Tigers and Tar Heels to open 2010 season in Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game

ATLANTA (September 17, 2009) – The nation’s top teams continue to take their turn in the spotlight to open the college football season in the annual Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.

Chick-fil-A Bowl officials and ESPN today officially announced that the LSU Tigers will face the North Carolina Tar Heels to kick off  the 2010 season in the “Daytona 500 of College Football” Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010 in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.

LSU and North Carolina have met six times, but have not played since 1986. The Tigers hold a 5-1 mark against the Tar Heels in the series that dates back to 1948.

“With Les Miles and Butch Davis, you’re talking about two of the top coaches in the nation and great leaders,” said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. “We feel this will be another compelling, high-profile match-up among top-10 teams in next year’s Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game and we’re looking forward to continuing our preseason BCS Bowl atmosphere.”

The Tigers and Tar Heels are currently ranked No. 7 and No. 19 respectively in the USA Today poll and both are expected to have strong seasons and compete for their conference championships which could serve to enhance their rankings heading into the 2010 campaign. Both teams earned victories in week one.

Tickets will be split evenly between LSU and UNC with each team receiving 31,200 tickets and the game and its surrounding events will be managed by the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to play North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game next season,” said Les Miles, LSU head football coach. “This game will mean a great deal of exposure for our football program. Atlanta is a great city and a place that has always treated us very well. We are looking forward to playing in this game to open the 2010 season.”

“This is a great opportunity for us to showcase our program on a national scale against a top program from the ACC,” LSU Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva said. “This will be an exciting way to start the season and we think this will be a great experience for our fans. A prime time national telecast means tremendous exposure for our football program and our university.”

“While our focus is on our 2009 season, being selected to participate in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against LSU is a wonderful honor,” said Butch Davis, UNC head football coach. “This game is recognized throughout college football as the premier event of college football’s opening weekend and it offers an exciting opportunity for our team, staff, and fans. We are honored to represent the Atlantic Coast Conference in what will surely be an exciting atmosphere in the Georgia Dome.”
“North Carolina is honored to represent the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game,” said Dick Baddour, UNC Director of Athletics.  “This game is a tremendous opportunity to showcase our football program and compete against one of the top teams in the SEC. Atlanta has always been a great city for Carolina fans and the atmosphere will be electric in the Georgia Dome.”
Billed as the “Daytona 500 of College Football,” the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game matches top-tier programs in a BCS-type game on the first Saturday of every season.

The 2009 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game featured pre-season top-10 powers Alabama and Virginia Tech to open the 2009 season. Alabama defeated Virginia Tech 34-24 in a thrilling and very competitive game. The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game drew a sold-out crowd of 74,954 – the fourth-largest football attendance in the history of the Georgia Dome – and earned a 4.2 rating on ABC equaling more than five million viewing households. ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot made its second consecutive appearance at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, drawing more than 10,000 fans for its live show.

Alabama defeated Clemson 34-10 in the 2008 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, drawing a sold-out crowd of 70,097, and was viewed in more than four million households nationwide. The pre-game fan activities were attended by more than 22,000 fans and the event created an economic impact of $29.1 million for Atlanta and Georgia including $1.2 million in direct tax revenues.


About the Chick-fil-A Bowl:
The Chick-fil-A Bowl is the ninth-oldest bowl game in the country and hosts the longest-running rivalry series between the ACC and SEC. Now in its 42nd year, the Chick-fil-A Bowl has established itself as one of the nation’s elite bowl games with a string of 12 consecutive sellouts and has earned a reputation as one of the most competitive bowls in the nation. Ten of the last 17 games have been decided by a touchdown or less. The Chick-fil-A Bowl has disbursed more than $90 million in team payouts over its 41-year history and has increased team payout every year since 1996. The Bowl also leads all other bowl games in charitable and scholarship contributions, giving more than $1.2 million to organizations in need in 2008 alone. Other events under the Chick-fil-A Bowl brand include the Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge head coach and celebrity golf event each April and the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game season-opening game over Labor Day weekend.