Alabama likely to face West Virginia in 2014 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game

By Kevin Kelley -

Speaking at a Crimson Caravan event, Alabama head coach Nick Saban said the Crimson Tide will face West Virginia to open the 2014 season in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.

Alabama has been scheduled to play in the 2014 season-opener for some time, but has been searching for an opponent. If the game comes to fruition, it would be the first ever meeting between the two schools.

Alabama-West Virginia would also be the second game of the 2014 Chick-fil-A Kickoff, as Boise State and Ole Miss are set to meet on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014.

In order to play in the game, West Virginia will have to bump one of its current non-conference games in 2014. Currently, they are set to host Towson State and travel to East Carolina and Maryland. BlueGoldNews.com reports that the East Carolina game is the one that will be moved.

The 2014 contest will mark the fourth appearance for the Crimson Tide in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. Alabama defeated Clemson 34-10 in 2008 and Virginia Tech 34-24 in 2009. The Tide are set to face Virginia Tech again in Atlanta on Aug. 31, 2013.

The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is an annual college football event played the first week of the season at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. This years event features two games in two days. NC State will face Tennessee on Friday, Aug. 31 (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU) and then Auburn will take on Clemson on Saturday, Sept. 1 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).

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