Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in the sport of American football . The Yellow Jackets team , also known as the " Ramblin ' Wreck , competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) . The Georgia Institute of Technology has fielded a football team since 1892 and has an all - time record of 664 – 447 – 43 ( a . 575 winning percentage ) . The Yellow Jackets play in Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field in Atlanta , Georgia , which has a capacity of 55 , 000 . The Yellow Jackets have won four Division I - A college football national championships and fifteen conference titles . Their success led to Street and Smith to call them the 16th greatest football program of all time , two spots ahead of hated rival University of Georgia . A number of successful collegiate and professional football players once played for Tech . The school has 48 first - team All - Americans and over 150 alumni who have played in the NFL . Among the most lauded and most notable players the school has produced are Keith Brooking , Joe Hamilton , Joe Guyon , Billy Shaw and Calvin Johnson . In addition to its players , Tech ' s football program has been noted for its coaches and its , in many cases bizarre traditions and game finishes . Among the team ' s former coaches are John Heisman , for whom the Heisman trophy is named , and Bobby Dodd , for whom the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award and the school ' s stadium are named . Heisman led the team to the highest - scoring game in American football history , and both Heisman and Dodd led Tech ' s football team to national championships . Dodd also led the Jackets on their longest winning streak against the University of Georgia , Tech ' s most time - endured rival . History . The beginnings : 1892 – 1903 . Tech began its football program with several students forming a loose - knit troop of footballers called the Blacksmiths . On November 5 , 1892 , Tech played its first football game against Mercer University . The team lost to Mercer 12 – 6 in Macon , GA . The Macon Telegraph reported , " The game , while not brilliant , was full of earnest and determined effort , and this sort of playing , is after all , the most enjoyable to watch . " Tech played two other games during their first season and lost both of them for a season record of 0 – 3 . Discouraged by these results , the Blacksmiths sought a coach to improve their record . Leonard Wood , a local Atlantan , heard of Tech ' s football struggles and volunteered to player - coach the team . In 1893 , Tech played against the University of Georgia for the first time . Tech defeated Georgia 28 – 6 for the school ' s first - ever victory . The angry Georgia fans threw stones and other debris at the Tech players during and after the game . The poor treatment of the Blacksmiths by the Georgia faithful gave birth to the rivalry now known as Clean , Old - Fashioned Hate . Over the span of 1892 – 1903 , Tech only won 8 games , tied in 5 , and lost 32 . A professional coach was desperately needed if Tech wished to build a truly competitive football program . Heisman ' s legend : 1904 – 1919 . The Tech football team noted a particular coach during their initial abysmal run . The first game of the 1903 season was a 73 – 0 destruction at the hands of John Heisman ' s Clemson ; shortly after the season , Tech offered Heisman a coaching position . Heisman was hired by Tech for $ 2 , 250 a year and 30 % of the home ticket sales . Heisman would not disappoint the Tech faithful as his first season was an 8 – 1 – 1 performance . He would also muster a 5 - game winning streak against the hated Georgia Bulldogs from 1904 – 1908 before incidents led up to the cutting of athletic ties with Georgia in 1919 . The most notable game of Heisman ' s career was the most lopsided victory in college football history . In 1916 , Cumberland College ended its football program and attempted to cancel a scheduled game with Heisman ' s Jackets . Heisman , however , was seeking vengeance for a 22 – 0 baseball loss to Cumberland in the spring of 1916 , a game in which Heisman suspected Cumberland of hiring professional players to pose as Cumberland students . Heisman refused the game ' s cancellation and Cumberland mustered up a group of commonfolk to play Tech . Tech won 222 – 0 . Neither team achieved a first down , as Cumberland either punted or turned the ball over before a first down and Tech scored on almost every play from scrimmage . Jim Preas , Tech ' s kicker , kicked 16 point after tries , which is still a record for a single game . Heisman coached Tech all the way up until 1919 . He had amassed 104 wins over 16 seasons , helped students construct Grant Field in 1913 , and led Tech to its first national title in 1917 . However in 1919 , he had divorced his wife and felt that he would embarrass his wife socially if he remained in Atlanta . Heisman moved to Pennsylvania leaving Tech ' s Yellow Jackets in the hands of William Alexander . Alexander continues the trend : 1920 – 1944 . Alexander had attended Georgia Tech and after graduating as valedictorian of his class in 1912 , taught mathematics at Tech and served as Heisman ' s assistant coach . In 1920 , he was given the job of head coaching Tech ' s football team . Alexander ' s first season saw Tech win an SIAA title and finish the season with a win over rival Auburn . In 1927 , Alexander instituted " the Plan . " Tech and UGA had just renewed their annual rivalry game in 1925 after an eight - year . Georgia was highly rated to start the 1927 season and justified their rating throughout the season going 9 – 0 in their first 9 games . Alexander ' s plan was to minimize injuries by benching his starters early no matter the score of every game before the UGA finale . On December 3 , 1927 , UGA rolled into Atlanta on the cusp of a National Title . Tech ' s well rested starters shut out the Bulldogs 12 – 0 and ended any chance of UGA ' s first National Title . Alexander ' s 1928 team would be the very first Tech team to attend a bowl game . The team had amassed a perfect 9 – 0 record and was invited to the 1929 Rose Bowl to play California . Tech traveled by train to meet the awaiting Golden Bears . The game was a defensive struggle with the first points being scored after a Georgia Tech fumble . The loose ball was scooped up by California Center Roy Riegels and then accidentally returned in the wrong direction . Riegels returned the ball all the way to Georgia Tech ' s 3 yard line . After Riegels was finally tackled by his own team , the Bears opted to punt from the end zone . The punt was blocked and converted by Tech into a safety giving Tech a 2 – 0 lead . Cal would score a touchdown and point after but Tech would score another touchdown to finally win the game 8 – 7 . This victory made Tech the 10 – 0 undefeated National Champions of 1928 . It was Tech ' s second National Title in 11 years . After the game , Jack " Stumpy " Thomason acquired a live bear cub . He brought the cub back to Atlanta , where it lived under the bleachers of Grant Field for several years before it moved along with Stumpy up to Pittsburgh . Coach Alexander found campus spirit to be particularly low following the Great Depression . His successful football program and the other athletic teams had very few student fans attending the games . He helped to establish a spirit organization known as the Yellow Jacket Club in 1930 to bolster student spirit . The group would later become the Ramblin ' Reck Club . Coach Alexander finally retired in 1944 after winning 134 games as head coach and taking Tech to the Rose Bowl , Orange Bowl , Cotton Bowl Classic , and Sugar Bowl . To this day , Alexander has the second most victories of any Tech football coach . The record for most coaching victories in Tech history is still held by Alexander ' s then coordinator and eventual successor Bobby Dodd . The only retired jersey in Georgia Tech football history is # 19 . The number belonged to Tech halfback Clint Castleberry . Castleberry played on the 1942 Tech team as a true freshman and was third place in the 1942 Heisman Trophy voting . After ending his freshman year at Tech , Castleberry elected to join the war effort and signed up for the Army Air Corps . While co - piloting a B - 26 Marauder over Africa , Castleberry , his crew , and another B - 26 disappeared and were never heard from again . Castleberry has been memorialized on Grant Field ever since his passing with a prominent # 19 on display in the stadium . Dodd wins titles , sets records , & beats the Dogs : 1945 – 1966 . Bobby Dodd took over the Georgia Tech football program following Coach Alexander ' s retirement in 1944 . Dodd ' s coaching philosophy revolved around player treatment and character development . He did not believe in intense physical practices but rather precise and well executed practices . Dodd ' s philosophy translated to winning . He set the record for career wins at Tech at 165 career coaching wins including a 31 - game winning streak from 1951 – 1952 . He also managed to capture two Southeastern Conference Titles and the 1952 National Title , which concluded a 12 – 0 perfect season and Sugar Bowl conquest of previously undefeated , seventh ranked Mississippi Ole Miss . , in a season that also included victories over Orange Bowl champions , 9th ranked , Alabama , 15th ranked Gator Bowl champions Florida Gators football , 16th ranked Duke , and a 7 - 4 rival Georgia . While 9 - 0 Michigan State would capture the AP and UP titles , the Yellow Jackets ' were ranked first in the International News Service poll . Dodd also understood the deep - seated rivalry with the University of Georgia . His teams won 8 games in a row over the Bulldogs from 1946 – 1954 outscoring the Bulldogs 176 – 39 during the winning streak . This 8 – game winning streak against Georgia remains the longest winning streak by either team in the series . Dodd would finish his career with a 12 – 9 record against the Bulldogs . Dodd ' s tenure included Georgia Tech ' s withdrawal from the Southeastern Conference . The initial spark for Dodd ' s withdrawal was a historic feud with Alabama Crimson Tide Coach Bear Bryant . The feud began when Tech was visiting the Tide at Denny Stadium in 1961 . After a Tech punt , Alabama fair - caught the ball . Chick Granning of Tech was playing coverage and relaxed after the signal for the fair catch . Darwin Holt of Alabama continued play and smashed his elbow into Granning ' s face causing severe fracturing in his face , a broken nose , and blood - filled sinuses . Granning was knocked unconscious and suffered a severe concussion , the result of which left him unable to play football ever again . Dodd sent Bryant a letter asking Bryant to suspend Holt after game film indicated Holt had intentionally injured Granning . Bryant never suspended Holt . The lack of discipline infuriated Dodd and sparked Dodd ' s interest in withdrawing from the SEC . Another issue of concern for Dodd was Alabama ' s and other SEC schools ' over - recruitment of players . Universities would recruit more players than they had roster space for . During the summer practice sessions , the teams in question would cut the players well after signing day thus preventing the cut players from finding new colleges to play for . Dodd appealed the SEC administration to punish the " tryout camps " of his fellow SEC members but the SEC did not . Finally , Dodd withdrew Georgia Tech from the SEC in 1963 . Tech would remain an independent like Notre Dame and Penn State ( at the time ) during the final four years of Dodd ' s coaching tenure . In 1967 , Dodd passed the head coach position to his favorite coordinator , Bud Carson . Dodd simply retained his athletic director position , which he had acquired in 1950 . He would not retire from athletic directing until 1976 . Coaching in Dodd ' s shadow : 1967 – 1986 . Bud Carson was Tech ' s defensive coordinator in 1966 . His job was to appease the massive Tech fan base Bobby Dodd had accumulated . Carson was not the charismatic leader like Dodd but rather a strategy man that enjoyed intense game planning . Carson ' s most notable achievements included recruiting Tech ' s first ever African American scholarship athlete and being the first Tech head coach to be fired . Carson recruited Eddie McAshan to play quarterback in 1970 . After several Summer practices , McAshan won the starting quarterback job and became the first African American quarterback to start for a major Southeastern university . This decision initially polarized Georgia Tech ' s fan base , but after winning his first 4 starts and leading Tech to a 9 – 3 season after three straight 4 – 6 seasons , McAshan won the hearts of the Tech faithful . McAshan ' s besting of UGA in the annual rivalry game made McAshan a fixture on campus . The following season , however , led to Carson ' s demise . In 1971 , Tech went 6 – 6 and a fan base used to Bobby Dodd ' s 8 wins per season average forced Carson out by James E . Boyd ' s hand . Carson went on to form the Steel Curtain Pittsburgh Steelers defense . Bill Fulcher supplanted Bud Carson . Fulcher appeared to be the right choice but quit after two seasons , overwhelmed by the Tech fan base . Fulcher ' s tenure included a terrible feud with Eddie McAshan , which peaked before the 1972 UGA game . McAshan had requested additional tickets for the game so that his family could attend . Fulcher refused the ticket request and McAshan sat out of practice in protest . Fulcher responded by suspending the quarterback for the UGA game and the upcoming Liberty Bowl . The story exploded on the national scene when Jesse Jackson attended the UGA game , allowing McAshan to sit with him outside of the stadium in protest . Pepper Rodgers was hired soon after Fulcher quit . Rodgers was hired away from the UCLA Bruins and like Carson and Fulcher , simply could not return Tech to its national prominence of Dodd ' s era , and after six seasons , Rodgers had accumulated only 34 wins and barely a 50 % winning percentage . Rodgers flamboyant demeanor shortened his welcome at the school , and Athletic Director Doug Weaver , replaced him with Bill Curry . Homer Rice became Athletic Director , and attempted to reinvigorate Tech ' s program by joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1980 . The Georgia Tech football program reached its lowest point in modern history after the hiring of Bill Curry , who had no experience as a head coach , but was a refreshing change after the flamboyant Rodgers . Curry ' s first two Tech teams from 1980 – 1981 went 2 - 19 - 1 with the only bright spots being a brilliant 24 - 21 victory over Bear Bryant ' s Alabama team at Legion Field to open the 1981 season and a 3 - 3 slug fest in 1980 with then No . 1 rated Notre Dame at Grant Field . Things had gotten so bad , they could only get better . He slowly rebuilt the team , restored a winning mentality to the Georgia Tech fan base , and in 1985 Tech won 9 games , including a 17 - 14 victory over Michigan State in the All American Bowl . Tech ' s 1984 – 1985 teams featured the " Black Watch " defense . The Black Watch defense was created by defensive coordinator Don Lindsey and featured linebackers Ted Roof and Jim Anderson and lineman Pat Swilling . The elite defensive players were awarded black stripes down the center of their helmets and black GT emblems on the side of their helmets . Curry ' s leadership and ability to build a winning program sparked interest from the Crimson Tide and Alabama hired Curry away from Tech in 1986 . After Curry ' s departure , Tech hired the talented Maryland Terrapins Coach Bobby Ross , who departed a Maryland athletic program in turmoil after the Len Bias tragedy . Old gold gets new shine : 1987 – 1991 . Bobby Ross came from Maryland after winning three ACC titles over four years . Ross ' first season at Tech experienced a severe talent vacuum after Curry ' s departure , and the players Ross inherited resisted the changes he demanded . The team only won two games , and Ross contemplated ending his coaching career after a humbling loss to Wake Forest in 1987 . Ross decided to remain at Tech and continued to rebuild Tech ' s program . The turning point came in 1989 with the recruitment of Shawn Jones and several other key freshman . After two seasons and only five total wins , Jones helped the Jackets rebound at the end of the 1989 season . In Jones ' sophomore season , Tech powered through their schedule and won the ACC . The four game unbeaten streak in 1989 extended all the way through 1990 and into the 1991 Citrus Bowl . The key victory in the streak was a huge 41 - 38 come from behind upset victory over then No . 1 ranked Virginia in Charlottesville before a nationwide TV audience . Tech demolished Nebraska 45 – 21 in the 1991 Citrus Bowl , finishing the season 11 – 0 – 1 , and earning a share of the 1990 National Title with the Colorado Buffaloes . Tech ' s winning streak ended against Penn State in the 1991 Kick Off Classic . Ross and Jones never replicated that 1990 season but managed to win 8 games in 1991 making Shawn Jones one of the most heralded quarterbacks in Tech history . Ross was offered a head coach position after the 1991 season for the San Diego Chargers , which he took . After first considering Ross assistant coaches , Ralph Friedgen and George O ' Leary , Tech hired Bill Lewis away from East Carolina soon after Ross ' departure . Controversies and Heisman contention : 1992 – 2001 . Bill Lewis was hired from East Carolina . He led ECU to a 11 - 1 record , Peach Bowl Victory over NCST and Final Poll ranking of # 9 . The Tech faithful hoped that he could continue the winning tradition of Tech that Bobby Ross has kick - started . They were wrong . Bill Lewis ' first season at Tech in 1992 saw a team two years removed from a National Title only win 5 games . Preseason All - American Shawn Jones suffered from nagging injuries , leaving Tech ' s offense inept . After Jones ' fourth year ran out , redshirt freshman Donnie Davis stepped in to fill his shoes in 1993 . Davis did no better than Jones under Lewis . Davis only won 5 games for Tech . The Lewis era had completely squandered the successful momentum established by Bobby Ross . During the Summer of ' 94 , George O ' Leary was rehired as defensive coordinator , and quarterback Donnie Davis was injured so Lewis recruited junior college transfer Tom Luginbill . Luginbill was a proficient passer at Palomar College . Luginbill ' s first two games in 1994 showed promise as Tech almost upset Arizona who was projected as the # 1 team in the nation by Sports Illustrated and won 45 - 26 over Western Carolina . After Western Carolina , Luginbill and Tech struggled . Tech lost its next 6 games before Lewis was terminated midseason . Defensive coordinator George O ' Leary took immediate control of Tech and after his interim session in 1994 , he was appointed head coach in 1995 . O ' Leary ' s first season saw Senior Donnie Davis return as starter and Tech won 6 games . O ' Leary ' s second season saw the emergence of Joe Hamilton as starter when Brandon Shaw struggled in his first two starts . Hamilton would eventually lead the Jackets back to bowl contention and Tech attended its first bowl in six years , the 1997 Carquest Bowl . Hamilton ' s prowess as a runner and passer thrilled the Georgia Tech fans . Offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen utilized a complex offense with Hamilton that featured option football mixed in with complex timing routes . Hamilton racked up yardage , touchdowns , and wins for Tech . In 1998 , Hamilton and Tech ' s high powered offense won 10 games and a season ending victory over Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl . Hamilton ' s senior year put him on the national stage . He was a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy against rushing phenomenon Ron Dayne . Hamilton passed for over 3000 yards and rushed for over 700 yards . But while Hamilton dazzled , the Georgia Tech defense was a liability ( they allowed around 28 points per game ) , and may have ultimately cost Hamilton the 1999 Heisman Trophy . In a late - season , nationally - televised game against Wake Forest , Tech gave up 26 points and Hamilton threw two interceptions and no touchdowns . As an indirect result , Dayne went on to win the Heisman ( Joe was runner - up ) . Hamilton ' s Georgia Tech career ended on a sour note in the 2000 Gator Bowl against the Miami , where the Jackets lost 28 – 13 . The following season , redshirt junior George Godsey , a more traditional pocket passer , succeeded Hamilton at the helm of Tech ' s powerful offense . The drop - off was minimal — Godsey continued where Hamilton left off , winning 9 games in 2000 and 8 games in 2001 . In 2000 , Godsey also led Tech to their third straight victory over the archival Georgia Bulldogs . The end of the 2001 season saw George O ' Leary entertain a coaching offer from Notre Dame after Bob Davie announced resignation as Irish head coach . O ' Leary was eventually awarded the position , but it was revoked shortly thereafter when Notre Dame discovered that O ' Leary had fabricated several aspects of his resume . He claimed to have played three years for the University of New Hampshire and to have attained a Master ' s degree from New York University ; in actuality , he had attended NYU but did not graduate , and he never played a down of New Hampshire football . Following O ' Leary ' s departure , Mac McWhorter was named interim head coach for Georgia Tech ' s bowl game , a victory over Stanford in the 2002 Seattle Bowl . The following spring , Chan Gailey was hired to replace O ' Leary as Georgia Tech ' s head coach . Great upsets , upsetting losses , and a termination : 2002 – 2007 . Chan Gailey came to Georgia Tech in 2002 after head coaching stints with the Dallas Cowboys , Samford Bulldogs , and Troy Trojans . Gailey ' s first team in 2002 managed to win seven games under the quarterbacking of A . J . Suggs . The most notable game of the 2002 season was an upset of National Title Contender North Carolina State . Georgia Tech rallied in the fourth quarter to upset N . C . State and end Philip Rivers ' s Heisman Trophy hopes . In 2003 , eleven Georgia Tech players were found academically ineligible . Despite the academic losses and the playing of true freshman Reggie Ball , Gailey would lead Tech to a seven - win season and humiliation of Tulsa in the Humanitarian Bowl . P . J . Daniels racked up over 300 yards rushing in the effort . 2004 and 2005 saw Georgia Tech improve talent and skill wise but Tech won seven games again . Star Calvin Johnson arrived as a true freshman in 2004 . His performance against Clemson in 2004 helped cement Johnson ' s place in the annals of all - time Tech greats . Two off - the - field problems affected the Yellow Jackets ' 2005 season . First , Reuben Houston , a starting cornerback , was arrested for possession of over one hundred pounds of marijuana . Reuben was dismissed from the football team immediately following this arrest but a later court order forced Coach Gailey to allow Houston to return to the team . Houston would see little playing time following the court order . At the end of the 2005 season , an NCAA investigation found that eleven ineligible players had played for the Yellow Jackets between the 1998 and 2005 seasons . These players played while not making progress towards graduation on the NCAA - approved schedule . The football victories for that season were initially revoked , and Georgia Tech was put on two years of NCAA probation . Twelve football scholarships were stricken from Georgia Tech ' s allotment for the 2006 and 2007 freshman classes . The Georgia Tech Athletic Department appealed this decision by the NCAA , and the records were restored but scholarship reductions and probation remained . Athletic Director Dave Braine retired in January 2006 , and Dan Radakovich was hired as Athletic Director . Gailey ' s most successful year at Georgia Tech was in 2006 with nine victories and the ACC Coastal Division championship . The Yellow Jackets football team reached its first New Year ' s Bowl since the 1999 Gator Bowl and played the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Gator Bowl . Tashard Choice led the ACC in rushing yards and Calvin Johnson led the ACC in receptions and receiving yardage . After an impressive 33 - 3 victory at Notre Dame to open the 2007 season , the team slid to finish 7 - 6 . On the morning of Monday , November 26 , 2007 , Gailey was fired from the Yellow Jackets , two days after another heartbreaking loss to the University of Georgia . The Yellow Jackets ' Athletic Department hired Paul Johnson , then the head coach at Navy and former Georgia Southern head coach , as Gailey ' s replacement on December 7 , 2007 . Paul Johnson era : 2008 – Present . On Friday , December 7 , 2007 , less than two weeks after Georgia Tech announced the firing of Chan Gailey , Paul Johnson was announced as the new Georgia Tech head football coach . Johnson was hired under a seven year contract worth more than $ 11 million . Johnson immediately began installing his unique flexbone option offense at Georgia Tech . By the regular season ' s end , Johnson had led the Yellow Jackets to a 9 – 3 record including an ACC Coastal Division Co - Championship and a 45 – 42 win in Athens , GA over arch - rival UGA , Tech ' s first win against the Bulldogs since 2000 . In recognition of his accomplishments in his first season , Johnson was named 2008 ACC Coach of the Year by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association as well as the CBSSports . com coach of the year . Several weeks after Johnson ' s defeat of rival Georgia , Georgia Tech rewarded Johnson with a new contract worth $ 17 . 7 million , a 53 % raise that made him the second highest paid coach in the ACC before he had even completed his first year in the conference . In 2009 , Johnson led the Yellow Jackets to their first win over Florida State in Tallahassee in school history , a 49 - 44 shootout that featured over 1000 total yards between the two teams . One week later , Johnson defeated # 4 Virginia Tech 28 - 23 at Bobby Dodd Stadium . The win broke an 0 - 17 losing streak to top five opponents at Grant Field in the past 47 years . On October 24 , 2009 , Johnson led the Yellow Jackets to their first win against the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville , VA since 1990 . At Duke University Johnson and his team clinched the ACC Coastal Division for the first time since 2006 . Still , Johnson and company could not win their second game in a row over hated Georgia as the Bulldogs upset Tech 30 - 24 in the final home game of the season in 2009 . On December 5 the Jackets defeated the Clemson Tigers to make them ACC champions , a title that would be vacated on July 14 , 2011 due to NCAA infractions . The Yellow Jackets went on to lose to Iowa in the Orange Bowl , 24 - 14 . Home stadium . The Yellow Jackets play their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field in Atlanta , Georgia . Upon his hiring in 1904 , John Heisman insisted that the Institute acquire its own football field . Grant Field was constructed to appease Heisman as well as bring a true home field advantage to Tech football . From 1893 – 1912 , the team used area parks such as Brisbane Park , Ponce de Leon Park , and Piedmont Park as the home field . Georgia Tech took out a seven - year lease on what is now the southern end of Grant Field , although the land was not adequate for sports , due to its unleveled , rocky nature . In 1905 , Heisman had 300 convict laborers clear rocks , remove tree stumps , and level out the field for play ; Tech students then built a grandstand on the property . The land was purchased by 1913 , and John W . Grant donated $ 15 , 000 towards the construction of the field ' s first permanent stands ; the field was named Grant Field in honor of the donor ' s deceased son , Hugh Inman Grant . The stadium now sits amongst a unique urban skyline and is the oldest Division I FBS football stadium . In fact , the only Division I stadiums older are Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Stadium . Grant Field was natural grass until 1971 . The astroturf was replaced by grass in 1995 . The stadium officially holds 55 , 000 but has held up to 56 , 412 in 2005 and 56 , 680 in 2006 . Logos and uniforms . The interlocking GT logo was developed in 1967 at the request of Bobby Dodd . One of the varsity players was asked to design a logo for the helmets . Several variations of the design were submitted . The yellow jacket was not submitted because to make the insect look mean it would have to be stinging and therefor flying backwards . The interlocking GT was selected during the summer of 1967 and formalized into decals for the helmets . Over the years it became the official logo for Georgia Tech . When head coach Paul Johnson was hired in 2008 , the Yellow Jackets adopted a new uniform style . One year later , the uniforms were altered to change the yellow to gold . A year after that , the uniforms were altered again . This time , the team adopted separate white uniforms for both home and away games , while retaining the previous styles ' navy and gold jerseys for occasions when the Yellow Jackets could not wear white at home . Team achievements . Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket football has been ranked as the 18th most prestigious college football program in American history by ESPN U .