The Aflac Kickoff Game (known as the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game until 2023) is an annual series of college football games played on the opening weekend of the NCAA Division I FBS season in Atlanta, Georgia. Organized by the Peach Bowl, the event coincides with Labor Day weekend in the United States. From its inception in 2008 until 2016, it was held at the Georgia Dome. The Georgia Dome's replacement, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, began hosting the games starting in 2017. Since 2012, there have been occasional doubleheaders in the series.

History

Organizers intended for the game to become a national spotlight game, on par with the Kickoff Classic held in the Meadowlands from 1983 to 2002, and the Disneyland Pigskin Classic in the 1990s. In 2008, ESPN's College Gameday broadcast from Downtown Atlanta, while ESPN corporate sponsors and local Atlanta-based companies featured prominent displays at Fanzones in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park.

Payout to each team depends on the amount of revenue gained in excess of the Kickoff's $5.5 million budget. In 2008, Clemson and Alabama were both expected to receive more than $2 million.

In 2017, the game permanently moved from the Georgia Dome to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Starting on July 12, 2023, Aflac will became the game’s new sponsor, replacing Chick-Fil-A.

Series summary The first game, known that year as the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff, was played on August 30, 2008, the opening Saturday of the 2008 season. Alabama defeated Clemson 34–10.

Alabama returned to the Chick-fil-A Kickoff for the 2009 game, defeating Virginia Tech to begin the 2009 season.

Auburn and UCLA were initially slated to play in 2010, but Auburn officials later backed out of the offer. ABC attempted to replace Auburn with Georgia Tech, but the switch prompted UCLA to opt out entirely because the game would essentially be a home game for the Atlanta-based Yellow Jackets, with no scheduled return trip to Los Angeles. Finally, an agreement was reached in which LSU and North Carolina would match up, with the Tigers winning 30–24. The 2010 game also saw the introduction of a trophy awarded to the winner, the Old Leather Helmet.

The 2011 edition was the first Chick-fil-A Kickoff to feature a team that was not a member of the ACC or SEC, the two conferences with tie-ins to the Peach Bowl. Boise State of the Mountain West Conference, one of the most successful programs from a BCS non-automatic qualifier conference in recent years, defeated Georgia 35–21.

The Chick-fil-A Kickoff consisted of two games in 2012. Tennessee defeated NC State 35–21 on Friday night prior to Clemson defeating Auburn 26–19 in the headliner on Saturday. The dual-game idea was first mentioned in the Miami Herald in May 2010, when Gary Stokan, president of the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, told the newspaper that there was the possibility of having Alabama face Miami in a rematch of the 1993 Sugar Bowl.

The 2013 edition was a rematch of the 2009 game. Alabama, the two-time defending BCS national champions, once again defeated Virginia Tech, this time by a score of 35–10.

2014 would again feature two games. Ole Miss defeated Boise State 35–13 in a Thursday night game. Alabama would defeat West Virginia 33–23 in the headliner on Saturday afternoon. It marked the first ever meeting between Alabama and West Virginia in any sport.

The 2015 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, which moved to CBS that season, returned to a single game with the ACC's Louisville Cardinals taking on the SEC's Auburn Tigers. Auburn defeated Louisville, 31–24.

The 2016 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, which moved back to ESPN, featured North Carolina and Georgia, both making their second appearances in the kickoff series. The Bulldogs defeated the Tar Heels 33–24 in the final edition of the game played the Georgia Dome.

The 2017 event was the third doubleheader in the series. Alabama defeated Florida State on Saturday evening by a score of 24–7, serving as the Saturday Night Football season opener. Tennessee defeated Georgia Tech 42–41 in double overtime on Monday evening. The two games were the first in the series to be played in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Downtown Atlanta.

For the first time, the 2020 event was intended to include three games across two consecutive weeks, with a week 1 doubleheader between Florida State and West Virginia, followed by Georgia and Virginia. Auburn and North Carolina were to also play a week 2 game as part of the series. On July 29, 2020, all three games were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the ACC announced that it was restricting all teams to one non-conference game played in the team's home state only, and the SEC cancelled all non-conference play entirely.

Game results Season Date Winning team Losing team Attendance 2008 August 30, 200824 Alabama Crimson Tide 349 Clemson Tigers 10 70,0972009 September 5, 20095 Alabama Crimson Tide 347 Virginia Tech Hokies 24 74,9542010 September 4, 201021 LSU Tigers 30 18 North Carolina Tar Heels 24 68,9192011 September 3, 20115 Boise State Broncos 35 19 Georgia Bulldogs 21 73,6142012 August 31, 2012Tennessee Volunteers 35NC State Wolfpack 21 55,529 September 1, 201214 Clemson Tigers 26 Auburn Tigers 19 75,2112013 August 31, 20131 Alabama Crimson Tide 35Virginia Tech Hokies 10 73,1142014 August 28, 201418 Ole Miss Rebels 35Boise State Broncos 13 32,823 August 30, 20142 Alabama Crimson Tide 33West Virginia Mountaineers 23 70,5022015 September 5, 20156 Auburn Tigers 31Louisville Cardinals 24 73,9272016 September 3, 201618 Georgia Bulldogs 3322 North Carolina Tar Heels 24 75,4052017 September 2, 20171 Alabama Crimson Tide 243 Florida State Seminoles 7 76,330 September 4, 201725 Tennessee Volunteers 42Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 41 2OT 75,1072018 September 1, 20189 Auburn Tigers 216 Washington Huskies 16 70,1032019 August 31, 20192 Alabama Crimson Tide 42Duke Blue Devils3 71,9162020Games cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally North Carolina vs Auburn and Georgia vs Virginia2021September 4, 20211 Alabama Crimson Tide 4414 Miami Hurricanes 1371,829September 6, 2021Ole Miss Rebels 43 Louisville Cardinals 2430,7092022 September 3, 2022 3 Georgia Bulldogs49 11 Oregon Ducks 376,490 September 5, 20224 Clemson Tigers 41Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 1047,712 2023 September 1, 2023 39 34 36,101 2024 August 31, 2024 1 34 14 3 78,827 2025 August 30, 202524 45 26 45,918August 31, 202513 2411 55,5312026 September 5, 2026171655,068 Rankings are from the AP Poll.

Future games SeasonDateMatchup2027TBD TBD TBD

Records By team

Rank Team Apps Record Win% 1 Alabama 7 7–0 2Tennessee 3 3–0 3 Ole Miss 2 2–0 4 LSU 1 1–0 South Carolina1 1–0 6 Auburn 4 3–1 Georgia 4 3–1 8 Clemson 4 2–2 9 Boise State 2 1–1 10 Louisville 3 1–2 11 Baylor 1 0–1 Duke 1 0–1 Florida State 1 0–1 Miami (FL) 1 0–1 NC State 1 0–1 Oregon 1 0–1 Washington 1 0–1 West Virginia 1 0–1 Syracuse 1 0–1 19North Carolina 2 0–2 20 Georgia Tech 3 0–3 Virginia Tech 3 0–3

By conference Rank Conference Apps Record Win% 1 SEC 22 20–2 2ACC203–17 3Mountain West21–1 4 Pac-12 3 0–3 Big 12 2 0–2

References

External links