Georgia Tech BUZZ magazine - Spring 2015

A STATE OF SUCCESS

BUILDING GOOD WILL IN THE TECH COMMUNITY AND BEYOND

SUMMER 2015

BOBINSKI FOCUSED ON CONTINUING TO BUILD ON PAST SUCCESSES

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SUMMER 2015 • VOLUME 8, NUMBER 4 EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHERS

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EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE

DESIGN & LAYOUT

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Summit Athletic Media www.summitathletics.com

WRITERS Simit Shah Adam Van Brimmer Matt Winkeljohn Jon Cooper

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In This Issue 4

BOARD OF EDUCATION

24

BASEBALL UNDERGROUND

A STATE OF SUCCESS

30

DONOR PROFILE: KEN BYERS

16

HIGH-TECH GOLF ANALYSIS

32

EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMICS

18

NEXT MEN UP

34

ONCE A STUDENT-ATHLETE, ALWAYS A STUDENT-ATHLETE

35

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2015

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Tech’s Student-Athlete Advisory Board not only benefits the community but also its representatives and Jackets’ studentathletes

Athletic director Mike Bobinski focused on strengthening the state of Georgia Tech athletics

Three former Georgia Tech golf stars and teammates excelling in second careers as broadcasters

Georgia Tech offense looking for new playmakers at running back, wide receiver

Many Georgia Tech administrators and support staffers once excelled on the courts, fields and diamonds

Builders expanded back-of-house spaces for Tech baseball’s locker, sports medicine and weight-training facilities at Russ ChandlerStadium Challenge of making it at Georgia Tech has inspired Byers to give back on many levels

Fall 2014 semester was the best academic performance to date for a single semester for Georgia Tech studentathletes

FACILITY PROJECT UPDATES

The Russ Chandler Stadium and Edge Center renovation projects were each initiated by anonymous donors establishing challenge grant commitments.

COMPLIANCE CORNER

FAQ on crowdfunding

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gt GEORGIA TECH

BOARD OF ED TECH’S STUDENT-ATHLETE ADVISORY BOARD NOT ONLY BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY BUT ALSO ITS REPRESENTATIVES AND JACKETS’ STUDENT-ATHLETES

BY JON COOPER

F

Frequently in sports what’s not seen behind the scenes can make a huge difference.

Georgia Tech’s Student-Athlete Advisory Board is an example.

A part of Dr. Homer Rice’s Total Person Program, SAAB’s 31 members work, often behind the scenes, on school and community projects that improve the quality of life of their teammates, the entire student body and the community surrounding Georgia Tech, in the process, changing their lives and honing their leadership skills.

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These are special kids asked to fulfill huge responsibilities, whose work can be seen everywhere on campus and in the community in events as diverse as the Michael Isenhour Toy Drive, the Girls on the Run 5K, and the Donor Thank-a-Thon as part of Donor Appreciation Week, among others.

“I make some pretty clear expectations about that program and my expectations for them as good examples,” said Leah Thomas, Director of Total Person Support Services since 2008. “My expectations for them is that they will serve, essentially as my staff and as promoters of this

program and as if it’s partially theirs. I think these types of kids really thrive on that, given some power and some inside scoop and some ‘in the know’ on things. They have knowledge that not every person gets. They’ve taken in to that role and done a really good job with it.”

“These are kids I trust,” Thomas added. “We have heart-to-heart conversations about these events. They understand. They have a full appreciation for what its intentions are and what the attitude should be, and therefore I think they feel some ownership and offer good input.”

EDUCATION

The most visible work evidence of Tech’s the Student-Athlete Advisory Board’s efforts each year is the annual Michael Isenhour Toy Drive, which dates back to the early 2000s.

That input is offered in the monthly meetings, that are focused, short and to the point.

“We meet generally once a month and I try to keep it to an hour because I know everybody is really busy.” said SAAB President Morgan Jackson, a senior track and cross country runner.

“Those are the SAAB meetings but the events that SAAB has, we probably have one thing a week that we actually go to.”

By feeling ownership, SAAB reps -- appointed by their teams’ coaches in concert with Thomas -- can spread their wings by working through experiences that might be new to them. It can be

as much of a life-altering experience for them as for those they serve.

“I think the most growth I’ve seen in me has been off the court, just going through Georgia Tech and all the experiences I’ve been able to go through. SAAB has been such a big part of that,” said junior Megan Kurey, captain of the women’s tennis team. “Through SAAB, being able to get involved with other things, a lot of community service and big events going on, I was able to speak at the Georgia Tech Endowment Dinner from Leah’s recommendation. Just being part of organizing the banquet at the end of the year,

it’s such a special night. So just being able to be someone that has to organize and being a part of all the activities here is something really special, and I’ll remember that for a while.”

“SAAB initially takes you out of your comfort zone, to where, if you’re not used to being a leader, it makes you be a leader,” said basketball player Aaron Peek, who will receive his diploma in May. “You know more about what the [Athletic Association] and what the student population is doing so you can bring that back to your team, which is valuable. If there is a Total Person program, if there is some kind of community WWW.RAMBLINWRECK.COM

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Each fall, student-athletes gather to make personal phone calls to Tech’s athletic donors to thank them.

service they can do, you can go back to the team and tell them, ‘This is what we’re doing.’ Within your individual team it allows you to kind of rise up. I’m usually kind of quiet, but with SAAB and with a voice, I became more comfortable around my teammates, more comfortable talking to the coaches. I attribute that amount of comfort to just being in SAAB.” That self-improvement, while a nice benefit to its members, isn’t the primary motivation of the group.

“With SAAB, we focus a lot on others. We never really talk about how we can make ourselves better or improve our own image,” said junior tennis player Nathan Rakitt. “It’s about helping others through the community, volunteering, setting up all these events that other athletes or even other students on campus attend. We do all the behind-the-scenes work and often times, nobody really knows that we’re doing anything.

“One of our biggest events this year is the Yellow Jacket Celebration,” Rakitt continued.

“For the other 370-ish student-athletes that are going to show up and say, ‘Oh, this is nice, this is great,’ they probably don’t realize all the work we’ve put in for the last few months to prepare for this program, as well as Leah Thomas. She is just the epitome of what service leadership is, always putting others before herself, always helping out in any way she can, often times never really asking for anything in return.”

SAAB’s work can be seen through initiatives like the annual Michael Isenhour Toy Drive,

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THE BUZZ

which has gathered toys at the Jackets’ final home football game and various home basketball games for children of homeless or destitute families since the Christmas of 2001, following the 9/11 attacks, the annual Career Fair and Donor Appreciation Week, as well offering a helping hand with events like Girls on the Run, the Special Olympics, and many other events.

Often, other campus organizations will call on SAAB to assist in their events, seeking the credibility provided by the name-recognition of the student-athletes.

“It’s credibility so much as everybody wants to use a well-known face as a spokesperson,” Thomas said. “A lot of campus departments or organizations reach out to us. We’re able to put together and provide numbers of people to attend stuff or to be a part of stuff, then, spokespeople reach out to us for a reason. They know that students look at a student-athlete in such a way, almost like you look at a famous person. If they speak to it then there must be something to it.”

Getting the student-athletes to events is the job of SAAB’s representatives.

“We all know that peer-to-peer communication and peer-to-peer pressure works better than anyone mandating that they do things,” said Thomas.

Whether it’s peer pressure or something else, SAAB members sometimes have found an unselfishness they didn’t know previously existed.

“When I came in as a freshman, I was just ex-

pecting to play softball and go through school,” said senior Caitlyn Coffey, SAAB vice president.

“Being on the Board has really taught me a lot about leadership and putting myself in roles I might not be comfortable with, but that’s grown me as a person. The biggest thing it’s shown me is how important community is and serving the community. We have a competition through the Athletic Association, just seeing how we can make the biggest difference in the community.

“It is cool to know that my teammates and my coaches believe that I can be in that position,” she added. “Just being in a role like that, obviously, it’s great because I get to work right next to Morgan Jackson and Leah, who kind of overseas all of SAAB, and [associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator] Theresa Wenzel. I get to talk to all of them, and see what ways we can make the student-athlete life a better experience for everyone.”

For the reps, there’s nothing like seeing all the hard work come to fruition.

“I feel like the biggest thing I’ve gotten is when you do those type of events you get to see how much you impact the community, how much they really like to see you, when you shake their hand how much it means to somebody.

That makes you feel good inside,” said redshirt junior football player Isiah Willis, who has been on the board for two years. “It’s inspiring to people to see us out there, but it’s just as heartwarming and makes us feel just as good to be out there to show support and to cheer them on.

They come out and support us so I feel like we’re obligated to go out and support them as much as we can whenever we get the opportunity.”

A SAAB initiative that has really taken off has been Donor Appreciation Week, in which the entire student-athlete body says “Thank You” to donors to the Athletic Association. In only two years, it has morphed into a huge event, one important enough that football players, in the week of preparing for the ACC Championship game, still found time to attend.

“Donor Appreciation Week is real exciting because all the athletes are working together and we get to thank all the people that make it possible for what we do,” said Jackson. “That’s really an event that we’re passionate about.”

Being behind the scenes for Donor Appreciation Week and so many others has given Jackson a greater sense of perspective for what it takes to put on these events and for who does so.

“I definitely appreciate the work and what has been given to me more now that I can see behind the scenes everything that goes into an event and how much the staff cares,” she said. “Through SAAB, I’ve gotten to know the GTAA staff much better and just see how they care and all the work they put into it just makes me more appreciative.

It also shows me how much potential and how much I have that I can give back to the community.”

Enthusiasm for the group is growing. For those graduating, the infusion of young blood and fresh ideas is nice to see.

“It’s exciting to see a new generation of those

The annual Career Fair draws many of the upperclass student-athletes looking for internships or full-time work after graduation.

that want to do even more than I did come along,” said Peek. “It’s going to be exciting to see the younger athletes bring more ideas to Leah and even more so to their individual coaches.”

So great is the demand to get on the board that Thomas has considered introducing a JV SAAB, with a merit system for advancement to the main group.

“SAAB numbers over the past six or seven years have grown and, until the past two years I have never had so many individuals come up to me and ask to be on SAAB,” she said. “This past fall, when we did our Freshman Leadership Academy, I had pretty much every single freshman softball player come up to me and say, ‘I

would like to be on SAAB.’ I think that the image of what SAAB is is really changing and evolving thanks to the type of kid that is on there. It’s just grown to be something that people really want to be a part of.”

The current reps, who will have input in their replacements, also have seen it first-hand.

“Every year there are new members on SAAB and it’s really cool to see how excited they are for the opportunity,” said Kurey. “There are a lot of teammates that would be able to fill the role and talk to me all the time about it. All the studentathletes know how much SAAB does, so it’s something really cool and exciting. Really, it’s an honor to be on SAAB.”

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THE BUZZ

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“It’s really cool to see how the freshmen and sophomores this year are so excited about SAAB,” Jackson said. “Just yesterday one of the track student-athletes that I’m friends with said, ‘I’m going to be just like you, Morgan. Next year, when I get my school under my belt. I want to join SAAB.’ That really means a lot that these people look up to the SAAB members, and we can share with them our experiences. It definitely is exciting to pass the torch on because [former President] Shayla [Bivins] was such a good leader to me, a role model to me. I’d like to do the same for the next generation.” ■

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GT GEORGIA TECH

“When you have great young people representing you out there, fans and alums appreciate that and respect that.

I’ve really seen that come to life so many times in my short time here.”

A STATE OF SUCCESS

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR MIKE BOBINSKI FOCUSED ON STRENGTHENING THE STATE OF GEORGIA TECH ATHLETICS

BY ADAM VAN BRIMMER

G

Georgia Tech’s “front porch” – the Yellow Jacket athletics department – is more veranda than stoop these days, with success on the field and in the classroom rallying students, alumni, fans and friends to The Flats en masse.

Director of athletics Mike Bobinski anticipates even better days ahead. Now in his third year at Georgia Tech, Bobinski acknowledges upward trends in giving, fan support, academics and, yes, on the fields and courts, too.

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THE BUZZ

“The thing I appreciate so much about what’s happened here is the quality of the student-athletes we have in our program – that’s what makes the front porch concept work,” Bobinski said. “When you have great young people representing you out there, fans and alums appreciate that and respect that. I’ve really seen that come to life so many times in my short time here.”

Bobinski has done his part, too, albeit behind the scenes. He restructured his senior administrative staff, reaching beyond the college athletics ranks for professionals such as his deputy, Brett Daniels, who he hired away from the Dallas Cowboys’ front office. He also named one of the most popular Yellow Jacket athletes of this young century, former basketball star Marvin Lewis, to oversee finances.

A once-in-a-generation season by Georgia

Tech’s highest-profile program, the football Jackets, and a sparkling new facility for the basketball teams have boosted the spirit of the Tech faithful as well. That pride has translated to a stronger financial position, with the athletic association endowment growing by more than 10 percent in the last two years and a fiscal year-to-date budget surplus.

“This is a very exciting time for our athletic department, and right now it’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said Theresa Wenzel, Georgia Tech’s associate athletic director and senior woman administrator. “The feeling is we don’t just want to be a place that sees successes but be a place that people strive to work for, compete for or represent. That’s the telltale that you are at an amazing place to be.”

Yet Bobinski will tell you that beyond the front porch, Georgia Tech’s house still needs work.

STRATEGIZING FOR THE FUTURE

Bobinski took the Georgia Tech job in January 2013 knowing he didn’t know everything there was to know about the Yellow Jacket athletics department.

“You never do, no matter how much due diligence you do or how much inside information you have,” Bobinski said. “You have to take some time to evaluate, to feel things out and to get to know your people.”

What Bobinski has discovered is encouraging and disheartening at the same time. A positive work ethic, pride and drive to excel perme-

ate the athletic department. But an entrenched silo mentality exists and handicaps the Georgia Tech Athletic Association.

“There is a lack or absence of a shared vision and purpose,” he said. “People are working hard to do what they think is right for their area but without a collective sense. And that prevents us from achieving all we are capable of.”

Bobinski is in the midst of tackling the issue. He launched what in the business world is known as a strategic planning process this spring, using a “bottom-up” approach. He’s a believer in the adage “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there” and is asking his staff, from the administration and the coaches to the rank-and-file staff to identify destinations and paths to get there.

Tech nearly won the ACC championship in football but earned a dominant victory in the Orange Bowl.

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The baseball team won its XX ACC title last spring

The department has a good model to follow: the 2014 Georgia Tech football team.

“The whole became greater than the sum of the parts because they resolved to accomplish something together,” Bobinski said. “They believed it, lived it and relied on each other to get there. We want to duplicate that throughout our whole organization.”

The strategic plan, when completed, will have benchmarks three years and five years out. Those time frames provide allowances for the rapidly changing collegiate landscape and for a natural end-of-the-decade evaluation and assessment.

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COUNTABLE BLESSINGS

Bobinski can focus on changing the culture of Georgia Tech athletics in part because he doesn’t face many of the challenges his peers at other universities do in terms of academics, facilities and personnel.

The Yellow Jackets are performing at all-time highs in the classroom, with a mean grade point average of 3.01. Of the 390 student-athletes, 54 percent earn a 3.0 GPA or better. Four Georgia Tech teams rank among the nation’s best in the Academic Progress Rate the NCAA uses to measure success, and the graduation rate, measured as a four-year average, has grown from 75 percent to 81 percent over the last five academic years.

Many of those student-athletes compete or practice in state-of-the art facilities, such as McCamish Pavilion and the Zelnak Center (basketball), Mewborn Field (softball), the Byers Tennis Complex, the Brock Indoor Practice Facility (football) and the Griffin Track and Field Facility.

Russ Chandler Stadium (baseball) recently underwent a clubhouse renovation and the Tom Fazio-designed golf practice range soon will be upgraded and will be known as the Noonan Golf Facility.

The long-term funds established to finance those projects is ahead of fiscal projections, with a balance in excess of $41 million for debt that costs $13.3 million per year to service.

Bobinski also has stability in his coaching ranks, signing many of his program leaders to new contracts during his tenure, including football coach Paul Johnson and women’s basketball coach MaChelle Joseph.

“Georgia Tech is blessed for sure,” Bobinski said. “The common thread here is that while everyone wants to win, how we do it and how we represent Georgia Tech is just as important. Our success there has put us in an enviable position.”

CHANGING LANDSCAPE

The view from Georgia Tech’s front porch is important, too, because WWW.RAMBLINWRECK.COM

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what happens across college athletics impacts the Yellow Jackets.

Among the more demanding issues is the imminent move to require the power conference participants to provide full cost-ofattendance scholarships that would cover costof-living expenses. An internal study showed Georgia Tech currently has a $2,100 gap per student-athlete, meaning expenses will increase by approximately $500,000 this fall just to cover those costs.

Other issues include concussion protocols, which Georgia Tech has in place, and working with the other power conference schools on legislation meant to “improve the student experience.” That likely means fewer hours for athletic-related activities, Bobinski said.

“Can we adjust that somehow to allow them a chance to participate more in student life?” he said. “At the end of the day, they are the reason we are here. They are Georgia Tech athletics.” ■ Kendall Woodard and Megan Kurey won the ITA National Indoor doubles championship

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THE BUZZ

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GO GOLF

Charlie Rymer was the first to join the Golf Channel ranks after working for ESPN previously, and appears on the Morning Drive program.

HIGH-TECH GOLF ANALYSIS

THREE FORMER GEORGIA TECH GOLF STARS AND TEAMMATES EXCELLING IN SECOND CAREERS AS BROADCASTERS

BY ADAM VAN BRIMMER

C

Charlie Rymer chuckles as he recounts how he spent his last few minutes of preparation for his debut as a lead golf analyst.

He should have been reviewing his notes one last time.

Or working the phone in hopes of a lastminute scoop or player nugget.

Or discussing cues or other technical issues with the rest of the broadcast team.

But in the moments before appearing on televisions in 168 countries, Rymer instead found himself reminiscing about his Georgia Tech education.

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“The closest I came to anything remotely relevant to broadcasting was a public speaking class, and I made a D,” Rymer said. “I’m thinking, ‘Georgia Tech must be a hell of a school.’”

Georgia Tech turns out a helluva broadcaster as well as an engineer, at least if the current Golf Channel talent lineup is any indication.

Rymer is one of three former Yellow Jackets who work as analysts for the cable television network. Tripp Isenhour and David Duval, Rymer’s teammates on the 1990 Georgia Tech golf team, are the other two.

Rymer joined the Golf Channel in 2008 after a decade with ESPN and is the co-host of the Morning Drive, a daily golf news and lifestyle program. Isenhour moved from the golf course to the studio four years ago and is a studio analyst for Golf Central, the network’s daily evening news program. Duval came to work as an analyst earlier this year and helps with Golf Channel’s coverage of golf’s major championships and other select events.

The trio don’t see each other nearly as much now as they did in leading the Yellow Jackets to the 1990 NCAA Championship finals. Rymer is

often leaving Golf Channel’s complex in Orlando after a hard early day’s work when Isenhour is coming in to prepare for his evening broadcast, and Duval does most of his analysis at tournament sites.

“Even though we really don’t work together, it’s interesting to have three announcers at the same network from the same school, especially one without journalism or broadcasting programs, and it’s downright odd that all three of us played together on the same team,” Rymer said.

Odder still is the fact that these former Yellow Jackets played no role in recruiting each other to the network.

THINKING A SHOT AHEAD

Rymer and Isenhour began preparing for their second careers while still engaged in their first careers as PGA Tour players.

Both built friendships with members of the broadcast teams that shadow the PGA Tour from tournament to tournament. They parlayed those relationships into guest analyst appearances while still on tour then into tryouts and part-time work in the twilight of their playing careers. Golf announcers Gary McCord, Peter Kostis, Bill McAtee and others encouraged Rymer to put on a headset, while a producer friend seduced Isenhour into broadcasting by recruiting him to help with coverage of the PGA Tour’s

developmental circuit, the Web. com Tour.

“The best job in the world is being a player,” Isenhour said.

“The second best job is to be on the golf course talking about being a player.”

As for Duval, he was the best player in the world at one point, with 13 PGA Tour titles and a major championship win at the 2001 British Open. Such a pedigree put him in high demand but it wasn’t until recently that he decided to participate from the press box instead of the tee box.

His former Georgia Tech teammates say Duval brings invaluable insight to network broadcasts: That of a major champion who rivaled the best player of this generation and one of the greatest of all-time, Tiger Woods.

“He has great content--he’s been in situations few have experienced, and he’s smart enough and personable enough to engage with the audience,” Rymer said. “He’s a natural and once he figures out how all the TV stuff goes together, he’s going to be as successful in the studio as he was on the course.

“I hope so, because I’d like to see him around more.”

LESSONS LEARNED ON AND OFF COURSE

While the big reunion party remains pending, the presence of three former Yellow Jackets on the

Tripp Isenhour first worked as a course analyst on the Web.com Tour telecasts but now is on the Golf Central program.

same broadcast team has sparked memories.

The relationship between Rymer and Isenhour goes back to their junior golf days. They were close enough they roomed together as Georgia Tech freshmen and then became close friends and friendly practice rivals later in their college careers.

Duval is three years younger and was a freshman when Rymer and Isenhour were seniors. But his talent - he was the team’s No. 1 player during the one season the trio played together - granted him equals status.

“We were all very competitive with each other that year, but we always wanted the team to win,” Isenhour said. “David was so good, we were excited to have him. He made us better players.”

All three profess their time at Georgia Tech has proved valuable to their second careers. While none credit the Institute’s narrow communications course offerings for their broadcasting success, all say Tech prepared them for their latest professional pursuits.

“Georgia Tech teaches you to survive, to reinvent yourself,” Rymer said. “Every day was a test.

Every day you had to have that ability to find a level of comfort in situation that was always changing. When an athlete comes into television, they don’t train you, they throw you into the deep end of the pool and see if you can swim.”

Thanks to Georgia Tech, they’re all drown-proofed. ■

Tripp Isenhour first worked as a course analyst on the Web.com Tour telecasts but now is on the Golf Central program.

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FB FOOTBALL

The Yellow Jackets hope their trip to the Dominican Republic, along with fall activities involving a pro fastpitch team and the Wounded Warriors, will build togetherness for the season ahead.

NEXT MEN UP

GEORGIA TECH OFFENSE LOOKING FOR NEW PLAYMAKERS AT RUNNING BACK, WIDE RECEIVER

BY ADAM VAN BRIMMER

G

Georgia Tech’s Micheal Summers is an option offense lifer, at least through his first 21 years, so he understands which positions in the offense are more difficult to replace than others.

Quarterback is the toughest, he insists, the spot where knowledge and experience are as vital as play-making ability.

Offensive line is problematic as well, according to Summers. Option blocking requires a level of agility and quick thinking few linemen develop prior to becoming immersed in the offense.

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The running back spots - A-back and B-back in Tech vernacular - are simpler and often conducive to players originally recruited for other spots. So too is Summers’ position, wide receiver.

How fortunate, then, that the Yellow Jacket offense’s losses from last year’s Orange Bowl champion team were almost exclusively backs and receivers.

“We have our quarterback back, we have depth up front and we have plenty of young talent at the skill spots,” Summers said. “There’s no reason we shouldn’t be more explosive on offense.”

Don’t sit too close to the field then. The Jackets averaged 38 points and 477 yards per game on their way to an 11-3 finish. Yet they lost four of their top five rushers and players who accounted for 94 of the team’s 109 receptions, including top wideouts DeAndre Smelter and Darren Waller.

Finding new contributors or expanding the role of those who played bit parts last season at those spots may not cause the same heartburn as trying to replace quarterback Justin Thomas or patching several holes along the line. But Georgia Tech needs playmakers at running back and receiver to build on 2014’s success.

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“We gotta keep pushing ourselves to keep reaching those higher standards we have established,” Thomas said. “And that takes 11 guys, not five or six. You can’t have that many missing links.”

LITTLE-KNOWN CANDIDATES

Only Georgia Tech’s most fervent fans will recognize the names of those vying for the Bback position. There is no heir apparent. The B-back is the feature back in the option, with the potential to carry the ball 20 times or more per game. Identifying the player or players who can run hard between the tackles while protecting the football is a top priority heading into the Sept. 3 opener.

“You need big plays out of that position,” said Bryan Cook, Georgia Tech’s quarterbacks and B-backs coach. “The more success you have inside the easier it is to get our perimeter option going.”

Of the leading candidates for the B-back job, none have played a college snap. And the frontrunner going into spring practice, C.J. Leggett, tore a knee ligament two days before the spring game is expected to miss the 2015 season while recovering.

Redshirt junior Marcus Allen, who started his career at B-back only to switch to defense before moving back to his original spot in the spring, was the leading rusher in the spring game with 77 yards. He’ll compete this fall with walk-on Ryan Braswell and Quaide Weimerskirch, who graduated high school early to enroll at Georgia Tech and participate in spring practice. Weimerskirch injured his foot during the spring and underwent surgery.

His status for the start of preseason practice is uncertain.

The situation at A-back is slightly more settled. Dennis Andrews and Broderick Snoddy return, and both are gamebreakers in the run and pass game. Snoddy, an All-Atlantic Coast Conference track star, averaged 10 yards a carry last fall prior to suffering an injury.

Beyond Andrews and Snoddy, though, the rest of the A-backs are as unproven as the Bbacks. And Johnson prefers to use as many as

a half-dozen A-backs most games, mixing and matching based on the defensive personnel and his play-calling.

“There’s some work to do at all our running back positions, but I think there are some young guys who have good opportunities in front of them,” Cook said. “We have some time, and the lack of depth means they will get plenty of reps. We will see how they hone their skills.”

PASSING GAME UNCERTAINTIES

Summers is in full honing mode himself at wide receiver.

He’s started 19 games in his career yet has only 17 catches. But two of those came in the Orange Bowl win against Mississippi State, and many of his teammates expect that performance to catapult him into a star this year as the quarterback, Thomas, searches for new threats in the passing game.

“He’s ready to make that big jump; I should know having lined up against him in practice,” said defensive back D.J. White of Summers.

“He just needs to develop that chemistry with his quarterback.”

Considering Summers and Thomas were roommates two years ago and hook up daily for 7-on-7 passing drills, that relationship is bound to bloom. Summers is perfecting his route running - he was an option running back in high school - in order to improve his ability to get separation in the passing game.

He is also focused on growing as a leader for the wide receiver corps. He’s the only one with significant playing time. Even the coaching staff is voicing a wait-and-see approach when asked about other contributors, with Cook venturing “we have some guys who can run, but can they make plays?”

Summers is confident he and his teammates can. The difference in the passing game for

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Georgia Tech is the ability to make what Summers calls “will plays,” and he senses plenty of strong will among the wide receivers.

“We’re going to make some catches that we shouldn’t make; that’s the attitude of this group,” he said. “We don’t throw it a lot so we have to have the mindset that when the ball does come our way, we are going to come down with it.”

Do enough of that - at wide receiver, B-back and A-back - and nobody will be talking about who’s replacing who this fall. ■

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GT GEORGIA TECH

Marvin Lewis (24) led Tech to the brink of a national championship in 2004, while Randy Rhino (23) and Lucius Sanford were All-Americans on the gridirion.

ONCE A STUDENT-ATHLETE, ALWAYS A STUDENT-ATHLETE MANY GEORGIA TECH ADMINISTRATORS AND SUPPORT STAFFERS ONCE EXCELLED ON THE COURTS, FIELDS AND DIAMONDS

BY ADAM VAN BRIMMER

G

Georgia Tech student-athletes, like those at colleges across the country, lead lives more complicated than most of their fellow undergrads.

Odds are, no matter the situation, Theresa Wenzel can relate.

Devastating injury that threatens to derail a career? She’s been there.

Unexpected coaching change that alters a team’s culture? She knows about that, too.

Dealing with the pressure to win, the mental and emotional strain that surrounds playing time and the balance between athletics and academics? Oh yeah.

In the rare instance when Wenzel, Georgia Tech’s associate athletic director, can’t draw

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on her own experience as a player, coach or administrator, one of her peers in the Edge Center probably can.

Georgia Tech’s administrative staff is loaded with leaders who once starred on college fields and courts. At least 11 members of the Yellow Jackets’ front office were collegiate studentathletes, starting with Athletic Director Mike Bobinski, once a pitcher for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

They hail from a cross-section of schools, from major colleges such as Georgia Tech to small universities such as Furman to Ivy League institutions such as Yale, and competed in a variety of sports: football, basketball, gymnastics, track and field, even women’s rugby.

“I draw on my own experiences every single day,” said Shoshanna Engel, a one-time Yale gymnast who now is Georgia Tech’s associate athletic director for compliance. “I often find myself reaching back and placing myself in their shoes. I don’t know what it’s like to be a football player but do know what it’s like to be a student-athlete with time demands and the like.

“Having been there, I have compassion and empathy for what they are going through.”

The wealth of wisdom and experience the staff possesses is a valuable yet often overlooked resource for Georgia Tech student-athletes. Coaches may be the front-line mentors for Yellow Jacket players, but administrators

and support staff often are called upon to share insights.

And because administrators are detached from the day-to-day interactions within a team, players are sometimes more comfortable opening up to them than they are a member of the coaching staff.

“Every student-athlete’s four years should be based on the journey and the experience and not on the outcome of the game,” said Wenzel, a basketball player at Marquette, golf coach at Siena and administrator at Siena and Georgia Tech. “Administrators play a big role in that experience.”

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

The player-turned-administrator’s influence can go beyond giving advice or offering a sympathetic ear.

Marvin Lewis is barely a decade removed from leading Georgia Tech to a national championship game appearance, yet few of the current Yellow Jacket student-athletes associate him with the basketball program’s glory days.

“They remember the big red-headed Aussie, Luke Schenscher, and Ish Muhammad dunking on SportsCenter three nights a week, but I’m able to keep a low profile,” Lewis said. “But once they realize, it makes an impression.”

Lewis and the rest are ever-present examples of the potential ahead for student-athletes.

Many, particularly the stars, may dream of careers as professional athletes, but seeing former greats such as Lewis or All-American Randy Rhino excelling in their Edge Center offices, away from the court and field, reinforces the importance of embracing the educational opportunities each current player has.

The administrators are also quick to attest to the networking possibilities being a studentathlete affords. Lewis admits relationships he built while a Georgia Tech student-athlete played a role in his getting every job he’s ever held. Others said the traits they developed as college stars - time management, resilience, an appreciation for teamwork - are the same ones employers look for.

“And at Georgia Tech, where something like one in six graduates eventually become millionaires, you would do well to engage aca-

Shoshanna Engel, Lee Hendrickson and Theresa Wenzel

demically,” Lewis said. “You might be sitting in class next to a future millionaire, and you never know where your paths might cross.”

MISSION READY

Athletic Director Mike Bobinski has millionaire-like aspirations for the Georgia Tech programs, one reason why he has so many former student-athletes in his administration.

Most college graduates who played varsity sports possess the discipline, work ethic and shared sense of purpose to succeed. Bobinski is leveraging those attributes to effect a culture change on the athletic department, which he envisions functioning like a winning team.

“Collaboration is vital, and nobody understands the power of collaboration better than those who played college basketball or baseball

or football or tennis,” Bobinski said.

The other attribute staffers like Wenzel and Lewis and Engel and the other one-time student-athletes bring to administrative roles is their perspective. Raising money, creating an enjoyable atmosphere for alumni and fans, marketing the Institute and helping put Georgia Tech’s teams in position for victories are important to the job. But the “real mission” of the athletic department is not to be a successful business but produce successful people.

“The reason all of us have jobs is to provide the best opportunity for these student-athletes to excel and grow,” Bobinski said. “It’s easy to get caught up in everything else, walk in here one day and wonder ‘Why are we here again?’

Those of us who played college athletics can think back on our days and maintain that healthy perspective.” ■

WHAT AND WHERE GEORGIA TECH ADMINISTRATORS AND SUPPORT STAFF PLAYED BALL Mike Bobinski – baseball (Notre Dame)

Theresa Wenzel – basketball (Marquette)

Brett Daniels – track/cross country (SMU)

Randy Rhino – football (Georgia Tech)

Ryan Bamford – basketball (Ithaca)

Lucius Sanford – football (Georgia Tech)

Shoshanna Engel – gymnastics (Yale)

Leah Thomas – track/cross country (Chattanooga)

Marvin Lewis – basketball (Georgia Tech)

Lee Hendrickson – rugby (Furman)

Doug Allvine – football (Georgia Tech)

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bb BASEBALL

Tech’s locker room grew from 1,100 to 2,000 square feet. The weight room grew from 500 to 3,000 square feet.

BASEBALL UNDERGROUND

BUILDERS EXPANDED BACK-OF-HOUSE SPACES FOR TECH BASEBALL’S LOCKER, SPORTS MEDICINE AND WEIGHTTRAINING FACILITIES AT RUSS CHANDLERSTADIUM

BY MATT WINKELJOHN

I

It is not obvious to Georgia Tech fans who have for years enjoyed the Russ Chandler Stadium experience as one college baseball’s best, yet Tech’s ballpark is bigger and better now. What you see is less than what the Yellow Jackets get.

A $4.5 million renovation/expansion project last fall and winter included modest exterior adjustments, including bathrooms built at the end of dugouts, newly tuned field lighting and fancy padding on outfield walls.

Beneath it all, the Jackets have been reaping far more benefits for months as the ad-

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dition of roughly 4,000 square feet of usable space under the stands has upgraded a facility that has long boasted one of the nation’s top playing surfaces into a state-of-the-art baseball complex.

You just have to dig a little to see it.

The Jackets’ locker, training and weight rooms are much larger, updated to cutting edge in size and modernization with the help of generous donations.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s a lot bigger. They gave us new lockers. We have a new training room; they put hot and cold tubs in there,” said

pitcher Jonathan King. “There is a study room with cubicles for before and after practice.

“They have a kitchen and lounge area so we can go in there and eat lunch or get a shake after practice. The weight room is two or three times as big, and it’s unbelievable how fast they’ve done everything. The renovations are incredible.”

Tech players no longer have to go to the locker room to take care of business during games, although that wouldn’t be such a bad thing as the expanded Mark Teixeira locker room made possible by a donation from the former Jacket/current New York Yankee is a more pleasant space.

Low ceilings in the old, tiny, often dingy room are memories. The ACC’s defending tournament champions have moved into expanded spaces that befit one of the league’s top programs – a unit that has won the ACC Championship two of the past three seasons.

The reason for all the work done at Russ Chandler -- which included removing many seats behind Tech’s third base dugout and digging out earth to create more space under the stands, and then returning the seats – was simple: compete.

Time will tell if head coach Danny Hall and his staff can capitalize on their new digs. He already has a good feeling, and not just because the coaches’ locker room and shower facilities are more spacious.

“One of the reasons we attacked what we did was that’s going to impact the players that are here every day,” he said. “The carrot in the whole thing is when we bring recruits in we can

stack up against anybody we recruit against with things that are going to impact their lives.

“Our playing surface . . . best in the ACC, probably best in the country. Everything underneath [was] probably in the lower half of everybody we compete against. We’ve got to make everybody think when they walk in here that baseball is important at Georgia Tech.”

There’s little doubt about that now.

What was an 1,100-square foot room with modest light is now a 2,000-square foot haven where each player has two USB ports and two outlets, enlarged lockers, and backlit name plates over their cubicles.

Much of the previous clutter that could be found in the locker room is now housed in an adjacent space that keeps the locker room cleaner.

The big dig was not the only way Tech created more room.

The spaces that were the old “pitching tunnel’ under the stands behind home plate -- that essentially ran down the third base line -- and the previous laundry and weight rooms have been re-apportioned. When there is a need for pitchers to work indoors, they use the same space hitters use in the above-ground cages beyond the third base bleachers.

Paul Griffin, who retired from Tech in 2013 as senior associate director of athletics, remained on The Flats as a contracted advisor to oversee the project.

He is uniquely qualified, having overseen construction or expansion in recent years of the Shirley Mewborn softball facility, the Zelnak basketball practice facility, the John &

Mary Brock indoor football practice facility, McCamish Pavilion and the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.

The Northeast quadrant of Tech’s campus has undergone a nearly complete overhaul in less than a decade and Griffin has had a hand in and eyes on all of it.

“The genesis of the project was function,” he said. “We had functional needs. So we hired an architect to do some conceptual renderings, which we then used to raise money. We said, ‘Here’s what we want to do, and here’s what we think it will cost. Help us out.’

“When I retired, [athletics director] Mike [Bobinski] asked me to stay on – this project was in its concept for a year before that – and I was part of that design and fund-raising. While we are small in numbers in our alumni and support base, the generosity that they bring – the Brocks, this, McCamish, Mewborn, Byers, Zelnak – are all named after graduates [who

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donated]. Their generosity far exceeds the depth of the bench.”

Many who donated to the Russ Chandler project choose to remain anonymous, although Teixeira’s name is connected, and the Athletic Association continues to seek philanthropic fans to assist with a planned second phase of the stadium renovation.

Griffin has been all too content to continue working for Tech, and he had plenty to keep an eye on with this project.

“We extracted a pitching tunnel, extracted a weight room, re-designed all the spaces, and now everything is ample in size, and it is functional and new,” he explained. “The ceilings are all between 10-12 feet high. We built the new weight room from digging a big hole.

“It’s redesigned and re-purposed. The locker room goes from about 1,100 square feet to about 2,000 square feet. The weight room goes from 500 square feet to 3,000 square feet. The training room goes from 1,000 square feet to 1,500 square feet. Everything got bigger, and it only works if you take something out [the old pitching tunnel].”

Plus, the big dig bought a lot more space. The weight room – which takes up the bulk of the

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new space created by excavation -- matches or surpasses most.

The improved flow and space in the facility’s underbelly are impossible to miss for anyone who ever visited the previous configurations. There’s a new vibe under there, and while it’s not obvious to fans, it’s clear to players – and recruits.

“We have all the ingredients to elevate our program,” Hall said. “The quickest way we can elevate it is to get great players.

Then, we’ve got to do a good job developing and coaching those guys every day.”

Griffin said the goal was not just to add space, but to make it more functional and comfortable for players, coaches and support staff. It wasn’t easy.

“We now have a mud room, where players can take their gear off, put their spikes up, and then dirty stuff doesn’t get in the locker room,” he explained. “The weight room had challenges; in the digging there were some buried utilities that we had to work around.”

The coaches’ locker room and the players’ training room have grown as well, and lighting is better everywhere. There is new branding along most walls with recognition of Tech’s previous championship teams, All-ACC and

All-America players. Former Jackets who’ve gone on to the Major Leagues are recognized as well.

External improvements were modest, yet again huge in their own way.

“The only thing we did outside [in terms of construction] was put in two restrooms,” Griffin said.

“The visiting team used to have to leave the dugout and go to the public restroom during a game.”

Griffin has capped a long career in sports administration in fine fashion.

Former Tech athletic director Dan Radakovich placed a prior-

generosity of this alumni base has no peer. Our people have come through and made significant donations that are unmatched, and continue to do so. It’s transformed within the past 10 years.”

With the exception of improvements that will be made to Tech’s 14-acre golf practice facility between 14th and 16th Avenues beginning this summer, “fundamentally, all of our athletic venues are complete,” Griffin said.

Before turning a shovel, the Tech brass had original conceptual work done by a company that steered South Carolina and Clem-

ity on facility upgrades when the economy turned down in 2008’09, as economic conditions for such moves actually improved.

Griffin has shepherded all of these projects.

“There’s been a tremendous economic investment during some of the toughest economic times,” he said. “We’re very fortunate to get a lot of these things built when the construction industry was a little hungrier than it is right now.

“We got good value for our dollars and investment. I was in this business for 40 years, and the

son baseball upgrades, and visits were made to Vanderbilt and other programs with newer facilities to seek ideas.

One of the principal contractors and several subs involved in the project had Tech graduates or connections.

Hall’s happy with all the work done.

“We’re very blessed. You can thank Mike Bobinski and several donors,” he said. “If our administration doesn’t want to have a good baseball program, this doesn’t happen.” ■

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DONOR PROFILE: KEN BYERS

CHALLENGE OF MAKING IT AT GEORGIA TECH HAS INSPIRED BYERS TO GIVE BACK ON MANY LEVELS

BY SIMIT SHAH

Trish and Ken Byers

Ken Byers could have held a grudge, but that is not quite his nature.

As a senior at Southwest Atlanta High School in 1961, Byers had been admitted to Georgia Tech and was seeking scholarships to help pay tuition.

He was a finalist for a grant from a local alumni group, but it instead went to a classmate.

Like many Georgia Tech students before and after, the classmate wasn’t able to withstand the academic rigors of the Institute to earn a degree, lending credence to Byers’ disappointment.

Those events shaped Byers’ attitude towards giving back after earning a pair of Georgia Tech degrees.

“I used that lame excuse for a few years, thinking that I’m not going to give $10 because they didn’t help me,” he remembered. “I realized how short-sighted that was after my career began to progress.

“When you give back to this school, it opens all kinds of doors that you wouldn’t anticipate.

You meet others doing this, and I’ve learned so much from other Georgia Tech graduates. I just love being around them.”

There’s no doubt Byers and Georgia Tech are a perfect fit. As a youngster, the Eagle Scout became interested in amateur radio. The hobby, in which he is still quite active, piqued his interest in electrical engineering, so North Avenue was a natural destination for the Atlanta native.

As a student, Byers enrolled in the co-op program and learned the telecommunications business while working at Southern Bell.

“I discovered, about halfway through, that you’ve got to go to class,” he laughed. “You can’t just wing it. I realized that, if I sat at the front of the class, it forced me to pay attention. I still do that today, because you just connect so much better.

“Overall, I liked the challenge of being at Georgia Tech,” he added. “I’m competitive, and

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it was very competitive to make your grades and graduate.”

Upon graduating with his electrical engineering master’s degree in 1968, Byers spurned offers from Southern Bell and AT&T to work for a smaller company in the industry. While pursuing his MBA at Georgia State, he decided that he could go into business for himself and founded Byers Engineering Company.

“The light bulb went off in December of 1970,” he said. “I knew I could do this, so I gave it my best shot. I was 27 years old at the time, and 44 years later, we’re still going strong. Although I’ve never gotten a ‘promotion,’ I enjoy going to work every day.”

As his company flourished (it now boasts 1,000 employees in 30 cities across the country), it allowed Byers to give back to his alma mater. He endowed a chair and three professorships within the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

“I’m quite proud to see the impact that has made,” he said. “Many of the professors have moved up to chairs, and we call them the ‘Byers Boys.’ There are eight of them, including the chair of the department. They are all still at the school, which speaks to the strength of the program.”

Byers described himself as anything but a jock during his collegiate years, but he found his athletic passions in distance running and tennis after he graduated. Already an avid Tech basketball and football fan, he and his family gravitated towards Yellow Jackets’ tennis and endowed two scholarships.

Byers rejoiced as the programs gained prominence, culminating in an NCAA title for the women’s team in 2007. However, he felt that the

Ken Byers Tennis Complex

team’s home was in dire need of an upgrade.

“It really struck me that here we have a team that’s about to win a national championship, but the facility wasn’t up to par,” he recalled. “We were hosting an NCAA regional, but we couldn’t even use all of our outdoor courts due to their condition.”

The moment fueled Byers to make the lead gift for the Ken Byers Tennis Complex, which broke ground in June 2012 and was officially opened the following January.

“I’ll never forget that day,” he said of the dedication. “I wasn’t alone in making that happen, and it’s a real testament to Georgia Tech people coming together to do something special.”

Set against the backdrop of Midtown Atlanta, the jewel on the north end of campus features a total of 16 indoor and outdoor courts, plus team offices, locker rooms and a lounge. It instantly vaulted Georgia Tech to among the best tennis facilities in the nation.

“I try to be low-key, but when I walk by and see the complex, it feels damn good,” Byers said with pride.

In addition to his philanthropy at Georgia Tech and in the community, Byers has served on various school boards and helped to lead successful fund-raising campaigns. It’s a dramatic departure from his initial feelings about giving back, and he’s eager to have others follow in this rewarding path.

“When you’re early in your career, it can be a challenge, but do what you can,” he explained.

“It’s important to stay active and informed.

When you have the ability and resources, step up and do your part. You won’t regret a single moment of it.”

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EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMICS

Winning is paramount in college athletics – on the court and in the classroom, we strive to be the very best. At a prestigious institution such as Georgia Tech, strong academics as well as competitive athletics are the backbone for the overall success of our Athletic Association. GT is recognized as one of the best educational institutions in the nation. Despite the time demands presented by practice, competition, and studying, our student-athletes consistently meet the challenges and continue to excel academically. Of course, this success doesn’t happen by chance. In addition to our coaches identifying and recruiting motivated and talented young women and men, it’s vitally important that we provide the physical setting as well as the human and financial resources necessary for a comprehensive program of academic support.

Fall 2014 semester was the best academic performance to date for a single semester on for Georgia Tech student-athletes. Not only did Tech studentathletes record back-to-back semesters with a mean GPA of 3.0 or higher – 3.0 (Spring 2014), 3.01 (Fall 2014) – 54% of student-athletes earned a 3.0 or higher in Fall 2014. Ten of Tech’s 13 teams posted a GPA of 3.0 or higher during the Fall 2014 semester.

Women’s volleyball led all teams with a 3.34 for the term with men’s swimming & diving earning the top spot for our men with a 3.33 team GPA. Football posted the program’s highest team GPA on record with a 2.74 in the fall with 33% of the studentathletes earning a 3.0 or greater. Perhaps even more impressive, thirteen football players graduated AND participated in the2014 Capital One Orange Bowl win over Mississippi State.

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A record number of studentathletes (390) are wearing the white and gold. 74% of this group are pursuing degrees in the Scheller Colleges of Business Administration and Engineering.

Interestingly, the fall semester numbers show a 3% decline in business majors, but a 3% increase in engineering majors (including a 12% increase in female studentathletes pursuing engineering).

The Academic Progress Rate (also known as APR) is a metric established by the NCAA to measure the success or failure of collegiate athletic teams in moving student-

ADDITIONAL FALL 2014 ACADEMIC STATISTICS: Golf recorded its 19th consecutive semester with 3.0 or higher team GPA with all nine Tech golfers pursuing Business Administration.

55% of the men’s swimming and diving team are Engineering and Computer Science majors.

Men’s track/cross country has the highest concentration (65%) of Engineering majors with Mechanical Engineering as their top pursuit. The team earned a 3.11 GPA. Women’s track/cross country has the highest concentration for females on a team pursuing Engineering (52%). The top majors are Industrial and Biomedical Engineering. The women’s team earned an impressive 3.21 GPA. Fall 2014 also saw a record mean GPA for freshman studentathletes, earning a 3.07 GPA

athletes towards graduation. Collegiate sports teams that fail to achieve an APR score of 930 - equivalent to a 50% graduation rate - may be penalized with the loss of scholarships or post season competition. A perfect score is 1000. APR is calculated by allocating points for eligibility and retention.

As Mike Bobinski relayed in his “State of Athletics” presentation in February, Georgia Tech student-athletes are exceeding academic expectations. And the numbers keep improving with each academic year. Not only are Georgia Tech student-athletes making alumni and supporters proud by their contributions on the playing field, but they are making everyone proud of their classroom success.

Being a Georgia Tech student-athlete isn’t just about playing sports and making the grades necessary to stay eligible. It’s about developing the total package, the “total person” – the result of a balanced life that encompasses academic excellence, athletic achievement, and personal well-being.

The Georgia Tech Athletic Association is committed to the development of the STUDENTathlete by not just preparing them for the next four years at Georgia Tech but for the next forty years of their lives.

THE BUZZ

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FACILITY PROJECT UPDATES

The following two renovation projects were each initiated by anonymous donors establishing challenge grant commitments.

Gifts from all challenge grant participants will be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis by the lead project donor for the purpose of qualifying them for any of the available naming opportunities and/or recognition, thus doubling the impact of each participating donor’s gift.

Phase I of a two-phase renovation project of Russ Chandler Stadium included enhancements to the locker room (shown) and lounge, pitching tunnel, training room, coaches’ locker room, and study room. While construction of these areas is complete, fundraising is still active and necessary to trigger the $2.5 million match. We will launch phase II of the project upon meeting this challenge.

The scope of the renovation to the Edge Center is in development. The initial focus will be on areas which have a direct impact on the lives of student-athletes such as the academic and sports medicine/rehabilitation areas. This anonymous donor shares our goal of providing Georgia Tech student-athletes with one of the best combined athletic and academic experiences in the country.

A challenging yet rewarding academic curriculum is one area which sets Georgia Tech apart from our peers in the ACC. We believe our studentathletes should have all the tools and resources to excel in the classroom. In addition, our student-athletes need to be able to prepare and recover from the physical rigors of competition on their respective field of play so they can pursue their dreams on and off the field.

Donors who wish to help meet either challenge must make a qualifying gift or multi-year commitment, typically payable over a five-year period. To make a gift or for more information, please contact Jim Hall at (404) 894-8219; jhall@athletics.gatech.edu or Jack Thompson at (404) 894-5427; jthompson@athletics.gatech.edu

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THE BUZZ

COMPLIANCE CORNER

BY SHOSHANNA ENGEL, ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR COMPLIANCE Recently, many ventures have turned to crowdfunding to provide support for ideas and services impacting student-athletes (e.g., FanPay, UBooster, FanAngel, etc.). Some of these sites aim to provide funds to student-athletes after they graduate, while others are directed toward making a difference in recruiting or convincing a student-athlete to finish their careers at a specific institution. Regardless, the advent of crowdfunding via online forums and social media present many challenges with respect to NCAA guidelines. Please see below for some helpful parameters and reminders concerning student-athletes and crowdfunding entities.

Shoshanna Engel Associate Athletic Director for Compliance

May a student-athlete’s name, picture, or likeness be used to promote a for-profit crowdfunding entity?

No. A student-athlete’s name, picture, or likeness may not be used to promote any commercial product or entity, including crowdfunding ventures. Additionally, Georgia Tech’s logo may not be used to help raise funds via crowdfunding ventures.

May a student-athlete set up his/her own crowdfunding site to raise funds for personal use (e.g., tuition, laptop, car, etc.)?

No. A student-athlete may not utilize his/her own name, picture, likeness, or athletics reputation to raise funds for personal use.

May a student-athlete agree to terms with a crowdfunding site that raises money to solicit enrollment and/or be earmark funds to be provided to a student-athlete after he/ she exhausts eligibility?

No. A student-athlete may not accept the promise of pay or enter into an agreement for payment of any kind without jeopardizing eligibility.

May student-athletes, athletics staff, and/ or athletics supporters make pledges via crowdfunding sites to help recruit, solicit enrollment of prospective student-athletes, or retain enrollment of current studentathletes?

No. Leave recruiting to the coaches. No one involved in athletics should participate in crowdfunding “campaigns” aimed at recruiting prospective student-athletes to enroll

Shoshanna Engel Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance sengel@athletics.gatech.edu (404)894-8792

Marquita Armstead Director of Compliance marmstead@athletics.gtaa.edu (404)894-5507

Bret Cowley Associate Director of Compliance bcowley@athletics.gtaa.edu (404)385-0611

or recruiting current student-athletes to remain enrolled at Georgia Tech.

While the names, pictures, and likenesses of studentathletes may not be utilized to endorse or support a commercial venture, NCAA regulations do allow student-athletes to use their names, images, or likenesses to help promote educational, charitable, and non-profit activities, provided: • The student-athlete received written approval from the Georgia Tech Athletic Association; • Commercial sponsorship meets NCAA regulations; • The student-athlete’s name, picture, or likeness is not utilized to endorse a commercial sponsor entity; • The student-athlete does not miss class; • All funds raised by the activity go directly to the educational, charitable, and/or non-profit organization; • Items bearing the individual name, picture, or likeness of a student-athlete are not sold; and • The student-athlete and a representative from the educational, charitable, and/or non-profit organization sign a release indicating understanding and adherence to NCAA promotional activities regulations.

More information, including the approval form, can be found on the compliance page at www.ramblinwreck.com.

As always, any questions should be directed to the Georgia Tech compliance staff.

Go Jackets!

Shardonay Blueford Assistant Director of Compliance sblueford@athletics.gatech.edu (404)894-0416

Kyle Buffolino Compliance Assistant kbuffolino@athletics.gatech.edu (404)894-0416

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Proud partner of the Yellow Jackets