 65 - 54 over the Boston College. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM
Oct 18, 2017

Georgia Tech is attempting to arrange an exhibition basketball game with Georgia State to be played Oct. 28 at McCamish Pavilion. The game would raise money for hurricane relief. The news was first reported by ESPN on Monday. Tech associate athletic director Marvin Lewis confirmed the effort Tuesday.

Tech and Georgia State need to receive a waiver from the NCAA to play the game, as NCAA rules permit Division I teams to play exhibition games against teams outside of Division I.

Tech is playing Faulkner (NAIA) on Nov. 2, and Georgia State is playing Lees-McRae (Division II) on Nov. 2 and Coker College (Division II) on Nov. 6.

Georgia Tech and Georgia State last played each other in a regular-season game in December 2008. The Yellow Jackets are 17-2 in the series.

Other schools have done similarly. In recent days, exhibition games for charity have been scheduled between Kansas and Missouri, Connecticut and Providence and Marquette and Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The game would be played at noon. The timing works well for fans of both teams. Tech’s football team plays at night at Clemson that night, and the Panthers’ football team plays two days before against South Alabama.

Not a small motivation for Tech and coach Josh Pastner is the opportunity to gain more playing experience for a team with four freshmen and two returning starters. Tech also has a private scrimmage at Auburn this Saturday. The Jackets open the season against UCLA in Shanghai on Nov. 10.

About the Author

Ken Sugiura is a sports columnist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Formerly the Georgia Tech beat reporter, Sugiura started at the AJC in 1998 and has covered a variety of beats, mostly within sports.

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