SEC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
What: 2014 SEC football championship game
Who: Alabama vs. Missouri
When: 4 p.m. Dec. 6 (kickoff estimated at 4:12 p.m.)
Where: Georgia Dome, 1 Georgia Dome Drive, Atlanta. Website: www.gadome.com. Fans are asked to take MARTA.
Tickets: sold out
Television: live on CBS for the 14th consecutive year with Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson broadcasting
What's at stake: Winner is poised to make the four-team College Football Playoff.
SEC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FAST FACTS
- An SEC school has won seven of the past eight BCS championships. (Florida State ended the streak in 2014.)
- The annual game features the Southeastern Conference's Eastern and Western Division winners.
- Alabama and Missouri earned their spots as the teams with the best overall SEC winning percentage in each division based on the eight-game conference schedule.
- Florida has won the most SEC football championship games with seven.
- Alabama has won four SEC football championship games including the first in 1992.
- This is the 21st time the Georgia Dome is hosting the SEC football championship game.
Let’s put aside talk of the College Football Playoff rankings for another few days as the SEC makes its closing arguments on Dec. 6 in the Georgia Dome. The No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide takes on the Missouri Tigers in the 23rd annual SEC football championship game at 4 p.m.
Seven of the past eight BCS national championships have been won by SEC schools, and with 2014 being the first year of the four-team College Football Playoff, it is thought a win at the Georgia Dome on Dec. 6 will vault the victorious team into the four-team battle royale.
Alabama is making its 10th appearance in this game, and Missouri is making its second consecutive appearance in only its third year in the SEC.
The game is sold out, and unless you have secured tickets through an SEC school as a season ticket holder or the SEC office, fans will have to turn to ticket resellers like StubHub to gain entry. Earlier this week, "Upper Corner" tickets in the Georgia Dome were selling for $145 and 50-yard line "Lower Prime" seats were $1,175.
If you are going:
Fans should be aware that nearby construction of the new stadium will impact the ability to park around the Georgia Dome. The Orange, Purple, Brown and Silver lots are currently closed, resulting in about 1,300 fewer parking spots. Tailgating is not permitted on the Red or Gold deck.
Many streets will be closed to traffic including Georgia Dome Drive, Haynes Street, Mitchell Street Connector and MLK Jr. Drive between Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Mount Vernon Baptist Access Road.
City and SEC officials strongly urge football fans to take MARTA to and from the game. MARTA train stations offer free parking, and the train drops off just steps from the Dome. (See www.itsmarta.com/ or www.gadome.com for more info.) Atlanta Checker Cab has an iOS and Android app you can download for your smartphone to reserve a ride to and from the Dome.
Arrive early. Doors to the Georgia Dome will open two hours before kickoff at 2 p.m. It’s an easy walk to the Dome from the Dr. Pepper SEC FanFare in the Georgia World Congress Center, which is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 6.
Also, the ticket office/will call/ticket validation windows at the Dome have moved. They can now be found between gates B and C, by the large white SEC balloon.
Before the game:
2014 Regions Bank SEC Coaches Luncheon
Join the head coaches, Nick Saban of Alabama and Gary Pinkel of Missouri, as they preview the game with Dave Neal of the SEC Network serving as emcee at noon Dec. 5. Lunch will be served in the Hyatt Regency Atlanta’s Centennial Ballroom. Cost is $40.
Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Centennial Ballroom, 265 Peachtree St. Tickets are $40 at www.secticketoffice.com/events/SECluncheon.html.
Dr. Pepper SEC FanFare
The annual fan-friendly football festival runs 2-8 p.m. Dec. 5 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 6 in Halls C1-C3 of the the Georgia World Congress Center. Meet SEC football legends, play interactive games and celebrate everything that is SEC football. The Alabama pep rally will be at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 6 and the Missouri rally at 2 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12 years of age.
Georgia World Congress Center, Halls C1-C3, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd. www.secsports.com.
Georgia Aquarium
Football fans won’t want to miss the AT&T Dolphin Tales show, and the whole family will enjoy the Festival of the SEAson, Georgia Aquarium’s monthlong celebration of the holidays. Where else can you see Scuba Claus? Buy your tickets ahead of time; and the last ticket is sold 30 minutes before closing.
Georgia Aquarium, 225 Baker St., Atlanta. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays. Ticket prices: adults, $38.95; kids (3-12), $32.95; seniors, $34.95. (Save $3 per ticket if you buy them online.) www.georgiaaquarium.org.
College Football Hall of Fame
The newest downtown attraction plays right into the hands of college football fans. Interactive exhibits, rare football artifacts and an educational look at the history of all levels of college football are on display at the hall. The Hall of Fame will host a viewing party for those visiting that day with the game playing on the big screen in the Game Day Theater. Leading up to kickoff, the SEC Network, ESPN Radio, SiriusXM Radio and 680 The Fan will all be broadcasting live from the Hall of Fame on Dec. 5 and Dec. 6.
College Football Hall of Fame and Fan Experience, 250 Marietta St. N.W. Hall opens at 10 a.m. Sundays-Fridays and at 9 a.m. Saturdays. Ticket prices: adults, $19.99; kids (3-12), $16.99; seniors (65+), military and students, $17.99; kids under 3 are free. www.cfbhall.com.
During the game:
Alabama Events and Gamewatch
If you notice a lot of crimson and cream downtown this weekend, you aren't seeing things. Alabama football fans will be everywhere, including their official gameday headquarters at the Hudson Grille in Midtown at 942 Peachtree St. Smith's Olde Bar at 1578 Piedmont Ave. is also a gathering place for Tide fans. More at www.bamainatlanta.org.
Missouri Events and Gamewatch
“We are ecstatic and proud that the Tigers have made the SEC championship game two years in a row,” exclaims Joanna Russell Bliss, secretary, Mizzou Atlanta.
Mizzou Atlanta, the Atlanta chapter of the Missouri Alumni Association, will host a happy hour at its watch party home, Buckhead Saloon at 3227 Roswell Road, the night of Dec. 5. Entrance is $10 and includes two drinks and a donation to the Mizzou Atlanta scholarship fund. The national chapter of the Mizzou Alumni Association will host a tailgate from noon to 3 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Details at www.mizzouatlanta.com.
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