A double dose of Chick-fil-A games in 2012: Auburn will play Clemson

By Doug Roberson

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

In another step toward trying to make Atlanta the college football capital of the world, fans will get a double dose of the sport, and may get a history lesson, in the city in 2012.

In an additional game at the Georgia Dome over Labor Day weekend, Auburn will play Clemson. A matchup of Tennessee and N.C. State has been previously announced. Each game will be called the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game.

The games will televised by ESPN or ABC. One of the games will be held Saturday, Sept. 1, but neither the date of the other game nor the kickoff times has been decided.

Gary Stokan, president and CEO of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, which put together both games, said bowl officials hope to have the induction ceremonies for the College Football Hall of Fame between the games. The Hall of Fame is scheduled to open in Atlanta at a yet-to-be-named site near Centennial Park in the spring of 2013.

"It's a win, win, win for everybody," Stokan said. "It's two great games, four great brand names. The city wins from an economic standpoint, and we win by further differentiating ourselves by not being not just a neutral game, but a platform to promote college football in its most sincere way."

Stokan said this will be the first, and perhaps only, time that the city will host two BCS-style games during the same weekend.

The additional game between the two Tigers will improve the economic impact to $60 million, according to Stokan and continues a growing trend re-started by Chick-fil-A in 2008: venues hosting non-conference games of national interest. Alabama defeated Clemson in the inaugural game at the Dome, the Tide defeated Virginia Tech in 2009 and LSU knocked off North Carolina this season. In similar games between BCS hopefuls, Virginia Tech and Boise State played in Landover, Md. this season. Oregon and LSU will start their seasons in Arlington, Texas, in 2011.

Opponents haven't been announced for the 2011 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, though Stokan said bowl officials are in discussions with Georgia Tech for 2011, ‘14 or ‘15. They also are in discussions with Georgia. He said they would like to match up the teams, both only if it makes sense for both schools.

Stokan said the inspiration for the additional game occurred several years ago. An Auburn-Clemson matchup was discussed for the first Chick-fil-A Kickoff game. Though it didn't happen, the athletic directors liked the idea so much they scheduled a home-and-home series that started Saturday and will continue in 2011 at Clemson.

"Speaking humbly, they've seen the success of this game for a lot of different reasons," Stokan said. "The game is good for the fans, it's good for recruiting, and the national exposure is good after these first three years. It just made a lot of sense to them to extend the series another game."

This year's game had an estimated payout of $3.8 million that will be split between North Carolina and LSU. The 2012 games will have an estimated payout of $2 million for each team.

“We are very excited to be kicking off the 2012 season against Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game,” Auburn coach Gene Chizik said in a statement. “It is an honor to be playing in it and a chance for us, once again, to show Auburn to the nation.”

The Tigers-Tigers duel also continues a trend of ACC-SEC matchups in the Chick-fil-A game that may continue until 2013, when the Hall of Fame opens. At that point, Stokan said he may try to sign a team from either conference and match them with another BCS-conference team from outside the South.

“This is a great game for both conferences and is a game both our fan bases will be very excited about all summer,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said in a statement. “Playing such a strong opponent in the opener will bring a sense of urgency to our preseason practices. There won’t be much room for error. We are honored to be a part of this game.”