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Aflac Kickoff Game

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Aflac Kickoff Game
StadiumMercedes-Benz Stadium
LocationAtlanta, Georgia
Previous stadiumsGeorgia Dome
Operated2008–present
Sponsors
Chick-Fil-A (2008–2022)
Aflac (2023–present)
2023 matchup
Louisville 39, Georgia Tech 34
2024 matchup
Clemson 3, Georgia 34

The Aflac Kickoff Game (known as the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game until 2023) is an annual series of college football games played on the opening weekend of the NCAA Division I FBS season in Atlanta, Georgia. Organized by the Peach Bowl,[1] the event coincides with Labor Day weekend in the United States. From its inception in 2008 until 2016, it was held at the Georgia Dome. The Georgia Dome's replacement, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, began hosting the games starting in 2017. Since 2012, there have been occasional doubleheaders in the series.

History

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Organizers intended for the game to become a national spotlight game, on par with the Kickoff Classic held in the Meadowlands from 1983 to 2002, and the Disneyland Pigskin Classic in the 1990s. In 2008, ESPN's College Gameday broadcast from Downtown Atlanta, while ESPN corporate sponsors and local Atlanta-based companies featured prominent displays at Fanzones in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park.[2]

Payout to each team depends on the amount of revenue gained in excess of the Kickoff's $5.5 million budget. In 2008, Clemson and Alabama were both expected to receive more than $2 million.[2] On July 12, 2023 Aflac will be the new sponsor for the game.[3]

Series summary

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The first game, known that year as the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff, was played on August 30, 2008, the opening Saturday of the 2008 season. Alabama defeated Clemson 34–10.

Alabama returned to the Chick-fil-A Kickoff for the 2009 game, defeating Virginia Tech to begin the 2009 season.

Auburn and UCLA were initially slated to play in 2010, but Auburn officials later backed out of the offer. ABC attempted to replace Auburn with Georgia Tech, but the switch prompted UCLA to opt out entirely because the game would essentially be a home game for the Atlanta-based Yellow Jackets, with no scheduled return trip to Los Angeles.[4][5] Finally, an agreement was reached in which LSU and North Carolina would match up, with the Tigers winning 30–24. The 2010 game also saw the introduction of a trophy awarded to the winner, the Old Leather Helmet.[6]

The 2011 edition was the first Chick-fil-A Kickoff to feature a team that was not a member of the ACC or SEC, the two conferences with tie-ins to the Peach Bowl. Boise State of the Mountain West Conference, one of the most successful programs from a BCS non-automatic qualifier conference in recent years, defeated Georgia 35–21.

The Chick-fil-A Kickoff consisted of two games in 2012. Tennessee defeated NC State 35–21 on Friday night prior to Clemson defeating Auburn 26–19 in the headliner on Saturday. The dual-game idea was first mentioned in the Miami Herald in May 2010, when Gary Stokan, president of the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, told the newspaper that there was the possibility of having Alabama face Miami in a rematch of the 1993 Sugar Bowl.[7]

The 2013 edition was a rematch of the 2009 game. Alabama, the two-time defending BCS national champions, once again defeated Virginia Tech, this time by a score of 35–10.

2014 would again feature two games. Ole Miss defeated Boise State 35–13 in a Thursday night game. Alabama would defeat West Virginia 33–23 in the headliner on Saturday afternoon. It marked the first ever meeting between Alabama and West Virginia in any sport.

The 2015 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, which moved to CBS that season, returned to a single game with the ACC's Louisville Cardinals taking on the SEC's Auburn Tigers. Auburn defeated Louisville, 31–24.

The 2016 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, which moved back to ESPN, featured North Carolina and Georgia, both making their second appearances in the kickoff series. The Bulldogs defeated the Tar Heels 33–24 in the final edition of the game played the Georgia Dome.

The 2017 event was the third doubleheader in the series. Alabama defeated Florida State on Saturday evening by a score of 24–7, serving as the Saturday Night Football season opener. Tennessee defeated Georgia Tech 42–41 in double overtime on Monday evening. The two games were the first in the series to be played in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Downtown Atlanta.

For the first time, the 2020 event was intended to include three games across two consecutive weeks,[8] with a week 1 doubleheader between Florida State and West Virginia, followed by Georgia and Virginia. Auburn and North Carolina were to also play a week 2 game as part of the series. On July 29, 2020, all three games were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the ACC announced that it was restricting all teams to one non-conference game played in the team's home state only, and the SEC cancelled all non-conference play entirely.[1]

Before the 2023 game, Aflac replaced Chick-fil-A as the title sponsor.[9]

Game results

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Season Date Winning team Losing team Attendance
2008 August 30, 2008 24 Alabama Crimson Tide 34 9 Clemson Tigers 10 70,097
2009 September 5, 2009 5 Alabama Crimson Tide 34 7 Virginia Tech Hokies 24 74,954
2010 September 4, 2010 21 LSU Tigers 30 18 North Carolina Tar Heels 24 68,919[10]
2011 September 3, 2011 5 Boise State Broncos 35 19 Georgia Bulldogs 21 73,614
2012 August 31, 2012 Tennessee Volunteers 35 NC State Wolfpack 21 55,529
September 1, 2012 14 Clemson Tigers 26 Auburn Tigers 19 75,211
2013 August 31, 2013 1 Alabama Crimson Tide 35 Virginia Tech Hokies 10 73,114[11]
2014 August 28, 2014 18 Ole Miss Rebels 35 Boise State Broncos 13 32,823
August 30, 2014 2 Alabama Crimson Tide 33 West Virginia Mountaineers 23 70,502
2015 September 5, 2015 6 Auburn Tigers 31 Louisville Cardinals 24 73,927
2016 September 3, 2016 18 Georgia Bulldogs 33 22 North Carolina Tar Heels 24 75,405
2017 September 2, 2017 1 Alabama Crimson Tide 24 3 Florida State Seminoles 7 76,330
September 4, 2017 25 Tennessee Volunteers 42 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 41 2OT 75,107
2018 September 1, 2018 9 Auburn Tigers 21 6 Washington Huskies 16 70,103
2019 August 31, 2019 2 Alabama Crimson Tide 42 Duke Blue Devils 3 71,916[12]
2020 Games cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally North Carolina vs Auburn and Georgia vs Virginia
2021 September 4, 2021 1 Alabama Crimson Tide 44 14 Miami Hurricanes 13 71,829[13]
September 6, 2021 Ole Miss Rebels 43 Louisville Cardinals 24 30,709
2022 September 3, 2022 3 Georgia Bulldogs 49 11 Oregon Ducks 3 76,490
September 5, 2022 4 Clemson Tigers 41 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 10 47,712
2023 September 1, 2023 Louisville Cardinals 39 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 34 36,101
2024 August 31, 2024 1 Georgia Bulldogs 34 14 Clemson Tigers 3 78,827

Rankings are from the AP Poll.

Future games

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Season Date Matchup
2025 August 30, 2025 Tennessee Volunteers Syracuse Orange
August 31, 2025 South Carolina Gamecocks Virginia Tech Hokies

Records

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By team

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Rank Team Apps Record Win %
1 Alabama 7 7–0 1.000
2 Ole Miss 2 2–0 1.000
Tennessee 2 2–0 1.000
4 LSU 1 1–0 1.000
5 Georgia 4 3–1 .750
6 Auburn 3 2–1 .667
7 Clemson 4 2–2 .500
8 Boise State 2 1–1 .500
9 Louisville 3 1–2 .333
10 Duke 1 0–1 .000
Florida State 1 0–1 .000
Miami (FL) 1 0–1 .000
NC State 1 0–1 .000
Oregon 1 0–1 .000
Washington 1 0–1 .000
West Virginia 1 0–1 .000
17
North Carolina 2 0–2 .000
Virginia Tech 2 0–2 .000
19 Georgia Tech 3 0–3 .000

By conference

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Rank Conference Apps Record Win %
1 SEC 19 17–2 .889
2 Mountain West 2 1–1 .500
3 ACC 18 3–15 .176
4 Big 12 1 0–1 .000
Pac-12 2 0–2 .000

References

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  1. ^ a b Tucker, Tim. "Chick-fil-A Kickoff 'disappointed' all three planned matchups are off". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "'Kickoff' aims for college football spotlight". sportsbusinessjournal.com.
  3. ^ "Aflac is new sponsor". Yahoo! Finance.
  4. ^ "Auburn-UCLA game in 2010 nixed". AL.com.
  5. ^ Nestor. "Auburn A.D. (Jay Jacobs) Is Under Intense Criticism For Ducking UCLA". Bruins Nation.
  6. ^ "A College Football Celebration". Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014.
  7. ^ "College Gridiron 365 – Football Blog – Orlando Sentinel". orlandosentinel.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2010. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  8. ^ Tucker, Tim. "Three games amid a pandemic? Chick-fil-A Kickoff faces challenges, uncertainties". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  9. ^ "Aflac to become official title sponsor of Kickoff Game". www.prnewswire.com. July 12, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  10. ^ "LSU Tigers vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Box Score". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
  11. ^ "Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Box Score". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  12. ^ "Duke vs. Alabama - Game Summary - August 31, 2019". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  13. ^ "Alabama vs. Miami - Game Summary - September 4, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
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