Georgia-Georgia Tech game heading to home of NFL's Falcons in 2025

ATLANTA (AP) — Looking to boost revenue, Georgia Tech is shifting its game next season against rival Georgia to the home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.

The annual contest, which normally rotates between campus stadiums, will be held at 75,000-seat Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Nov. 29, 2025.

Georgia Tech will receive $10 million from stadium operator AMB Sports and Entertainment to move the game from its campus facility, 51,913-seat Bobby Dodd Stadium, located less than 2 miles away.

It will be the first time since Bobby Dodd Stadium opened in 1913 that the rivalry known as “Clean, Old Fashioned Hate” hasn't been played at a campus site. Georgia's Sanford Stadium opened in 1929, and the game has rotated annually between those two facilities ever since.

The game next year will end that tradition.

“We know that some of you may be apprehensive that Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate will be played off-campus,” Georgia Tech athletic director J Batt wrote in a letter to fans. “Please know that we understand that concern and know that this was not a decision that was made lightly.”

Georgia Tech has a contract to play one home game a year at Mercedes-Benz Stadium through 2026, though the Georgia game was not part of the initial deal.

Batt said the revamped contract was too good to pass up in the NIL era, which has forced schools to aggressively pursue additional revenue. Georgia Tech recently announced a $500 million fundraising campaign for the renovation of its historic football stadium as well as other campus projects.

“As part of the new agreement, AMBSE will provide us with a $10 million guarantee just to play the 2025 Georgia Tech-Georgia game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a transformative revenue lift for Tech athletics,” Batt said.

While considered a Georgia Tech home game, the Georgia contest will not be part of the Yellow Jackets season-ticket package. Batt said his school's fans would receive priority in purchasing tickets, but the Bulldogs' far larger fan base is likely to turn the game into a de facto home game for the red and black.

“Playing Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be limited to 2025,” Batt pointed out. “The Georgia Tech-Georgia game will return to a renovated Bobby Dodd Stadium in 2027.”

Georgia has plenty of familiarity with Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is the site of the Southeastern Conference championship game each year. The Bulldogs also opened this season with a 34-3 victory over Clemson in Atlanta.

“We always enjoy playing in a first-class venue like Mercedes-Benz Stadium,” Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks said. “This move will only enhance the long-standing tradition of the Georgia-Georgia Tech game and will provide another outstanding event for our fans.”

This year's Georgia-Georgia Tech game will be played at Sanford Stadium on Nov. 29, the Friday night after Thanksgiving.

The Bulldogs, ranked No. 5 heading into a game Saturday at No. 1 Texas, have dominated the state rivalry since the mid-1960s. They currently have a six-game winning streak over Georgia Tech and a 71-41-5 lead in the series.

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Paul Newberry, The Associated Press