Good morning. This is LEADOFF, the early buzz in Atlanta sports.
The countdown to the College Football Playoff national championship game in Atlanta reaches a milestone today: 200 days to go.
On Jan. 8, the college football championship will be decided at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, marking the first time the sport’s champion will be crowned in Atlanta.
Two hundred days may seem like a lot of time. For event organizers, it’s not.
The Atlanta Football Host Committee continues to make preparations, arranging a series of activities leading up to the game.
Plans are in the works to celebrate the start of the season with an “Atlanta’s All-In” luncheon at the College Football Hall of Fame on Sept. 1, a Friday. The event will feature a discussion about the championship game with College Football Playoff executives Bill Hancock and Michael Kelly, a preview of Mercedes-Benz Stadium from Falcons president Rich McKay and a discussion about the upcoming season with members of ESPN’s College GameDay and ABC’s Saturday Night Football broadcast teams.
Tickets for the luncheon will go on sale to the general public in early July.
The local host committee also is about to announce a partnership with the Atlanta Track Club for a 5K road race to be held in downtown Atlanta on Jan. 7, the eve of the game. The Extra Yard 5K race, also held in conjunction with the past three national championship games, will benefit the College Football Playoff Foundation's "Extra Yard for Teachers" program, which raises funds to support teachers. The race's top overall male and female finishers will win two tickets each to the championship game. Registration information will be available soon at atlchampgame.com.
A three-year, $2 million Atlanta Public Schools Literacy Initiative – funded by the Atlanta Football Host Committee, Chick-fil-A Foundation, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and CFP Foundation – launched this week with the goal of better equipping educators to teach literacy skills.
While the college football season will end with the championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 200 days, two Chick-fil-A Kickoff games will be played there at the start of the season: Alabama vs. Florida State on Sept. 2 and Georgia Tech vs. Tennessee on Sept. 4. The Alabama-FSU showdown figures to be a meeting of preseason top-five teams.
RELATED: Previously unveiled plans for college football title gamein Atlanta
ALSO: CFP officials’ visit to Atlanta earlier this month
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