Campus Alert Archive
Georgia Tech

Two Lightning Holds Delay Bobby Dodd Home Opener by More Than Two Hours

GAsevere stormadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Georgia Tech's home opener against South Carolina State on September 9, 2023, was delayed more than two hours after back-to-back lightning holds forced fans at Bobby Dodd Stadium to take shelter in the concourses before a scheduled 1 PM EDT kickoff. 11Alive reported that fans who left the stadium to shelter in their cars were later allowed to re-enter with their tickets; Georgia Tech ultimately defeated South Carolina State 48-13.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Georgia Institute of Technology
Public R1 · GA
~21,916 studentsGT Emergency Notification
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTPA System
Approximate reconstruction284 chars
Due to lightning in the area, today's game will be delayed. Fans inside Bobby Dodd Stadium should take shelter in the concourses of the stadium. Fans who have left to shelter in their vehicles will be allowed to re-enter the stadium with their tickets once the game is ready to begin.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Lightning forced a delay before the scheduled 1 PM EDT kickoff; the delay was unusual in its length and in requiring two separate holds before the game could begin, with teams initially emerging onto the field for a brief warm-up before a second lightning detection sent everyone back indoors.
Bobby Dodd Stadium sits on the Georgia Tech campus in midtown Atlanta; the concourses served as the primary shelter location for fans who stayed inside the stadium.
UPDATEPA System
Approximate reconstruction188 chars
Lightning has been detected in the area again. All fans must return to the concourse areas. We will resume play once the area is clear for 30 minutes. We apologize for the continued delay.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

A second lightning detection sent teams back to locker rooms after a brief return to the field at approximately 1:42 PM EDT; this reset the mandatory 30-minute clock for a second time, extending the total delay to more than two hours.
The back-to-back nature of the holds -- with a brief clearing window that proved insufficient -- is a documented pattern in major Georgia thunderstorm systems.
ALL CLEARPA System
Approximate reconstruction147 chars
Lightning has cleared. Fans who left the stadium may now re-enter. The game will begin at 3:23 p.m. Welcome back to Bobby Dodd Stadium. Go Jackets!

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Fans were allowed back into the stadium shortly before 3 PM EDT after the 30-minute lightning-free window was satisfied; Georgia Tech's official operations staff coordinated ticket re-entry so that fans who had sheltered in their cars could return without ticket scanning complications.
The game kicked off at 3:23 PM EDT, 2 hours and 23 minutes after the originally scheduled 1 PM EDT kickoff -- an unusually long pre-game delay.
Context

Background

Georgia Tech's 2023 home opener against South Carolina State was set for a 1 PM EDT kickoff at Bobby Dodd Stadium in midtown Atlanta, but a series of Atlanta-area thunderstorm cells repeatedly blocked play. The game experienced two separate lightning holds before kickoff could occur, with fans instructed to shelter in the concourses throughout. After the first delay, teams came onto the field at approximately 1:42 PM for warm-ups but lightning was detected again, sending everyone back indoors and resetting the 30-minute clock. Georgia Tech explicitly communicated that fans who left to wait in their cars would be re-admitted with their tickets -- a fan-friendly policy that acknowledged the extended and uncertain timeline. The game ultimately began at 3:23 PM EDT, more than two hours and twenty minutes late. Georgia Tech won 48-13.
Analysis

Key Findings

Two separate lightning holds before kickoff pushed the game's start more than two hours past the scheduled 1 PM EDT time
Georgia Tech allowed fans who sheltered in their cars to re-enter with their tickets -- a documented fan-policy decision made during the extended delay
Bobby Dodd Stadium concourses served as the primary in-stadium shelter; teams returned to locker rooms for both delays
The back-to-back delay pattern reflects the multi-cell nature of major Atlanta metro summer thunderstorm systems
Outcome
Georgia Tech defeated South Carolina State 48-13; kickoff finally occurred at approximately 3:23 PM EDT after a 2-hour 23-minute delay.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Georgia Tech game delayed due to inclement weather, fans asked to shelter - 11Alive
    11alive.com
  2. News
    Rain delay for Georgia Tech game vs SC State lifted - 11Alive
    11alive.com
  3. News
    Georgia Tech weather delay update: When will game vs. South Carolina State restart? - FanSided
    fansided.com
  4. News
    South Carolina State Bulldogs vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - Final Score - September 9, 2023 - CBS Sports
    cbssports.com
Tags
severe-stormlightningweather-delaystadiumgeorgia-techbobby-dodd-stadiumgame-dayfootballpre-game-delay
Added June 2026Updated June 2026Via ingestion