According to the Orlando Sentinel, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Miami Hurricanes may meet in the 2012 Chick-fil-A College Kickoff at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Discussions for the game are preliminary, but both schools are reportedly interested in the matchup.
When asked about the possibility of playing in the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff, head coach Nick Saban said Alabama has been presented “with five teams that we could play there or five teams we could play at Jerry Jones Stadium in Dallas. We’re viewing all the options.”
A 2012 matchup between the NC State Wolfpack and the Tennessee Volunteers has already been scheduled for the 2012 Chick-fil-A College Kickoff. Reports indicate that the Alabama-Miami game would be a second game that same weekend. Don Kausler, Jr. of The Birmingham News writes:
Tennessee and North Carolina State already are scheduled to play in one kickoff game at the Georgia Dome in the opening weekend of the 2012 season. The proposed Miami game against Alabama or another Southeastern Conference team would be a second kickoff game that weekend.
“We could do Thursday-Saturday, Thursday-Monday or Saturday-Monday,” Stokan said. “That’s Labor Day weekend. Probably Thursday-Saturday would be best.”
In the same article, Gary Stokan, president of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, stated that Miami could be matched up against Auburn, Georgia or South Carolina if Alabama declines.
Alabama and Miami last met in the 1993 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The Crimson Tide won that game 34-13. Alabama leads the overall series 14-3.
The Crimson Tide are also in discussions to play a game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas in 2012. Various reports have Alabama facing Texas Tech, but a contract for that game has not been announced.
The Hurricanes were in the news last week when reports surfaced of a possible three-game series with Notre Dame. A 2012 game would be played at Soldier Field, followed by a home-and-home series in 2014 and 2016.
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