Bobby Dodd Stadium facts for kids
| "The Flats" | |
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| Former names | Grant Field (1914-1988) |
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| Location | 155 North Ave., N.W., Atlanta, GA 30332 |
| Coordinates | 33°46′21″N 84°23′34″W / 33.77250°N 84.39278°W |
| Owner | Georgia Tech |
| Operator | Georgia Tech |
| Capacity | 55,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1913 |
| Construction cost | $15,000 (original west stands) $75 million (Latest expansion) |
| Tenants | |
| Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (NCAA) (1913-Present) Atlanta Beat (WUSA) (2001) Atlanta Apollos (NASL) (1973) Peach Bowl (NCAA) (1968-1970) |
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Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field is a famous football stadium. It is located in Atlanta, Georgia, on the campus of Georgia Institute of Technology. This stadium has been the home of the Yellow Jackets football team since 1905. It is also the oldest stadium used by a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision team.
The stadium is named after Robert Lee "Bobby" Dodd. He was a very important football coach and athletic director at Georgia Tech for many years. The field itself is named for Hugh Inman Grant. He was the son of John W. Grant, a well-known merchant from Atlanta.
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Where is Bobby Dodd Stadium?
This stadium is on the east side of the Georgia Tech campus. It sits right in the middle of Atlanta. You can find it just off Interstate 75/Interstate 85. It is also across the street from the famous Varsity restaurant.
The History of Grant Field
The stadium was first known as Grant Field. It was renamed Bobby Dodd Stadium in 1988. This stadium is the oldest place in the southern United States that has been used for college football without stopping.
How the Stadium Grew
Football games have been played at this spot since 1905. In 1913, the first grandstands were built. Most of the work was done by students at Georgia Tech.
The stadium today looks very different from its original design. It has been made bigger many times over the years. When it first opened, it could only hold 5,600 people. By 1925, the west and south stands were finished. This made the stadium a 30,000-seat horseshoe shape. It had an open area at the north end.
In 1947, the west stands were rebuilt. A large press box was also added. This brought the stadium's seating to 44,000. In 1958, new steel stands were built on the north side. These could seat 4,105 people. Upper decks were added to the East and West sides in 1962 and 1968. This made the stadium's capacity its highest ever, at 58,121 seats. In 1985, the South stands were taken down. This was to make space for the William C. Wardlaw Center.
Recent Changes to the Stadium
The current west grandstand covers the old one, which is still underneath it. Grant Field was sometimes used for Atlanta Falcons games. This happened in the team's early years. They shared Fulton County Stadium with the Atlanta Braves. If both teams needed to play at the same time, the Falcons would play at Grant Field. The stadium's lights were updated in 1998.
After the 2001 football season, a big renovation project began. It was done in two parts. This allowed games to still be played in 2002. For the 2002 season, new seating was added to the South end. This was in front of the Wardlaw Center. Also, the old North stands and lower east bleachers were rebuilt. They were made into a continuous bowl shape.
After the 2002 season, the project was finished. A new upper deck was added to the north end zone. This addition brought Bobby Dodd Stadium to its current size. The new stadium was officially opened again on September 2, 2003. This was during the first home game of the 2003 season against the Auburn Tigers.
In the summer of 2009, Bobby Dodd Stadium got more updates. First, the scoreboard was improved. It became twice as big as the old one. Also, ribbon boards were put in. These are in front of the Wardlaw Center and along the sides of the stadium. The sound system in the stadium was also made better.
Images for kids
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North stands, 2012
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Georgia Tech plays the Virginia Cavaliers at Bobby Dodd Stadium in 2016
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Georgia Tech plays Notre Dame on October 31, 2020 with the stadium's new artificial turf field.
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Cumberland vs. Georgia Tech game at Grant Field in 1916; looking east toward Techwood Drive (note houses also visible in other early photos)
