ATLANTA (July 7, 2017) –The most anticipated college football game of the season – featuring Florida State and Alabama in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game – has officially sold out almost two months before the Seminoles and Crimson Tide are set to meet on Sept. 2.
Early projections indicate that this game may be a matchup of the two highest-ranked teams to ever play on opening weekend in the nearly 150 years of college football. Numerous preseason polls show various ranking combinations with both teams receiving number-one nods and neither being ranked lower than number four. The historic contest will be the first college game played in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
“We’re calling this game the GOAT, the Greatest Opener of All Time, because of the projected rankings, the dominance of these two programs and the fact that this is the toughest ticket I have seen in my 20 years in college football,” said Gary Stokan, CEO and president of Peach Bowl, Inc. “To possibly have #1 against #2 in the first game of the season is a credit to the programs that Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher have built and their willingness to play this game shows their desire to compete at the highest level.”
“We knew this was going to be a special game, but I’m not sure we fully expected it to reach historic levels like this,” said Percy Vaughn, Peach Bowl, Inc. chairman.
The Florida State-Alabama Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game will kick off at 8 p.m. ET, Saturday, Sept. 2 and be nationally telecast by ABC. The teams have met four times dating back to 1965, with the most recent meeting in 2007 resulting in a 21-14 Seminole win. The Crimson Tide holds a 2-1-1 series advantage over the Seminoles. Together, FSU and Alabama hold five of college football’s last eight national championships.
This will be Alabama’s fifth appearance in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, where the Crimson Tide currently holds a 4-0 record. It will be the first time Florida State has opened the season in Atlanta. Both teams currently have an impressive streak of consecutive season opening wins with Alabama having won its past 15 season openers, while Florida State has won its past six.
This year’s matchup will mark the ninth ACC vs. SEC meeting in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, with the SEC currently holding a 7-1 advantage over the ACC in those games.
The nation’s longest-running kickoff game, the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game has now sold out nine of its 12 matchups. The game averages 67,645 – higher than the attendance of 35 bowl games last year – and has an average payout of $4.7 million which is higher than 27 bowl games last year. Television viewership is also traditionally strong with more than 47.4 million viewers tuning in to the series since its inaugural game in 2008.
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.
Official Tickets and Packages through PrimeSport Remain Available
Despite ticket allotments being sold out, fans looking to get to the game still have great options available from PrimeSport.
As the official ticket exchange and VIP hospitality provider, PrimeSport creates a secure and approved marketplace for fans to buy and sell tickets in a convenient, safe and guaranteed environment. Buyers can be assured that the tickets are authentic and guaranteed.
PrimeSport also offers official Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game ticket and hospitality packages for the dedicated fan looking for a VIP experience at the event. Official ticket packages include access to the Official MVP Tailgate, which is conveniently located inside the all new Mercedes-Benz Stadium! Guests will enjoy early preferred stadium access 30 minutes prior to gates open, a tailgate buffet, open bar, soft drinks, entertainment and an opportunity to take a picture with the Old Leather Helmet trophy! Official Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game travel packages are also available from PrimeSport and include hotel accommodations, game tickets, official pregame hospitality, official souvenirs and much more. For more information on all available offerings for the game, fans can visit PrimeSport.com or call 800-591-9198.
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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 the preeminent 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, 2, 5 (twice), 6, 7, 9, 14, 16, 18 (twice), 19, 22, 24 (twice) and 25 (twice). The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game boasts an average attendance of 67,645, has been watched on television by 47.4 million viewers, and has distributed $51.9 million in total team payouts. Since its inception in 2008, the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game has featured seven national coaches of the year, 16 players who were recipients of national awards during their collegiate careers and a total of 48 first-round NFL Draft picks. For more information, visit www.Chick-fil-AKickoffGame.com.