Chick-fil-A Bowl president Gary Stokan nearly landed Georgia Tech for the upcoming kickoff game. He hopes he can make it work for the Yellow Jackets in 2013.
"We want to get Tech into the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game, particularly when we open the hall, which is ‘13," Stokan said Monday, referring to the College Football Hall of Fame scheduled to open in Atlanta that year.
Although nothing was imminent, Stokan was confident the Jackets will play in the game in 2013 or beyond. Alabama is already committed to play in 2013 in the Georgia Dome. If Tech agrees to play, it would be in a second game against a different opponent, Stokan said.
"I think [Tech coach] Paul [Johnson] agrees, and [Tech athletic director] Dan [Radakovich] and myself, that we want to find a way to get Georgia Tech in, and they definitely want to play in the game," he said.
Stokan has sought a place for both Tech and Georgia in the game, which was first played in 2008. The matchup of Boise State and Georgia for the kickoff game this September came after a Tech-Southern California game fell through. Stokan said USC coach Lane Kiffin was interested, as were Johnson and Radakovich. However, talks ended after USC athletic director Mike Garrett was fired and replaced by Pat Haden, leaving Stokan to scramble to put together the Georgia-Boise State game.
