ATLANTA (May 31, 2018) – The No. 7 Washington Huskies will face the No. 8 Auburn Tigers to open the 2018 college football season Sept. 1 at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta. Kick time has been set for 3:30 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the game will be nationally telecast on ABC.
“With two projected top 10 teams, two top 10 quarterbacks and two top-ranked defenses, this game will certainly have a major impact on the College Football Playoff,” said Gary Stokan, Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and president. “We’re looking forward to having the SEC back and for the first time, welcoming the Pac-12 to the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. It should be the perfect way to kick off the season with two storied programs facing off for the first time in their history.”
The 2018 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game will mark the first-ever meeting between Auburn and Washington on the gridiron. This year’s game will also represent the first-ever SEC vs. Pac-12 matchup in the history of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.
The SEC currently holds an 11-2 record in the game, and Auburn will continue the SEC’s trend of having a team represented in every Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game to date. It will be Auburn’s third appearance in the game, after previously defeating Louisville 31-24 in the 2015 contest and falling 26-19 to Clemson in 2012.
This will be both the Pac-12 and Washington’s first-ever appearance in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.
Past Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game teams and winners of The Old Leather Helmet 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 | Georgia 33-24 |
| 2017 | (3) Florida State vs. (1) Alabama | Alabama 24-7 |
| 2017 | (25) Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech | Tennessee 42-41 |
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.
The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game averages more than 68,887 fans for each game – higher than 36 bowl games from last year – and its team payout averages $5.2 million, which is higher than 26 bowl games last season. Television viewership is also traditionally strong with more than 67 million viewers tuning in to the annual game since 2008.
All tickets are being sold through the university ticket offices. No public tickets are currently available through the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl office.
For more information, visit Chick-fil-AKickoffGame.com.
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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 (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 68,887, has been watched on television by more than 67 million viewers, and has distributed $67.5 million in total team payouts. Since its inception in 2008, the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game has featured 10 national coaches of the year, 21 players who were recipients of national awards during their collegiate careers and a total of 58 first-round NFL Draft picks. For more information, visit WWW.CHICK-FIL-AKICKOFFGAME.COM.