On the heels of a historic season and with an appetizing home schedule upcoming, Georgia Tech has enjoyed a windfall in season-ticket sales. The athletic department has received a 12 percent increase in sales of season tickets and is projecting more than 33,500 orders from fans, students and staff.
It is the highest total since 2009, following coach Paul Johnson’s first season, when the total was 35,209 for 55,000-seat Bobby Dodd Stadium. (Tech has previously reported season-ticket purchases by fans and not students or staff. Last year’s total was around 21,000. The comprehensive number was just under 30,000.) Further, Tech has also sold all of its premium inventory, including club seats and suites, for the first time.
“There’s definitely a lot of excitement,” deputy athletic director Brett Daniels said. “We wanted to take advantage of that, build on that and hopefully continue to grow that.”
The Florida State game Oct. 24 has sold out and the Georgia game Nov. 28 is also on track for a sellout. The sales follow Tech’s 11-win season, which culminated in its Orange Bowl victory. It was the team’s first major bowl win since the 1956 Sugar Bowl. Besides the Seminoles, who will make their first appearance at Bobby Dodd since 2008, and Bulldogs, the home schedule includes Virginia Tech and North Carolina.
The sales spike goes against a national trend in which colleges have faced significant challenges holding onto fans, particularly season-ticket holders and students.
In addition to benefiting from the bounce from the 2014 season, the athletic department began its campaign for season-ticket renewals earlier than it had previously. Renewal rate was in the mid-90’s, which Daniels called “incredibly high.” The earlier start also gave the ticket office more time to generate new sales.
Daniels also said that improvements in game-day experience, in response to surveys with fans, are being prepared. Season-ticket sales are ongoing.
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