Georgia Tech giving away tickets to home opener for Hurricane Irma evacuees

Georgia Tech is doing its part to welcome Hurricane Irma evacuees in Atlanta.

The school on Friday announced it will be offering free tickets to the Yellow Jackets' home opener Saturday against Jacksonville State to residents under evacuation orders in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

“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,” athletic director Todd Stansbury, who previously served as UCF’s athletic director and associate athletics director at Houston, said in a 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.”

Florida is under a state of emergency with the Category 4 Irma set to make landfall near Miami early Sunday. The storm is expected to continue up the center of the state over the course of the day, maintaining hurricane-force winds along the way.

The first-come, first-serve basis tickets will be given to residents and their immediate families with a valid state-issued ID.

The game is scheduled to kickoff at 12:30 ET Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium.