March 6, 2008

I can tell there is a good feeling out there about Coach Paul Johnson and our football program. Inquiries regarding season tickets have been brisk, with several hundred new season ticket patrons already reaching out to put down deposits on seats when the process begins in a few weeks. In addition, payments on our TECH Fund invoices have been flowing in hot and heavy.

I thought I'd take a minute to discuss the season ticket process in this week's Good Word. The season ticket price for 2008 is set at $250. The single-game breakdown is pretty simple. We have five games priced at $40 with our two Championship Division games set at $25. Invoices for renewal of season tickets will be mailed on or about April 1. Those folks interested in new season tickets or perhaps increasing their season ticket holdings can go ahead and contact us either through Ramblinwreck.com or by calling 1-888-TECH-TIX to put that process in play.

The ticket sales process has really taken on a new spirit here at Tech. Taking a page from some of our friends on the professional level we have made some staff shifts to create a new unit specifically dealing with ticket sales and business development. We now have a staff of three people dedicated solely to our ticket sales effort - first in selling season tickets, suites and premium seats, and then later shifting to group sales for contingents of 20 or more.

Scott McLaren, who has worn several hats at Georgia Tech, is spearheading this effort along with Kyle Shields and Missy Pender. They will be out on the streets, moving quickly to identify and cultivate friends of the program and corporate contacts for the express purpose of selling football tickets. They will be calling on all of our constituents to reach out in support of filling our stadium every Saturday. If you have a lead, e-mail Scott at smclaren@athletics.gatech.edu.

This year we have decided to streamline our ticket offerings, moving away from the myriad of package deals and deep discounts of past seasons. There is one new sales initiative, though, that we are extremely excited about. We are offering a $150 season ticket in certain sections of our North end zone. With this deal, we are trying to entice new fans to give us a try and the occasional ticket buyer of the past to jump into a seven-game package at an extremely affordable price. Our sales team has dubbed this "The Jackets Nest," and it is located in sections 210 through 217, above the walkway, in addition to sections 218 and 219, below the walkway.

Any of you Georgia Tech fans that are interested in discussing season football tickets in any way, shape or form or who may have ideas about our campaign, should not hesitate to contact our sales folks. We want our team, Coach Johnson and his staff to see nothing but seats filled with Gold and White each and every Saturday next fall.

Hosting Of ACC Swimming A Success
Over the previous two weeks, Georgia Tech hosted both the ACC Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving championships. There is a tremendous amount of work that goes into hosting 21 teams over eight days of competition. Head Coach Stu Wilson, his staff, and athletic department representatives Jeff Gilbert, Andrew Parrish, Seth Gerard and many others did an outstanding job in hosting this event.

The Yellow Jackets performed well in the meets. Both Agatha Kwasnik and Elizabeth Stowe qualified for the March 20-22 NCAA Championships in Columbus, Ohio. Tech's men finished fourth and the women finished sixth.

Women's Basketball Should Be NCAA-Bound
After beating Miami Thursday in the opening round of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, Coach MaChelle Joseph's team should have locked up a bid to a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. At 22-8 entering Friday's quarterfinal game against No. 4 seed Virginia, the Yellow Jackets are enjoying another outstanding year.

Swan Song For Three Basketball Seniors
Three talented seniors play their final games in Alexander Memorial Coliseum tonight when Georgia Tech hosts Clemson in the next-to-last game of the regular season. Matt Causey, Anthony Morrow and Jeremis Smith have been so valuable to Coach Paul Hewitt's team. They want to extend their college careers next Thursday when the Yellow Jackets play in the opening round of the ACC Men's Tournament in Charlotte.

ACC Play Begins For Baseball Team
Coach Danny Hall's team is off to an outstanding 9-1 start and the Yellow Jackets host Virginia Tech Friday through Sunday in the opening ACC series of the season. Games against the Hokies are Friday at 4 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Come out to Russ Chandler Stadium to see plenty of good baseball action.

Defending Champs On The Road For A While
The defending NCAA champion women's tennis team, which has faced a demanding spring schedule, won't play on The Flats again until March 29 against NC State. Coach Bryan Shelton's team (9-3) plays at Florida State, Miami, North Carolina and Duke before finally playing another home match.

Men's Netters At Home Tomorrow (Friday)
Coach Kenny Thorne's team is off to a very solid 9-2 start and is already in the thick of the ACC schedule. The Yellow Jackets, 1-1 in ACC play, have an intriguing schedule on the horizon. They'll host Miami tomorrow (Friday, 2:30 p.m.), travel to rival Georgia next Wednesday, then host Arizona State next Friday.

6th-Ranked Golfers In The Desert This Weekend
Sixth-ranked Georgia Tech's golf team is in Las Vegas this weekend, and you can bet they'll contend for the Southern Highlands Intercollegiate title. Behind All-Americans Chesson Hadley and Cameron Tringale, the Yellow Jackets will go up against some of the nation's top teams Friday through Sunday in a tournament Tech captured in both 2001 and 2002.

Men's Track Has Best ACC Finish Since 1988
The Yellow Jacket men's track team finished second at the 2008 ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships in Chapel Hill recently. Coach Grover Hinsdale's team produced 85 points en route to its best finish since 1988.

Fatmata Fofanah, representing the 23rd-ranked women's team, won the 60-meter hurdles as Georgia Tech finished in ninth place.