Any stadium built more than 100 years ago is going to need several upgrades over the years.
The latest improvements to Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium, which was built in 1913 and is the oldest on-campus stadium in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, will take place this offseason.
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, athletic director Todd Stansbury informed the university’s athletic association board on Thursday that the stadium will undergo several improvements, most notably installing LED stadium lights.
“(The stadium lights) are probably about 10 years past their prime, and we finished the year with baling wire and duct tape,” Stansbury said, noting that the new lights should be installed by the time the spring game is held. “It’s going to be a nice refresh to the stadium.”
Bobby Dodd Stadium was originally named Grant Field when it was built by Georgia Tech students in 1913. The name was changed to Bobby Dodd Stadium at Grant Field in 1988, when Dodd – a former Georgia Tech football coach and athletic director – passed away. A $75 million expansion completed in 2003 raised the capacity to 55,000 seats and added amenities like a new look room, players’ lounge and offices.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Marvin Lewis, Georgia Tech’s associate athletic director for finance and administration, expects the athletic department to operate with an $83.3 million budget – and a $600,000 deficit – during the 2020 fiscal year. The school is also in the process of raising $125 million in a capital campaign that will be earmarked for several projects, including a $70 million renovation of the athletic department headquarters.
