Georgia Tech Offers Free Tickets to Hurricane Irma Evacuees

The Georgia Tech football program announced Friday any individuals forced to evacuate Florida or other areas due to Hurricane Irma are welcome to attend the Yellow Jackets game against Jacksonville State free of charge Saturday afternoon at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta.

Athletic director Todd Stansbury along with school president Dr. G.P. Peterson and head coach Paul Johnson extended the invitation on the school's official athletics website.

"As a former resident of both Houston and Florida, my wife, Karen, and I personally have a lot of friends, former student-athletes and former colleagues in both areas and have been following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma closely. We have the deepest sympathy for everyone who has been affected by the storms," Stansbury said. "Our hope is that a day of family fun and great college football can be a much-needed distraction for families displaced by Irma. Additionally, Georgia Tech athletics will be looking to help those affected in any way that we can."

Georgia Tech noted tickets can be picked up starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning at Brittain Dining Hall across from the team's home stadium. People will need to show a valid state-issued I.D. in order to acquire any tickets for themselves and "members of their immediate families."

Along with the game, Wreckfest is scheduled as part of the tailgating festivities, which the school described as a "family-friendly pregame celebration featuring live music, interactive games and inflatables."

The Weather Channel reported the latest projections show Hurricane Irma making landfall directly over the state of Florida, leading to mass evacuations ahead of the potential for extreme winds and "life-threatening water-level rises" in the southern portion of the state beginning Saturday.

The Atlanta Braves previously announced hurricane evacuees can also attend any one of their four games against the Miami Marlins at SunTrust Park this weekend.

Georgia Tech opened the 2017 season with a 42-41 double-overtime loss to Tennessee on Monday night. Jacksonville State, an FCS program, is 1-0 after beating Chattanooga on Aug. 26.