Technical Tidbits 9/4: Bobby Dodd Stadium Gets a Makeover

The transition to turf for Grant Field has led to a whole slate of changes to Bobby Dodd Stadium aesthetically. All of the stadium signage has been updated, a new LED-lighting system has been installed, and most significantly, the field has a new design. Gone are the days of green-background end zones, now there are two background colors, gold and navy. Also added are two “ATL” logos on the 25-yard lines, and four trophies at the back of each end zone to signify Tech’s four national championships. The BDS grounds crew will be repainting the lines each week, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see some different looks throughout the season.

The article above is one of the coolest I’ve read in a long time. Instead of contracting out to a high-dollar design firm, Georgia Tech went with a long-time supporter to create a new look for Grant Field. Steven Little has had a hand in athletic department design-related decisions in the past, especially during the transition from Russell Athletic to adidas. However, this was his biggest feat yet. Little and the GTAA went through many designs before settling on the one revealed yesterday. Good work, Steven!

With just eight days left until toe meets leather against Florida State, the Yellow Jacket football team is entering the final preparations for the first week of the season. That doesn’t mean that a starting quarterback has been named yet, as offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude said that all four contenders, James Graham, Jeff Sims, Jordan Yates, and Tucker Gleason are in the running. It’ll be a relief to get to 3:30 next Saturday and finally see what the team looks like after all of the talk during the offseason.

Here’s a great video of the new field, complete with a demonstration of the new LED-lighting system.

Question of the Day: What are your thoughts on the new design?