ATLANTA (September 1, 2016) – The Georgia Bulldogs and the North Carolina Tar Heels are set to compete for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game’s coveted Old Leather Helmet trophy. An icon of toughness and courage, it represents the origins of college football rivalries, and is worn only by the winner of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.
Regular season “trophy games” are an integral tradition in college football: From Paul Bunyan’s Axe, to the Golden Hat, to the Victory Bell, and the Seminole War Canoe, college football is filled with emblems of big-game rivalries.
In 2008, the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game added The Old Leather Helmet to the mix, starting its own tradition. The difference is … playing for The Old Leather Helmet is by invitation only.
As the tradition of The Old Leather Helmet has grown, it has come to include the winners of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game wearing the highly coveted trophy. Following the game, coaches and players from the winning team take turns wearing The Old Leather Helmet on the field and during the trophy presentation.
The battle for The Old Leather Helmet has served as a showcase for the brightest stars in college football since 2008, with a list of alumni that includes 42 NFL first-round draft picks, six National Coaches of the Year and 16 players who have earned National Player of the Year awards.
Once again, college football’s elite programs have come to Atlanta to stake their claim to The Old Leather Helmet. This year’s game features the Georgia Bulldogs and the North Carolina Tar Heels, two storied rivals meeting for the 31st time in their programs’ histories, but marks only their first since 1971. Both schools will be looking to not only add a strong neutral site win to their resumes, but also a Chick-fil-A Kickoff game victory to jump start their 2016 season and a possible run at the College Football Playoff.
Past and future Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game matchups include:
Year: Match-Up: Winner:
2008 #9 Clemson vs. #24 Alabama Alabama 34-10
2009 #5 Alabama vs. #7 Virginia Tech Alabama 34-24
2010 #16 LSU vs. #18 North Carolina LSU 30-24
2011 #5 Boise State vs. #19 Georgia Boise State 35-21
2012 #25 NC State vs. Tennessee Tennessee 35-21
2012 #14 Clemson vs. #24 Auburn Clemson 26-19
2013 #1 Alabama vs. Virginia Tech Alabama 35-10
2014 #18 Ole Miss vs. Boise State Ole Miss 35-13
2014 #2 Alabama vs. West Virginia Alabama 33-23
2015 #25 Louisville vs. #6 Auburn Auburn 31-24
2016 #18 Georgia vs. #22 North Carolina
2017 Alabama vs. Florida State
2017 Georgia Tech vs. Tennessee
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ABOUT THE CHICK-FIL-A KICKOFF GAME
Created in 2008 by Peach Bowl, Inc., the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is a bowl-style, neutral-site game featuring two elite football programs and has been nationally televised on the first Saturday of the college football season since its inception. The game has hosted teams with national rankings of No. 1, No. 2, 5 (twice), 6, 7, 9, 14, 16, 18 (twice), 19, 24 (twice) and 25 (twice). The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game boasts an average attendance of 66,869, has been watched on television by 43.9 million viewers, and has distributed $44.7 million in total team payouts. For more information, visit Chick-fil-AKickoffGame.com.