Gary P. Stokan sat down with 11Alive’s Reggie Chatman for a more than half-hour interview ahead of this weekend’s Aflac Kickoff Game between Georgia and Clemson.
ATLANTA — Few people have had as clear a window into Atlanta’s growth as a sports town as Gary P. Stokan.
He was president of the Atlanta Sports Council for more than a decade, from 1998-2009 — a critical period when the city was looking to build on its profile in the wake of hosting the 1996 Olympics.
In that time Atlanta played host to a Super Bowl, Final Fours, and all-star games for the NBA, NHL and MLB. And in the years since Atlanta has only further grown its sports footprint, with highlights such as the opening of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, another Super Bowl and the World Cup coming in 2026. The city has also, in no small part through Stokan’s direct efforts, become widely recognizedas the college football capital …