The Beat, Atlanta's entry in the upstart Women's United Soccer Association, will play all 11 of its home games at Grant Field, the oldest on-campus stadium among Division I schools. The first-year club opens its season against the New York Power on Saturday and won't finish until Aug. 9, less than a month before the Jackets' first home game. Football does tear it up, but soccer doesn't. Sean Teske, Tech's director of facilities, said the only areas that might get worn are the goalmouths, which will be located in the football end zones. That apparently was enough to appease Tech coach George O'Leary, who declined comment for this story on Wednesday.
All football coaches are territorial, and hate to have anybody on their field.
But in this case he understood it's best for the program. I wouldn't say he's ecstatic about it, but it's best for the program. The slight crown in the middle of the field that aids in drainage was left alone. The Beat, which features U.S. Olympic team goalie Brianna Scurry, will conduct most of its practices at the Rose Bowl on the Fieldturf, a synthetic grass that has a rubber and sand base that is more forgiving than most artificial surfaces. Those renovations will prevent the Beat from using Grant Field for its second season, should the league survive the first year.