Aflac Kickoff Game

Last updated

Aflac Kickoff Game
Aflac Kickoff Game logo.png
Stadium Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Location Atlanta, Georgia
Previous stadiums Georgia 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.

Contents

History

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

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

SeasonDateWinning teamLosing teamAttendance
2008 August 30, 2008 24 Alabama Crimson Tide 34 9 Clemson Tigers 1070,097
2009 September 5, 2009 5 Alabama Crimson Tide 34 7 Virginia Tech Hokies 2474,954
2010 September 4, 2010 21 LSU Tigers 30 18 North Carolina Tar Heels 2468,919 [10]
2011 September 3, 2011 5 Boise State Broncos 35 19 Georgia Bulldogs 2173,614
2012 August 31, 2012 Tennessee Volunteers 35 NC State Wolfpack 2155,529
September 1, 2012 14 Clemson Tigers 26 Auburn Tigers 1975,211
2013 August 31, 2013 1 Alabama Crimson Tide 35 Virginia Tech Hokies 1073,114 [11]
2014 August 28, 2014 18 Ole Miss Rebels 35 Boise State Broncos 1332,823
August 30, 2014 2 Alabama Crimson Tide 33 West Virginia Mountaineers 2370,502
2015 September 5, 2015 6 Auburn Tigers 31 Louisville Cardinals 2473,927
2016 September 3, 2016 18 Georgia Bulldogs 33 22 North Carolina Tar Heels 2475,405
2017 September 2, 2017 1 Alabama Crimson Tide 24 3 Florida State Seminoles 776,330
September 4, 2017 25 Tennessee Volunteers 42 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 41 2OT75,107
2018 September 1, 2018 9 Auburn Tigers 21 6 Washington Huskies 1670,103
2019 August 31, 2019 2 Alabama Crimson Tide 42 Duke Blue Devils 371,916 [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 1371,829 [13]
September 6, 2021 Ole Miss Rebels 43 Louisville Cardinals 2430,709
2022 September 3, 2022 3 Georgia Bulldogs 49 11 Oregon Ducks 376,490
September 5, 2022 4 Clemson Tigers 41 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 1047,712
2023 September 1, 2023 Louisville Cardinals 39 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 3436,101
2024 August 31, 20241 Georgia Bulldogs 3414 Clemson Tigers 378,827

Rankings are from the AP Poll.

Future games

SeasonDateMatchup
2025August 30, 2025 Tennessee Volunteers Syracuse Orange
August 31, 2025 South Carolina Gamecocks Virginia Tech Hokies

Records

By team

RankTeamAppsRecordWin %
1 Alabama 77–01.000
2 Ole Miss 22–01.000
Tennessee 22–01.000
4 LSU 11–01.000
5 Georgia 43–1.750
6 Auburn 32–1.667
7 Clemson 42–2.500
8 Boise State 21–1.500
9 Louisville 31–2.333
10 Duke 10–1.000
Florida State 10–1.000
Miami (FL) 10–1.000
NC State 10–1.000
Oregon 10–1.000
Washington 10–1.000
West Virginia 10–1.000
17
North Carolina 20–2.000
Virginia Tech 20–2.000
19 Georgia Tech 30–3.000

By conference

RankConferenceAppsRecordWin %
1 SEC 1816–2.889
2 Mountain West 21–1.500
3 ACC 173–14.176
4 Big 12 10–1.000
Pac-12 20–2.000

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peach Bowl</span> Annual American college football postseason game

The Peach Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta, Georgia, since December 1968. Since 1997, it has been sponsored by Chick-fil-A and is officially known as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. From 2006 to 2013, it was officially referred to as simply the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The winner of the bowl game is awarded the George P. Crumbley Trophy, named after the game's founder George Crumbley.

<i>Saturday Night Football</i> American sports television program

Saturday Night Football is an American weekly presentation of prime time broadcasts of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football games that are produced by ESPN, and televised on ABC. Games are presented each Saturday evening starting at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time/6:30 p.m. Central Time during the college football regular season, which has been the case since 2017. The ESPN on ABC Saturday Night Football coverage began in 2006, as both ESPN and ABC are owned by The Walt Disney Company. It is ESPN's biggest game of the week, and in most cases, the city and/or campus of that night's game is where that day's ESPN College GameDay had originated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clemson Tigers football</span> College Football Bowl Subdivision team; member of Atlantic Coast Conference

The Clemson Tigers are the American football team at Clemson University. The Tigers compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In recent years, the Tigers have been ranked among the most elite college football programs in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007–08 NCAA football bowl games</span>

The 2007–08 NCAA football bowl games concluded the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS regular season in college football.

The 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Virginia Tech Hokies at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. With sponsorship from Chick-fil-A, it was the 39th edition of the game previously known as the Peach Bowl. Georgia represented the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Virginia Tech represented the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in the competition. The game was the final game of the 2006 football season for each team and resulted in a 31–24 Georgia victory, even though spread bettors favored Virginia Tech to win by three points. In exchange for the right to pick the first ACC team after the Bowl Championship Series selections, bowl representatives paid US$3.25 million to the ACC, while the SEC, whose fifth team was selected, received $2.4 million. The combined $5.65 million payout was the seventh-largest among all college football bowl games, and the fourth-largest non-BCS bowl game payout.

The 2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl was college football bowl game between the Clemson Tigers and the Auburn Tigers played in Atlanta, Georgia on December 31, 2007. With sponsorship from Chick-fil-A, it was the 40th edition of the game known throughout most of its history as the Peach Bowl. Clemson University represented the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Auburn University represented the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in the competition. The game was the final competition of the 2007 football season for each team. In exchange for the right to pick the first ACC team after the Bowl Championship Series selections, bowl representatives paid $3.25 million to the ACC, while the SEC, whose fifth team was selected, received $2.4 million. The combined $5.65 million payout is the seventh-largest among all college football bowl games, and the fourth-largest non-BCS bowl game payout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 ACC Championship Game</span> College football game

The 2009 ACC Championship Game was a college football game between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Clemson Tigers. The game, sponsored by Dr. Pepper, was the final regular-season contest of the 2009 college football season for the Atlantic Coast Conference. Georgia Tech defeated Clemson, winning the Atlantic Coast Conference football championship, 39–34. However, Georgia Tech was forced to vacate the game victory and the conference title in 2011 due to sanctions stemming from an NCAA investigation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clemson–Georgia Tech football rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

The Clemson–Georgia Tech football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Clemson Tigers football team of Clemson University and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team of Georgia Tech. Both schools are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Since conference expansion in 2005, Clemson represents the Atlantic Division while Georgia Tech plays in the Coastal Division, and they are cross-divisional rivals which play every year.

The 2009 ACC football season was an NCAA football season that was played from September 3, 2009, to January 5, 2010. The Atlantic Coast Conference consists of 12 members in two divisions. The Atlantic division consists of Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina State and Wake Forest. The Coastal division consists of Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. The division champions met in the 2009 ACC Championship Game, where Georgia Tech defeated Clemson by a score of 39–34. Georgia Tech represented the ACC in the BCS, being invited to the FedEx Orange Bowl where they lost to Iowa. The ACC had a total of seven teams play in a bowl game and finished the bowl season with a record of 3–4.

The 2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Tennessee Volunteers played on December 31, 2009, in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. With sponsorship from Chick-fil-A, it was the 42nd edition of the game known throughout most of its history as the Peach Bowl. Virginia Tech defeated Tennessee 37–14. The game was part of the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season and was the concluding game of the season for both teams. The game was televised in the United States on ESPN and the broadcast was seen by an estimated 4.87 million viewers.

The 2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl was a college football bowl game held on December 31, 2012, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. With sponsorship from Chick-fil-A, it was the 45th edition of the game known throughout most of its history as the Peach Bowl. The game began at 7:30 p.m. EST and aired on ESPN. It featured the LSU Tigers from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) against the Clemson Tigers from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and was the final game of the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season for both teams. Both Tigers accepted an invitation to the game after achieving a 10–2 regular season record.

The history of Clemson Tigers football began in 1896, when Clemson University first fielded a football team. Since 1896, the program has an all-time record of 790–466–44, with a bowl record of 28–22. The program has achieved 3 claimed national titles in 1981, 2016, and 2018.

The 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 2017. The regular season began on August 26, 2017, and ended on December 9, 2017.

The 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the 149th season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at its highest level of competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The regular season began on August 25, 2018, and ended on December 8, 2018. The postseason began on December 15, and aside from any all-star games that were scheduled, concluded on January 7, 2019, with the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The Clemson Tigers won the title game over the Alabama Crimson Tide, the school's third national title and second in three years, and also becoming the first team since the 1897 Penn Quakers to have a perfect 15-0 season.

The 2019 Peach Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 28, 2019, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with kickoff at 4:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. It was the 52nd edition of the Peach Bowl, and was one of the 2019–20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS football season. The Peach Bowl was one of two College Football Playoff semifinal games, which pitted the two of the four teams selected by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee—Oklahoma of the Big 12, and LSU from the SEC, with the winner advancing to face the winner of the Fiesta Bowl in the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship. LSU dominated Oklahoma, with the score 49-14 at the half. They won, 63-28, in the first CFP game to have a team score 60+ points. Sponsored by restaurant chain Chick-fil-A, the game was officially known as the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

The 2019 Orange Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 30, 2019, with kickoff at 8:10 p.m. EST on ESPN. It was the 86th edition of the Orange Bowl, and one of the 2019–20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS football season. Sponsored by the Capital One Financial Corporation, the game was officially known as the Capital One Orange Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Georgia Bulldogs football team</span> American college football season

The 2020 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs played their home games at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia and were led by fifth-year head coach Kirby Smart. For the first time since 2016, the Bulldogs did not win the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), finishing second behind rival Florida.

The 2021 Peach Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Georgia Bulldogs and Cincinnati Bearcats that was played on January 1, 2021, with kickoff scheduled for 12:30 p.m. EST on ESPN. It was the 53rd edition of the Peach Bowl, and was one of the 2020–21 bowl games concluding the 2020 FBS football season. Sponsored by restaurant chain Chick-fil-A, the game was officially known as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The game averaged 8.72 million viewers, becoming the most viewed non-semifinal Peach Bowl. Georgia represented the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Cincinnati represented the American Athletic Conference (AAC).The game was the final game of the 2020 football season for each team and resulted in a 24–21 Georgia victory.

The 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the 152nd season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at its highest level of competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision. The regular season began on August 28, 2021, and ended on December 11, 2021. The postseason began on December 17, with the main games ending on January 10, 2022, with the College Football Playoff National Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and the all-star portion of the post-season concluding with the inaugural HBCU Legacy Bowl on February 19, 2022. It was the eighth season of the College Football Playoff (CFP) system. It was the first time since 2016 that no major team finished the season undefeated as the Cincinnati Bearcats, the season's last undefeated team, were defeated in the 2021 Cotton Bowl Classic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 SEC Championship Game</span> College football game

The 2021 SEC Championship Game was a college football game that was played on December 4, 2021, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. It was the 30th edition of the SEC Championship Game and determined the champion of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) for the 2021 season. The game began at 4:00 p.m. EST and was aired on CBS. The contest featured the Georgia Bulldogs, the East Division champions, and the Alabama Crimson Tide, the West Division champions.

References

  1. 1 2 Tucker, Tim. "Chick-fil-A Kickoff 'disappointed' all three planned matchups are off". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "'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.