Georgia Tech’s basketball team will make history — if somewhat trivial history — in its first season with coach Josh Pastner.
When the Yellow Jackets play Tulane on Nov. 26 at McCamish Pavilion, it will be the first time that a basketball home game has coincided with the Tech-Georgia football game (played this year in Athens). Previously, the basketball-playing Jackets have been idle, had yet to start their season or played a neutral-site or road game on the day when the state’s archrivals have met on the football field.
It’s with good reason. With virtually all Tech fans’ attention turned to the football game that day, trying to draw thousands of them also to a home basketball game could be a major challenge, particularly if the games overlap.
Neither game has a start time yet. Tech will be at the mercy of the TV programmers who arrange kickoff times, which are usually set inside of two weeks of the day of the game.
The Tulane game will complete a home-and-home series with the Green Wave. The Jackets beat Tulane 76-68 last year in New Orleans.
Tech was left with this option because of logistical difficulties in scheduling the game. The school expanded its final exam period this past academic year, which has reduced scheduling openings for basketball, athletic director Mike Bobinski said in a text message. That, combined with each team’s available dates and Tech’s desire to finish off the series this upcoming season, led to this outcome.
The contract for that game as well as four other non-conference basketball games were obtained through an open records request.
Tech will play Georgia in basketball Dec. 20, a Tuesday, at McCamish Pavilion in Pastner’s first taste of the rivalry. Georgia beat Tech last December in Athens, breaking a four-game winning streak that the Jackets had enjoyed in the series.
The Jackets will play Tennessee on Dec. 3, a Saturday, in Knoxville, Tenn., part of a four-game home-and-home series that began last season and will conclude in the 2018-19 season. The Jackets won 69-67 last season at McCamish in the first game of the series.
Tech will also complete a home-and-home series with VCU on Dec. 7, a Wednesday, in Richmond, Va. The Jackets beat the Rams at home last season 77-64 in what proved to be one of their five wins over NCAA tournament teams.
Tech will play Wofford on Dec. 22, a Thursday, also at McCamish. The Jackets played the Terriers in December, a 77-61 win for Tech. It’s part of a 2-for-1 agreement in which the Jackets will go to Wofford in the 2017-18 season. It will be the first time the Jackets have played at Wofford after what will be 16 home games in the series, dating to 1921.
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