(13) Bulldogs and (19) Tar Heels set to open the 2016 season in Atlanta.
ATLANTA (May 17, 2016) – The (13) Georgia Bulldogs will face the (19) North Carolina Tar Heels to open the 2016 college football season September 3 in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta. Kick time has been set for 5:30 p.m. EST and the game will be nationally telecast on ESPN.
The Georgia-UNC rivalry has been on hiatus for more than 40 years, but the SEC and ACC powers will continue the series for the first time since 1971. This game marks the ninth straight year the college football season has opened on a national stage in Atlanta with two nationally-ranked programs in a bowl-style, blockbuster game.
Georgia and North Carolina have met 30 times since 1895, the last contest a 7-3 Georgia victory. Overall, the Bulldogs hold a 16-12-2 advantage over the Tar Heels.
This will be the second appearance for both teams in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game – college football’s longest-running current neutral-site game series. North Carolina last opened their season in Atlanta against LSU in 2010, while Georgia played Boise State in the 2011 edition of the game.
The teams will battle for The Old Leather Helmet Trophy, one of college football’s newest rivalry-style icons. Traditionally, winners of The Old Leather Helmet don the helmet on the field after the game, starting with the head coach and then rotating from player to player as the team celebrates its victory.
Past Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game teams and winners of The Old Leather Helmet include:
| Year | Maych-up | Winner |
| 2015 | (25) Louisville vs. (6) Auburn | Auburn 31-24 |
| 2014 | (2) Alabama vs. West Virginia | Alabama 33-23 |
| 2014 | (18) Ole Miss vs. Boise State | Ole Miss 35-13 |
| 2013 | (1) Alabama vs. Virginia Tech | Alabama 35-10 |
| 2012 | (14) Clemson vs. (24) Auburn | Clemson 26-19 |
| 2012 | (25) NC State vs. Tennessee | Tennessee 35-21 |
| 2011 | (5) Boise State vs. (19) Georgia | Boise State 35-21 |
| 2010 | (16) LSU vs. (18) North Carolina | LSU 30-24 |
| 2009 | (5) Alabama vs. (7) Virginia Tech | Alabama 34-24 |
| 2008 | (9) Clemson vs. (24) Alabama | Alabama 34-10 |
All tickets are being sold through the university ticket offices. No tickets will be available through the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl office.
The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game was created by Peach Bowl, Inc., in partnership with ESPN, as a bowl-style game to kick off the season matching two elite football programs on the first Saturday of every season.
For more information, visit Chick-fil-AKickoffGame.com.
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About Peach Bowl, Inc.:
Peach Bowl, Inc. operates the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the ninth-oldest bowl game in the country and one of New Year’s Six Bowls selected to host the College Football Playoff. In 2014 and 2015, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl hosted top nationally ranked teams as assigned by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. In 2016, the Bowl will host its first College Football Playoff Semifinal (#1 vs. #4 or #2 vs. #3). The Bowl has earned a reputation as one of the most competitive bowls in the country, with 54% (26 of 48) of its games being decided by a touchdown or less. Peach Bowl, Inc. has disbursed $150 million in team payouts over its 48-year history and has increased team payout every year since 1996. The Bowl also leads all other bowl game organizations in charitable and scholarship contributions, giving more than $19.5 million to organizations in need since 2002. Peach Bowl, Inc. also owns and manages the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament and is the presenting sponsor and manager of The Dodd Trophy national coach of the year award. For more information, visit Chick-fil-APeachBowl.com or follow us on Twitter at @CFAPeachBowl and find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/CFAPeachBowl.