With The Rise Of Preseason Exhibition Games, Georgia Tech Plans To Be A Part Of Them In The Future

Yellow Jackets will plan to be a part of the exciting exhibition games in the future which is great for the program.

Mar 13, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Damon Stoudamire during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

We have seen an uptick in more exhibition games for college basketball programs as a preseason event prior to the season tipping off. Some notable ones this year was Duke vs Tennessee, Michigan vs St. John's, BYU vs North Carolina, Kansas vs Louisville, Kentucky vs Purdue, Auburn vs Oklahoma State, and countless others. It gives college basketball fans something entertaining to watch and be excited about prior to the season tipping off. Now, most of them are private, but with more fans intrigued and wanting to see these high-caliber exhibition games, it could be an incentive for teams to raise revenue and get more fans in the building to see these matchups.

Preseason Exhibitions Are A Big Opportunity

Mar 13, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Damon Stoudamire reacts in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

All of the top programs in the sport are doing them, and we get to see the best players early in the season. A notable player in the ACC, Cameron Boozer, recently finished with a 24-point, 23-rebound game in an exhibition, which only brought more hype and excitement to the Duke fan base after his stellar performance. Georgia Tech didn’t have an exhibition game this year, but it plans to do more of them in the future.

​​“I think it kind of caught us off guard, you know, we've only done the scrimmages, and I think moving forward now the exhibition games, you know, obviously they've taken off, and you know, moving forward we'll do exhibition games, you know, try to do, you know, one home, one away. You know, we'll prefer actually two away because I think the away games you get more out of those, right? It's more so just seeing what you got,” said Stoudamire. “But I love it. I think it's great. Um, you know, and the reason that is great is because you're getting the opportunity to play a lot of people. I think that what has happened in college, and I think again, it's the new normal. I would say it would even be the new normal for you guys, even watching it, because it's like you can't judge a team based on what you see right now at that moment.”

“You judge them on how they get better, but I think for us, the biggest thing, even in the scrimmages that I loved, is that you know, I got a chance to play so many guys. One of the things that I wanted to do this spring, and even with the recruiting piece, is I needed bodies. See for me the injuries, and you know, even both years, frankly, we've had such a drop, you know, when we've had to go to other people. We don't have that right now. You know, I got about five, six guys that I consider, you know, guys I trust and I can put in the game on the perimeter. We got a really good quartet of bigs. Same thing at point guard. We got multiple guys. So, you know, for me, we're playing bodies. You know, it's it's going to be a little different. We’ll be up on the floor defensively. We're pressuring. We're trying to wear teams out. So truthfully, it's going back to what I cut my teeth in in coaching, to be honest with you, trying to be uh you know, one of the best defensive teams in the country, in the league and in the country.”

All in all, I think it is great for the sport and brings a ton of excitement. Coach Stoudamire talked in his press conference about how he would potentially do a couple in the future and even potentially on the road for his team, which would only bring more excitement around the Yellow Jackets program. I think a great idea, especially if the Yellow Jackets can have a strong season on the hardwood this year.