The Georgia Bulldogs and Virginia Cavaliers will face off in the 2020 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game to cap off college football’s opening weekend in a prime time Monday night matchup.
The game is set for Monday, Sept. 7, 2020 and will be played in the new, Mercedes-Benz Stadium – currently under construction in Atlanta – which will open in 2017 and play host to the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship, 2019 Super Bowl and 2020 NCAA Final Four.
Georgia holds a 9-7-3 series advantage over Virginia all-time. Two of the more memorable meetings have come in previous Chick-fil-A Peach Bowls. Virginia defeated Georgia 34-27 in 1995 and the Bulldogs returned the favor three years later, defeating the Cavaliers 35-33 in a thrilling 1998 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl finish.
Georgia looks to continue the SEC’s dominance in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, marking the 16th time in 17 total matchups that a team from the SEC has appeared. It is the third appearance in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game for Georgia, which holds a 1-1 record in the event. The Bulldogs won the most recent installment, defeating North Carolina in the 2016 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. This will be Virginia’s first appearance in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game and the ninth different ACC team to play in the game.
The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game averages more than 67,000 fans for each game – higher than 35 bowl games this season – and its team payout averages $4.7 million, which is higher than 26 bowl games this season. Television viewership is also traditionally strong with more than 47 million viewers tuning into the series since 2008.
“This game will provide another great opportunity to kick off a season in the sports capital of the South on national television and against an opponent with long-standing tradition,” said Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart. “Like Georgia, Virginia has been playing football for well over 100 years and I’m sure this will be a popular matchup with both fan bases, as well as football fans in general. We are appreciative of the opportunity and look forward to returning to Atlanta for the 2020 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.”
“This will be a great chance to play a Power 5 ACC opponent in a world-class venue,” said Greg McGarity, University of Georgia’s J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics. “We actually have a history with Virginia that goes back to the first meeting in 1897, a game coincidentally played in Atlanta. The game will be a popular event with both Georgia and Virginia fans. We look forward to our return to the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta and starting the 2020 season against UVA.”
The teams will battle for The Old Leather Helmet Trophy, one of college football’s iconic rivalry game trophies. 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.