It's common for some college football teams to hand out mementos for winning a big bowl game or breaking some historic record during any given season. But there's a clear line between honoring serious achievements and just being plain sad.
Georgia Tech went 7-6 during the 2024-25 season, losing in the Birmingham Bowl 35-27 to SEC foe Vanderbilt. On Tuesday, the program unironically revealed championship-style rings it will supposedly hand out to its players.
No, it's not an extremely late April Fool's prank. The Yellow Jackets are actually celebrating finishing the season just over .500, earning the program's first AP Top 25 ranking since 2015, two Top-10 ranked upsets and their first undefeated home slate in a quarter century with diamond encrusted rings.
The rings feature special designs on the sides. One says "Defend The Flats" with an etching of Bobby Dodd Stadium and their 5-0 record at home. The other features the player name along with the Birmingham Bowl logo - again, a bowl game they lost by eight points. Inside, the words "Commitment. Discipline. Toughness" are written above the logos of both Florida State (2-10) and Miami (10-3) along with the final scores of those two big victories for the Yellow Jackets.
Georgia Tech's meme-worthy 2024 celebration fuels internet reactions
For those that are well-versed in meme-speak, Georgia Tech's unironic championship treatment will remind you of that comic where an athlete is over-celebrating on a podium only for it to be revealed he finished well outside the medal standings.
The internet took quick notice and didn't waste time roasting the deserved Yellow Jackets.
There really isn't any way to defend this precedent. If a team wants to honor its players for the previous season's accomplishments, then hold a private ceremony or hand out a different kind of memento. These rings just send the wrong message about the exclusivity of celebrating a championship.
Even if Georgia Tech had made the College Football Playoff, these rings would still look bad for the ACC. And they need all the credibility it can be lent from its members with changes to the postseason format leaning toward SEC and Big Ten dominance.
There's still time to delete this, Yellow Jackets. Just saying.