Georgia Tech dropping season-ticket prices throughout stadium

Georgia Tech’s Dylan Leonard celebrates with fans after defeating Duke 23-20 in overtime Oct. 8 at Bobby Dodd Stadium. In an attempt to spur ticket sales and revive attendance, Georgia Tech has dropped the per-game cost of season tickets on 94% of the seats in the 55,000-seat stadium and held the line for the remaining 6%. (Daniel Varnado / for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Credit: Daniel Varnado

Credit: Daniel Varnado

Georgia Tech’s Dylan Leonard celebrates with fans after defeating Duke 23-20 in overtime Oct. 8 at Bobby Dodd Stadium. In an attempt to spur ticket sales and revive attendance, Georgia Tech has dropped the per-game cost of season tickets on 94% of the seats in the 55,000-seat stadium and held the line for the remaining 6%. (Daniel Varnado / for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

In an attempt to spur ticket sales and revive attendance, Georgia Tech has dropped the per-game cost of season tickets on 94% of the seats in 55,000-seat Bobby Dodd Stadium and held the line for the remaining 6%.

Renewals for season-ticket packages, which start at $225, begin Thursday and go on sale to the general public Monday. The least expensive season ticket last season was $299. Even without taking into consideration that the 2023 home schedule has seven dates compared with six for the 2022 season, that’s almost a 25% reduction. Along the same line, the overall cost for season tickets, including tickets and accompanying contributions to the TECH Fund for preferred seating, has dropped for 70% of seats.

The rollback on ticket prices is a significant but perhaps necessary action by the athletic department as attendance, season-ticket sales and general enthusiasm for the team markedly dropped during the tenure of former coach Geoff Collins.

Tech’s home attendance average this past season was 36,625, 64th in FBS. Not including the 2020 season, when attendance was capped at 11,000 as a COVID-19 protocol, it was Tech’s lowest average since 1989, when stadium capacity was 43,719. Even the rebound led by then-interim coach Brent Key did not do much to bring in fans, as average attendance in the three home games after his installation was 31,753. In 2019, Collins’ first season, average home attendance was 44,599.

For the 2023 home schedule, a season-ending matchup Nov. 25 with two-time defending national champion Georgia has the most obvious appeal, followed by an Oct. 28 game against North Carolina. The remaining five may be tougher sells – Louisville, South Carolina State, Bowling Green, Boston College and Syracuse.

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