Join the fun at Emory Night with Atlanta United

The crowd at Atlanta United soccer matches often appears as a sea of red, full of fans clothed in the team’s primary color. But during Emory Night with Atlanta United, on Saturday, Aug. 29, the characteristic crimson will also be swirled with blue and gold, as United faces off against the Charlotte Football Club.

The event is part of the Emory Alumni Association’s Atlanta Sports Nights series, which hosts gatherings of fellowship and entertainment for students, faculty, staff and alumni at games for the city’s major professional sports teams.

The evening’s festivities, open to the entire Emory community, kick off at 5:30 p.m. with an Emory tailgate in the Home Depot Backyard, which is near the north side of Mercedes-Benz Stadium by Gate 1. The match itself starts at 7:30 p.m.

Emory-specific tickets are $43 and include admission to the tailgate and a limited-edition Emory/Atlanta United flag. Five dollars from each ticket will go to the Emory Advantage Plus program, a trailblazing initiative that covers tuition for Emory students from families with incomes up to $200,000. 

“The sports night series is a great way for the Emory community to celebrate together and to connect with greater Atlanta,” says Yabi Demissie, associate director of alumni engagement. 

For Demissie, the tailgate is the highlight of Emory Night with Atlanta United. She says there’s nothing quite like hundreds of people gathered under the blue and gold tents, bonding over their shared connection to Emory. Plus, she’s excited about the classic tailgating fare planned for this year’s event: Skip’s Chicago Dogs is catering it.

“The night is so special because it’s not just students and alumni,” she says. “People bring their children, their family and their partners. It’s for everyone.”

Cae Sutton, an MBA student from Atlanta, says the sports nights — and especially the Atlanta United matches — have a special place in her heart. She currently serves as president of the Goizueta Evening MBA Business Association, a student organization that connects evening MBA students with the broader Emory community. 

Last year, Sutton served as the group’s vice president of social activities. She had such a good time at the Atlanta United match that this year she’s encouraged everyone in her program to attend. More than 100 evening MBA students have registered for the event.

“This year, I’m looking forward to the crossover between our program and other Emory programs and faculty,” Sutton says. “These events are so important. As part of our social team, I think about creating the most value my classmates can get from the program. It’s not just about going to class. It’s about being engaged, networking and knowing how to build community.”

Kirsten Reed, who graduated with an MBA from Goizueta Business School in 2016, has attended two Atlanta Sports Nights. She describes the atmosphere as “accessible, approachable and fun.”

“You can catch up with people you already know and make new connections,” says Reed. “And if you’re specifically looking to network, there’s a place for that too.” 

However, she adds, “it’s not a place where you have to bring your business card or have an elevator pitch; it’s much more authentic.”

Reed says attending Atlanta Sports Nights served as a kind of nesting doll for her recent Emory involvement. 

At a previous Emory Night with Atlanta United, she and other alumni came up with the idea for a multigenerational Emory pickleball event. That event took place last spring. On the pickleball courts, Reed connected with Emory’s Asian Pacific Islander Desi American alumni network, which hosts events throughout the year, including mahjong nights. Reed hopes to attend a mahjong night in the future. 

Once you get involved, she explains, one thing leads to another.

“Not being from Atlanta, a lot of my community comes from Emory,” says Reed, who is originally from Northern California. “It’s fun for me to talk to people who are much older and much younger. There’s not a lot of places where you get to socialize with multiple generations. I get to spend time with someone who graduated 20 years before me and then get schooled in pickleball by a 23-year-old. It shows how strong the Emory community is.”

Demissie encourages everyone at Emory to be on the lookout for more Atlanta Sports Nights throughout the school year, including with the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Dream.

“Atlanta is a great sports town,” Reed says. “I encourage people to come and enjoy the fan experience. Sometimes people will say, ‘I haven’t been to an Emory event in years,’ but there’s no pressure with this. You can jump in wherever you’re at in life.”