ATLANTA (Aug. 31, 2017) – Fans heading to Atlanta for the 2017 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game will be treated to a bowl-like atmosphere that includes a full slate of game day activities that kick off well before (3) Florida State and (1) Alabama take the field.
ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot – college football’s longest-running and most-celebrated pregame show – is set to open the 2017 season at this year’s Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game between Florida State and Alabama.
The weekly show airs from 9 a.m.-noon ET on ESPN and will be broadcast live from International Plaza, outside of the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
FanZone presented by Coca-Cola will be located at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) just steps away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The event opens at 3 p.m. ET and features interactive football games, sponsor activations, and a variety of contests and giveaways at the PNC Main Stage. It will be highlighted by the official PNC Bank Pep Rallies that will feature bands and cheerleaders from both schools.
Tailgate Town built by The Home Depot is the ultimate outdoor tailgating experience. It is located outside at the International Plaza of the Georgia World Congress Center and will feature interactive sponsor displays and live entertainment. The event begins at noon ET.
Trager Grills, the official grill of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, will be providing food samples and will host a wing-eating contest. DJ Suspense will also be hosting the live entertainment and giveaways, and a large HD TV screen will be set up to watch all of the early afternoon football action.
FanZone presented by Coca-Cola wraps up at 7 p.m. ET while Tailgate Town built by the Home Depot will extend closer to kickoff. (3) Florida State and (1) Alabama will square off at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 8 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on ABC.
Game Day Timeline:
9 a.m. – noon ET ESPN College GameDay (GWCC, International Plaza)
3 – 7 p.m. ET FanZone presented by Coca-Cola (GWCC, Halls C1-C2)
Noon – 8 p.m. ET Tailgate Town built by the Home Depot (GWCC, International Plaza)
5:45-6:30 p.m. ET PNC Bank Pep Rallies (GWCC, Halls C1-C2)
5:45- 6 p.m. ET Florida State Pep Rally
6:15-6:30 p.m. ET Alabama Pep Rally
8 p.m. ET Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
[Times subject to change]
#CFAKickoff
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 (twice), 2, 3, 5 (twice), 6, 7, 9, 14, 16, 18 (twice), 19, 22, 24 (twice) and 25 (three times). 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, 19 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.