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When No. 4 Georgia and No. 23 Georgia Tech face off on Black Friday in the 119th edition of the “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” rivalry game, it will be the first time since Bobby Dodd Stadium opened in 1913 that the matchup is not played on either school’s campus.
Why? $10 million.
That’s the sum AMB Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the Falcons and Atlanta United, is paying Georgia Tech to move the game out of its 52,000-seat home venue and into the 71,000-seat Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
It’s the fifth of a six-game contract Georgia Tech signed with AMBSE to annually play one home contest at the NFL and MLS venue, which opened in 2017. Since 2021, Georgia Tech has previously played Notre Dame, Louisville, Clemson, and North Carolina at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
But AMBSE significantly increased its payment guarantee to convince the Yellow Jackets to give up their biennial home game against the Bulldogs. The deal was struck in October 2024, under former Georgia Tech athletic director J Batt, who at the time estimated the $10 million payment would amount to roughly five times the revenue a normal home game would generate.
AMBSE controlled ticket sales as the game’s operator, so the matchup is expected to include just as many, if not more, Georgia fans as Georgia Tech supporters. Earlier this week, resale ticket prices on secondary marketplaces mostly started at roughly $175 for the cheapest seats.
The atypical move comes as Georgia Tech has enjoyed its best season since 2014, although last week’s loss to Pitt dropped the team to 9–2 and means it will need a miracle to make the ACC championship game. And even an upset over No. 4 Georgia, which is a two-touchdown betting favorite, wouldn’t guarantee an at-large bid in the College Football Playoff.
Still, Georgia (10–1) and Georgia Tech’s 19–combined wins this season are the most ever between the two teams heading into their annual rivalry game. Georgia leads the series 72-41-5 all-time, including last year’s 44–42 victory at Sanford Stadium in Athens that needed eight overtimes to crown a winner.
New Georgia Tech AD Ryan Alpert, who was hired in July, sought fan input earlier this year about moving next season’s home game against Tennessee to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for another big payday, but after feedback opted to keep it on campus. Georgia Tech will play the final game of its Mercedes-Benz Stadium contract in a future season.
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