ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 04: TaQuon Marshall #16 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets celebrates with Jahaziel Lee #53 after rushing for a touchdown against the Tennessee Volunteers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 4, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

A good handful of college football games in the state of Florida have been scratched this week with Hurricane Irma approaching the state. Aside from the shutting down of college football games involving local teams, residents throughout the state have been making their way out of Florida to seek shelter from the storm until they can safely return to their homes. Georgia has been one of the more popular shelter spots, naturally, and Georgia Tech is opening their gates to those seeking refuge in the area this weekend.

The school has announced that it will offer free tickets to the football team’s home opener on Saturday against Jacksonville State to any Hurricane Irma evacuees.

“As a former resident of both Houston and Florida, my wife, Karen, and I personally have a lot of friends, former student-athletes and former colleagues in both areas and have been following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma closely. We have the deepest sympathy for everyone who has been affected by the storms,” Georgia Tech athletics director Todd Stansbury said in a released statement.

“Our hope is that a day of family fun and great college football can be a much-needed distraction for families displaced by Irma. Additionally, Georgia Tech athletics will be looking to help those affected in any way that we can.”

In order to receive a free ticket from Georgia Tech, fans wishing to attend have to present a state-issued ID so the school can confirm they come from a county under evacuation. The tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis as seats are limited. How many tickets are available is unconfirmed, but this is a nice gesture.

At the same time, it’s also a nice way for Georgia Tech to inflate the attendance figure a bit for a game that otherwise would not be a big draw on the home schedule. It is the Yellow Jackets’ home opener, but the team opened its 2017 season nearby in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday night, losing a thriller against Tennessee.

[Georgia Tech]

About Kevin McGuire

Contributor to Athlon Sports and The Comeback. Previously contributed to NBCSports.com. Host of the Locked On Nittany Lions Podcast. FWAA member and Philadelphia-area resident.