The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have added the Mercer Bears to their 2016 football schedule, Tech athletic director Mike Bobinski announced today.
Georgia Tech will host Mercer at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta on Sept. 3, 2016. The game will be the season-opener for both schools.
“We are pleased to add Mercer to our 2016 football schedule,” Bobinski said. “This is part of an ongoing effort to support and accentuate college football in the state of Georgia. Our yearly contest with Georgia and the addition of Georgia Southern and Mercer helps us meet that objective.”
Georgia Tech played their first ever college football game against Mercer way back in 1892. The Bears won that contest 12-6, but then fell to the Yellow Jackets in the next 11 meetings.
“We are excited to play a great institution like Georgia Tech,” said Mercer Director of Athletics Jim Cole. “The Yellow Jackets have a rich history of excellence in academics and athletics and we are thrilled to renew a football tradition that dates back over 100 years.”
Mercer, which is rebooting their football program this season after a 72-year hiatus, will be a member of the Southern Conference in the FCS. The Bears open the season against Reinhardt on Saturday, Aug. 31.
2014
- 08/30 – Wofford
- 09/06 – at Tulane
- 09/13 – Georgia Southern
- 11/29 – at Georgia
2015
- 09/12 – Tulane
- 11/28 – Georgia
- TBA – at Notre Dame
2016
- 09/03 – Mercer
- 09/17 – Vanderbilt
- 11/26 – at Georgia
Update (8/13/13)
Per a copy of the contract, Georgia Tech will pay Mercer a $300,000 guarantee for the game.
Mercer also has to certify in writing prior to Aug. 1, 2015 that they will average 90% of the permissible number of grant-in-aid per year over a rolling two-year period, to satisfy the provisions of NCAA Bylaw 20.9.7.2.1.