Chick-fil-A Bowl and ESPN
Kick Off College Football in Atlanta
A day full of activities featuring ESPN’s College GameDay leads up to the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff game between Alabama and Clemson
ATLANTA (Aug. 6, 2008) – The long wait is over. College football is back and the celebration is set.
The Chick-fil-A Bowl and ESPN have teamed up to create the ultimate college football season kickoff event, and all fans are invited. Saturday, Aug. 30, the Chick-fil-A Bowl and ESPN will open Centennial Olympic Park for a day-long celebration of the 2008 season. The event is free to the public.
ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot will get the day started at 10 a.m. with the country’s most popular live college football show. Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard will break down all the big match-ups of the first Saturday of the season and set the stage for the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff game between Alabama and Clemson that night at 8 p.m. – the Saturday Night Football telecast on ABC.
From noon to 6 p.m., fans can enjoy two entertainment areas designed to keep the excitement building up to kickoff.
The ESPN Kickoff Week Festival presented by Gillette and the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff FanZone presented by Coca-Cola Zero will feature interactive games and other activities where fans can eat, drink, pass and kick away the hours prior to the game while experiencing the ESPN-branded entertainment that follows the GameDay crew around the country.
ESPN’s College Football Live show will also originate from the Park beginning Thursday, Aug. 28 at 3:30 p.m. and again on Friday, Aug. 29 at 3:30 p.m. Live segments from Atlanta will contribute to a three-hour SportsCenter special from 12 – 3 p.m. on Thursday.
“This event is going to be the Daytona 500 of college football,” said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president. “We think we’ve created the biggest and best celebration to start the college football season. And we’re going to host this event every year capped off by a great match-up of two premier teams.”
The Chick-fil-A College Kickoff game day experience will become the premier season-opening event to each and every college football season, right here in Atlanta.
“This will be special for college football fans and an excellent way to start the season,” said Dave Brown, ESPN vice president, programming and acquisitions. “We have all the right elements to make this the premier season-opening event – a partner in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, a sponsor in Chick-fil-A, a city in Atlanta and two premier conferences in the ACC and SEC.”
The Chick-fil-A College Kickoff between Alabama and Clemson will kick off at 8 p.m. in the Georgia Dome and be part of a split national broadcast by ABC. Parts of the country will receive Michigan State at California.