Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game a Sellout
No public ticket sale will be necessary.
Alabama and Virginia Tech fans grab all available tickets
for season-opening contest in Atlanta
ATLANTA (July 7, 2009) – With nearly nine weeks left before the start of college football, the excitement is already at a fever pitch in Tuscaloosa, Ala. and Blacksburg, Va. Fans of both Alabama and Virginia Tech have purchased all available tickets for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, Chick-fil-A Bowl officials announced today.
Each school was allotted and completely sold through 31,200 tickets so there will be no public ticket sale for the season-opening game.
The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, a Chick-fil-A Bowl event, will match these projected preseason top-10-ranked powers Sept. 5 at 8 p.m. (EDT) in the Georgia Dome. ESPN has chosen to make the 2009 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game its prime time national broadcast on ABC.
“This is a true testament to the passionate fans at both of these schools that the game would sell out so far in advance,” said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. “The weekend will be a celebration of the sport and all the pageantry that accompanies it, and we’re excited to continually grow the opening weekend of college football.”
Once again, fan activities will play a large role in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game opening weekend. Plans call for two days of fan activities beginning Friday night with a fan night at the Georgia Aquarium. More fan-related activities will be announced throughout the summer.
“There is no doubt that our fans are excited about this game and the opportunity to get the 2009 season started with such a high profile event,” said Alabama Director of Athletics Mal Moore. “Alabama fans eagerly await the start of each new season and I think the chance to open in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game for the second year in a row is a definite plus for our team and all those that follow the Crimson Tide.”
“The Hokie Nation has responded in typical fashion as it supports our football program in this exciting 2009 season opener,” said Virginia Tech Director of Athletics Jim Weaver.
This marks the second consecutive season that this game, dubbed the “Daytona 500 of College Football” in reference to NASCAR’s crown jewel being the first event of the season, has sold out. Last year’s inaugural season-opening Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game featured No. 9 Clemson against No. 24 Alabama in a sold-out game that was also nationally broadcast by ABC and delivered a television rating of 3.6, equaling more than four million viewing households. Alabama defeated Clemson 34-10, using the game to help propel them to a No. 1 national ranking and an eventual BCS bowl berth.
The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game was created by the Chick-fil-A Bowl and ESPN, as a BCS-type game to kick off the season matching two elite football programs on the first Saturday of every season.
For more information on the day’s schedule including maps and directions, visit Chick-fil-ABowl.com.
About the Chick-fil-A Bowl:
The Chick-fil-A Bowl is the ninth-oldest bowl game in the country and hosts the longest-running rivalry series between the ACC and SEC. Now in its 42nd year, the Chick-fil-A Bowl has established itself as one of the nation’s elite bowl games with a string of 12 consecutive sellouts and has earned a reputation as one of the most competitive bowls in the nation. Ten of the last 17 games have been decided by a touchdown or less. The Chick-fil-A Bowl has disbursed more than $90 million in team payouts over its 41-year history and has increased team payout every year since 1996. The Bowl also leads all other bowl games in charitable and scholarship contributions, giving more than $1.2 million to organizations in need in 2007 alone. Other events under the Chick-fil-A Bowl brand include the Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge head coach and celebrity golf event each April and the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game season-opening game over Labor Day weekend which will host two top-10 teams, Alabama and Virginia Tech, to open the 2009 season Sept. 5.
-- Chick-fil-ABowl.com --
Contacts:
Matt Garvey
Chick-fil-A Bowl
404-586-8496
mgarvey@macoc.com