2010 Football Schedule
SAVANNAH, Ga.- Savannah State University athletics department has announced its tentative 2010 football schedule.
Major renovations to Theodore A. Wright Stadium have forced SSU to schedule less home games. In 2010 the Tigers will play nine road games and two home contests.
“Scheduling was a difficult task for us this season,” said interim athletics director Marilynn Suggs. “We wanted to play our usual complement of home games, but with the stadium renovations we will not be able to do so.”
“We have scheduled six games in the state of Georgia in order to give our students, alumni, boosters, fans and supporters the best opportunity to see us play. We are extremely excited about the renovations to the stadium and look forward to playing on our campus in 2011,” added Suggs.
The Tigers will kick off the season on the road against local rival Georgia Southern in Statesboro on September 4.
The Tigers will play 11 teams from six conferences (Southern, Southern Intercollegiate, Mid-Eastern, Big South, Colonial and Southwestern).
Savannah State will play Fort Valley State on Sept. 11, at a site yet to be determined, followed by a road trip to Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 18 and a Sept. 25 match-up against Albany State at a site yet to be determined. Although the site venue has not been announced, the games against Fort Valley and Albany State will be played in Georgia.
The Tigers will travel to Lynchburg, Virginia to play Liberty on October 2 and will head to Atlanta, Georgia to play Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) newcomer Georgia State in the Georgia Dome on Oct. 9.
SSU will close out the month at Florida A&M on Oct. 16 and at Alabama State on Oct. 23 before an OPEN date on Oct. 30.Old Dominion will be the Tigers last road game of the season on November 6.
Savannah State will end the year with back-to-back home games on Nov. 13 and Nov. 20. North Carolina Central will come to Savannah on Nov. 13 and Norfolk State will be SSU's Homecoming opponent on Nov. 20. SSU will announce the site of its home games at a later date.
When completed in the summer of 2011, the new Theodore A. Wright Stadium will accommodate 8,000 patrons – 4,500 on the home side and 3,500 on the visitor side – in a combination of bleachers and seats. The existing concrete bleachers will be ground up and used during construction.
Nearly all stadium structures will be demolished as part of the upgrade, but the skybox, built in 2008, and track and field will remain intact. An elevator and restrooms will be added to the skybox and team locker rooms, concession areas and restrooms for the home and visitor sides of the stadium will be constructed. A 500-seat student section will be located below the President's Club section, and the SSU Student Government Association will have its own skybox for use during football games.
The stadium renovations – and construction of a new student complex, also slated to begin in July – will be financed by the Georgia Higher Education Facilities Authority (GHEFA), which enables pooled financing of multiple projects under a single bond issue to help fund capital projects for the University System of Georgia and Department of Technical and Adult Education.
SSU students voted last year to begin paying in the fall an extra $150 semester fee to help fund both the stadium renovations and student center construction, expected to cost a combined $17 million. The expected cost for stadium renovations are $4.5 million. Students were involved in the design process for both projects and will be able to use the stadium for other events at no additional cost.
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