The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Tennessee Volunteers are close to completing an agreement to play in the 2017 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, according to reports.
Georgia Tech athletic director Mike Bobinski told the AJC last night that they have had “positive discussions” with Gary Stokan, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl President.
Last month, Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson hinted at the possible matchup.
“I’ve heard through the grapevine there may be some talks about opening the season here in the Falcons’ new stadium in ’17 with Tennessee,” Johnson said.
According to the AJC, the Georgia Tech-Tennessee game would take place on Monday (Labor Day) and could be one of three matchups that season. Other games would likely be played on Thursday and Saturday.
The game would also be played in the new Atlanta Falcons Stadium, which is slated to open in time for the 2017 season. Ground was broken on the $1.2 billion stadium in May.
Currently, Georgia Tech already has two non-conference games set against SEC teams in 2017 — at Ole Miss on Sept. 9 and home vs. Georgia on Nov. 25.
Tennessee is slated to open the 2017 season at home vs. Southern Miss on Sept. 2. That game would likely be postponed or bought out. The Vols are also scheduled to host Indiana State on Sept. 23 and play at Memphis on a date to be determined.
Tennessee and Georgia Tech have met a total of 43 times dating back to 1902. The Volunteers lead the series 24-17-2.
This season, the Chick-fil-A Kickoff features two games. Boise State and Ole Miss meet on Thursday night, followed by Alabama and West Virginia on Saturday.
Next season’s matchup features Auburn vs. Louisville, while a game for 2016 has yet to be announced. Reports last year had Florida State and Georgia participating.
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What a nothing match up of teams. TN has sucked for a decade and Gtech is good once every 10 years. This is as bad as 2012 TN vs NC State or this year Boise and Ole Miss.
You never know, Tennessee & Ga.Tech can be pretty good in 3yrs. I think the Boise St vs Ole Miss should be an entertaining game.
Tennessee will be very good again by then. They are recruiting at an elite level under Butch Jones. To clarify, Tennessee has sucked for 6 years. The previous two years to that they won 9 games. The program fell apart with the ridiculous hiring of Lane Kiffin and then the horrible timing of him leaving for USC. Derek Dooley was then hurriedly rushed into the job to fill the position. He will go down as the worst coach in 118 years of Tennessee football. The program is now recovering but you won’t see Tennessee getting back to 9+ game winning seasons until 2015 or 2016. Butch Jones is quickly get the Vols back as one of the top 15-20 programs in the country, a position of which they historically keep.
good call schoup. GT finishes top10. i bet youre an auburn fan…..or even worse a georgia fan
don’t worry, Scoup. You’ll probably miss it, opting to attend the global warming memorial celebration.
GT is going to play UG, Tenn and Miss in the same season? I don’t believe it.
Beats watching Alabama’s overrated ass every year. GO NEERS!
Overrated?? Bama seems to be always competing for an SEC or National Championship but to some respects so does Auburn.
FSU needs to get in one of these games vs. Alabama, Georgia, or LSU.
Georgia Tech had a great season this year and UT is getting better quick. “Butch Please” is “getting-er-done”. schoup needs to learn how to count. Phil Fulmer won the SEC East the year before they fired him and won more games then any coach in America while he was head coach. Thanks Cannonvol
Is this a done deal?
Not yet.
tennesse doesn’t have a prayer against ga tech gt will beat the living **** out of them #thwg
Yeah Iowa said the same thing and you see how that turned out…Tennessee will be stacked.