ON THE FIELD JACK THOMPSON, HONORED FOR HIS 50 YEARS ON THE FLATS IN FEBRUARY, Georgia Tech athletics celebrated the 50th anniversary of Jack Thompson’s arrival on The Flats with a number of events, including honoring him during halftime at the sold-out Georgia Tech-Duke men’s basketball game at McCamish Pavilion. Thompson arrived at Tech in 1968 as director of football recruiting, a position that he carried out under Bud Carson (1968-71), Bill Fulcher (197273) and Pepper Rodgers (1974). He helped recruit the first African-American student-athletes to be awarded scholarships at Tech, including legendary quarterback Eddie McAshan. Thompson then moved into administration under renowned Athletics Director Homer Rice, and specialized in development efforts. At the Alexander-Tharpe Fund, he spearheaded the fundraising efforts for the construction or major renovation of every athletics facility on Tech’s campus. His efforts also provided scholarships for thousands of Tech studentathletes. The A-T Fund has raised more than $593 million since Thompson’s appointment to associate AD in 1982. Named a Tech honorary alumnus in 2004, Thompson was also named Fundraiser of the Year by the National Association of Athletic Development Directors in 2005 and received a lifetime achievement award from the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics in 2011. “Jack is a Georgia Tech institution,” says Tech director of athletics Todd Stansbury. “Over the last half-century, there is not one student-athlete, coach or staff member that has come through The Flats who has not benefitted from Jack’s hard work.”
2018 YELLOW JACKETS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED THREE HOME GAMES IN SEPTEMBER and two nationally televised, weeknight road contests in October highlight Georgia Tech’s 2018 football schedule. The Yellow Jackets’ slate this coming fall is balanced with six home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium and six road contests. A least two of the team’s games will be nationally televised: Louisville on Friday, Oct. 5 and Virginia Tech on Thursday, Oct. 25. Looking at the competition, eight of the Yellow Jackets’ 12 opponents advanced to
postseason play in 2017, including all four ACC teams that will visit Bobby Dodd Stadium. Season tickets for Tech’s exciting 2018 home slate went on sale in late February. Kickoff times and TV arrangements for Georgia Tech’s first three games will be announced this summer, and the contests at Louisville and Virginia Tech will be played in primetime (networks/kickoff times TBA). All other game times and TV arrangements will be determined 12 days prior to kickoff.
2018 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (HOME GAMES IN BOLD) Sept. 1 vs. Alcorn State (Bobby Dodd Stadium)
Sept. 29 vs. Bowling Green (Bobby Dodd Stadium)
Nov. 3 at North Carolina (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Sept. 8 at USF (Tampa, Fla.)
Oct. 5 (Fri.) at Louisville (Louisville, Ky.)
Nov. 10 vs. Miami (Bobby Dodd Stadium)
Sept. 15 at Pitt (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Oct. 13 vs. Duke (Bobby Dodd Stadium)
Nov. 17 vs. Virginia (Bobby Dodd Stadium)
Sept. 22 vs. Clemson (Bobby Dodd Stadium)
Oct. 25 (Thurs.) at Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Va.)
Nov. 24 at Georgia (Athens, Ga.)
30 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | Volume 94 No. 1 2018
Danny Karnik/Georgia Tech Athletics