Archives / Money & facilities
Stadium, Tickets & Donor Promises
What Georgia Tech has said about the Bobby Dodd Stadium renovation, what football tickets cost, and what donors have been told their money will do. Each entry is dated and sourced, so you can see what changed.
Promise tracker
Each row compares the first version of a promise on record with the most recent one.
- Kept
- Still planned as first described.
- Changed
- The plan has been revised. The note says how.
- Done
- Delivered.
- Open
- Not resolved yet, or not yet checked.
Stadium
| Promise | First said | Latest | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairback seats in place of bleachers | Oct. 2024 Chairback seats replacing bleacher seating. Source | June 2026 12,500 fixed mesh chairbacks mounted on the existing bleachers. The upper east stands get none because the rows are too shallow. Source In May 2025 the Regents-approved plan called for chairbacks throughout the bowl except student sections. Georgia Tech says flip-up seats need at least 30-inch-deep rows, and Bobby Dodd’s are 25.75 to 27 inches. |
Scaled back |
| Seating capacity | Earlier projection About 42,000 seats after renovation. Source | June 2026 About 50,000 seats. Source Georgia Tech’s June 2026 release calls 42,000 the earlier projection but doesn’t say when it was made. |
Revised up |
| New videoboard and sound system | Oct. 2024 Videoboard and sound system upgrades. Source | June 2026 New videoboard and sound system. Source The May 2025 plan specified new boards at the south end and the northwest corner. Coverage of the final design describes a large south-end board. |
Still planned |
| New premium spaces and suites | Oct. 2024 Elevated premium spaces. Source | June 2026 Founders Club on the west side, an overhauled East Club with a new VIP Members Club, and remodeled suites. Source | Still planned |
| Built in one offseason | Oct. 2024 Between the end of the 2026 season and the start of the 2027 season. Source | June 2026 Construction starts right after the 2026 season and finishes before the 2027 season. Source | Still planned |
| A $70 million project | May 2025 $70 million, including an estimated $39.7 million for construction and $18 million for equipment. Source | June 2026 $70 million. Source | Unchanged |
| How the renovation is paid for | May 2025 Funded by the Georgia Tech Athletic Association. Source | June 2026 Described as part of the $500 million Full Steam Ahead fundraising initiative. Days earlier, $64.69 million in revenue bonds was sold through Develop Fulton, the same authority that approved up to $70 million in stadium financing. Source Revenue bonds are repaid by the athletic association over time. Georgia Tech hasn’t said how much of the project donations will cover directly. |
Watch |
Tickets
| Promise | First said | Latest | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full reseating before 2027 | Oct. 2025 Post-renovation seats will be allocated by Alexander-Tharpe Fund priority points. Source | June 2026 A full reseating is required, but fewer season ticket holders should be significantly affected than first expected. Details are “in the coming months.” Source | Details pending |
Facilities
| Promise | First said | Latest | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fanning Center opens in spring 2026 | Dec. 2025 The Fanning Student-Athlete Performance Center opens in the spring. Source | May 2026 Opened with a ribbon-cutting. Reported cost: $90 million. Source | Delivered |
| Zelnak Basketball Center renovation | Oct. 2024 New men’s basketball locker room, strength and training areas, offices and technology, done before the 2026-27 season. Source | Not yet checked. | Follow up |
| O’Keefe Gym modernization | Oct. 2024 Widened concourse and fan amenity upgrades. No timeline given. Source | Not yet checked. | Follow up |
Donors
| Promise | First said | Latest | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than $150 million for football | Dec. 2025 Athletics has committed more than $150 million to football over the next several years. Source | No breakdown published. | Watch |
| Raise $500 million | Oct. 2024 $500 million goal, with nearly $300 million already raised. Source | Dec. 2025 Nearly $400 million raised. Source No end date has been given. |
In progress |
Bobby Dodd Stadium renovation
-
Oct. 4, 2024
Renovation announced with Full Steam Ahead
- Chairback seats replacing bleachers, elevated premium spaces, and videoboard and sound upgrades.
- Work to happen between the end of the 2026 season and the start of the 2027 season.
- All facilities projects still need Board of Regents approval.
-
May 15, 2025
Regents approve a $70 million plan
- Estimated $39.7 million for construction and $18 million for equipment. The Georgia Tech Athletic Association is listed as the funder.
- West side: a 7,700-square-foot Founder’s Club with 124 seats, eight new Founder’s Suites, eight new elevated suites, 16 renovated suites, and upgraded press and food service.
- East side: 15 suites and the 20,000-square-foot Field Club renovated, plus a new Speakeasy Club.
- End zones: 10 suites upgraded in the north and three renovated in the south, plus a relocated press area.
- Chairbacks throughout the bowl except student sections, and new videoboards at the south end and northwest corner.
-
Oct. 31, 2025
Ticket holders told they’ll be reseated
- Seats after the renovation will be assigned by Alexander-Tharpe Fund priority points.
-
May 2026
Up to $70 million in bond financing approved
- Develop Fulton approved a bond inducement resolution. The listed scope includes a new video board and press areas, expanded premium seating, food service and ADA improvements.
-
June 17, 2026
$64.69 million in bonds sold
- Sold through Develop Fulton: $48.09 million in Series 2026A and $16.6 million in taxable Series 2026B, both dated July 1, 2026. Fitch rated them A+.
-
June 22, 2026
Final design released
- 12,500 fixed mesh chairbacks mounted on the existing bleachers, with none in the upper east stands.
- Capacity of about 50,000, up from an earlier projection of about 42,000.
- New videoboard and sound system, new handrails and wider aisles in some sections, a Founders Club (west), and an overhauled East Club with a VIP Members Club.
- The first major renovation since 2003 of the 113-year-old stadium. Every season ticket holder will be reseated before 2027.
-
Before the 2026 season
100 gameday improvements
- A list of 100 changes for 2026, including new scanning pedestals and screening lanes, 40 new point-of-sale systems, the West Festival Club and Wreck Deck, and a new rideshare spot.
-
Next
Construction window
- Work is scheduled to begin after the 2026 season and finish before the 2027 opener.
Ticket prices
2026 season tickets (7 home games)
Every seat costs $250. The rest of the all-in price is a required TECH Fund contribution, which also earns Alexander-Tharpe Fund priority points.
| Seating area | Ticket | TECH Fund contribution | All-in per seat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis Goal Line Club – Inside | $250 | $2,275 | $2,525* |
| Renasant Deck | $250 | $1,875 | $2,125* |
| Genesis Goal Line Club – Outside | $250 | $1,550 | $1,800* |
| Club Sections 2 & 3 | $250 | $1,500 | $1,750 |
| Club Sections 1 & 4 | $250 | $1,400 | $1,650 |
| Section 106 | $250 | $1,100 | $1,350 |
| Sections 105 & 107 | $250 | $1,025 | $1,275 |
| Sections 104 & 108 | $250 | $825 | $1,075 |
| Sections 224L, 225 & 226L | $250 | $725 | $975 |
| Sections 103, 109, 124, 127, 204L & 205L | $250 | $650 | $900 |
| Sections 204U & 205U | $250 | $550 | $800 |
| Sections 110, 123, 128, 203L & 206L | $250 | $475 | $725 |
| Sections 102, 122, 129, 223, 227, 203U & 206U | $250 | $400 | $650 |
| Sections 101, 111, 112, 121, 130, 131 & 132 | $250 | $300 | $550 |
| Upper Corners | $250 | $175 | $425 |
| Gold Zone | $250 | $50 | $300 |
* Doesn’t include the amenities fee. Suites aren’t listed. Source: Georgia Tech Athletics: 2026 football season ticket renewals to begin on Nov. 4 (Oct. 31, 2025).
Price history
- Oct. 15, 2024 2025 season ticket prices for six home games stay the same as 2024. The announcement doesn’t list the prices. Source
- Oct. 31, 2025 2026 renewals open Nov. 4. Pricing is based on the 2025 six-game all-in price plus 4%, described as a 3% to 5% nominal increase, for a seven-game home schedule. Source
- Dec. 10, 2025 New 2026 season tickets go on sale at the same prices, starting at $300 all-in in the Gold Zone. Source
- Aug. 19, 2026 Single-game tickets start at $30. Three-game mini plans start at $115 (White & Gold) and $96 (ACC Pick-3), and single-game Wreck Deck tickets start at $150. Source
Student season tickets sold
2024
5,939
2025
7,000
2026
7,302
A record 12,500 students attended the 2025 win over Clemson. Source: Georgia Tech Athletics: Georgia Tech breaks record for student season tickets for third-straight year (Aug. 19, 2026).
Donor announcements
| Date | Donor | Amount | What it’s for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 4, 2024 | Not named | Nearly $300M raised | Full Steam Ahead launches with a $500 million goal for the stadium, the Zelnak Basketball Center, O’Keefe Gym, other projects and operational support. The AJC reported the gifts came mostly from individuals and families, plus some companies. Source · Source |
| Dec. 18, 2024 | Not named | $300M raised | Full Steam Ahead officially passes $300 million, with the first construction project set to start in spring 2026. Source |
| Dec. 18, 2025 | Two anonymous families | $10M each | Full Steam Ahead and the football program. The release puts the campaign at nearly $400 million raised, including nearly $90 million in new commitments since the October 2024 launch, and says athletics has committed more than $150 million to football over the next several years. Source |
| May 26, 2026 | Anonymous | Up to $2.5M match | Matches multiyear gifts to baseball scholarships, for up to $5 million total over several years. Tied to the higher scholarship limits under the House settlement. Source |
| Aug. 2026 | All donors, FY2026 | $110M | A single-year athletics fundraising record, 36% above the previous mark. The Alexander-Tharpe Fund topped $100 million for the first time. Source |
Most gifts are announced as commitments or pledges, which can be paid over several years. Audited revenue counts pledges when they are made. See the finances tracker.
Notes on the sources
- Georgia Tech’s Oct. 31, 2025 renewal announcement gives the all-in range as $300 to $2,575, but the highest price in its own table is $2,525 (Genesis Goal Line Club – Inside, before the amenities fee).
- The renovation’s funding has been described three ways: by the athletic association (May 2025), as part of Full Steam Ahead (June 2026) and through $64.69 million in bonds (June 2026). These can all be true, but no breakdown has been published.
- Georgia Tech hasn’t published 2025 season ticket prices alongside its 2026 prices, so the 4% increase can’t yet be checked seat by seat.
Change log
- Nov. 5, 2026: Record started with the stadium renovation from October 2024 through the final design, 2026 season ticket prices, student ticket sales and five donor announcements.
Have a document, price sheet or announcement I’m missing? Email contact@stevenmcgrathii.com.