Options for Chick-fil-A Kickoff games

[aubiefifty 18,231]

Gary Stokan’s options for Chick-fil-A Kickoff games include Auburn

By Mark Heim | mheim@al.com

3-4 minutes

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Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, quarterback Bo Nix and the Tigers are scheduled to play North Carolina, a game Gary Stoken - the man in charge of running the Chick-fil-A kickoff series - still believes can be played in one scenario. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)Getty Images

College football fans aren’t the only ones waiting to see what commissioners for the SEC, ACC and Big 12 decide for their upcoming football schedules.

Gary Stoken, the man who oversees the Chick-fil-A kickoff series, certainly has a vested interest on what the upcoming season looks like.

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, the schedule was set for three kickoff games in Atlanta:

• West Virginia vs. Florida State, Saturday, Sept. 5
• Virginia vs. Georgia, Monday, Sept. 7
• North Carolina vs. Auburn, Saturday, Sept. 12.

Those games are very much in doubt with a conference-only schedule very much being talking about after the Big Ten and Pac-12 went that route last week.

Stoken, who joined Lee Shirvanian and me on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 in Mobile, said Thursday he has been in constant contact with the league commissioners and the ADs from each school.

He stressed if - and it is still an if - there is a change to the schedule, Stoken said one of the options would be a conference schedule + one other game. The idea isn’t that far-fetched as leagues try to protect non-conference rivalry games.

In that scenario, Stoken would lose Georgia, who schedules Georgia Tech every season, and Florida State, who gets rival Florida to end the season.

“We think if they move forward in that direction, then we have a chance to put on at least two of the three games.

“In that case, we would take Virginia and West Virginia together on Monday night to play in the kickoff game,” Stoken said. Then, he said, Auburn and North Carolina would follow on Sept. 12.

He admits there are plenty of scenarios and back-up plans being discussed.

Stoken has been busy implementing plans as if the games are on. Discussions about Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta are ongoing.

Types of bags and the presence of cheerleaders and bands are all on the table.

Plans have been formulated to model the stadium for 25, 30 and 50 percent capacity. “Indications are NFL teams are going with the 25 percent model,” he said.

If that is the case, the stadium would allow 17,500 fans to each game.

“Ticket allotment would change,” Stoken said. “Individual schools would handle (ticket re-imbursement and priority) with their fan bases.”

Here are the future matchups for the Kickoff:

• 2021: Alabama vs. Miami and Louisville and Ole Miss
• 2020: Georgia vs. Oregon and Clemson vs. Georgia Tech
• 2024: Georgia vs. Clemson.

Stoken added he is working on 2023 and 2025 matchups and hopes at least two games will be scheduled each year.

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.

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[auburn4ever 1,266]

After this virus is no more, I'd love to see Auburn play Miami in either the Chick-fil-A game or play in the Jerry Dome.

[LKEEL75 2,567]

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Chick Fil A kickoff games moving forward with altered seating

ByBRAD CRAWFORD 4 hours ago

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Chick-fil-A Kickoff game organizers are doing everything in their power to play its tripleheader of big-time matchups this season, but they won't happen without spectators, according to Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl president and CEO Gary Stokan. Social distancing will take place inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in an effort to keep fans safe from the potential spread of coronavirus.

"Gary Stokan just told us they have 25 percent, 30 percent and 50 percent capacity scenarios in play," Sandra Golden of Atlanta's 680 The Fan tweeted.

Chick-fil-A's Kickoff games schedule this season includes Florida State vs. West Virginia on Sept. 5, Georgia vs. Virginia on Sept. 7 and North Carolina vs. Auburn the following weekend on Sept. 12. Mercedes-Benz Stadium's capacity is expandable to 75,000.

Stokan, who has been in constant contact with the six participating schools, told The Tallahassee Democrat this week all three games are still on.

"We're planning on playing all three Chick Fil-A Kickoff Games Sept. 5, 7 and 12," Stokan told the Democrat on Monday. "We've heard from the commissioners in the Big 12, the SEC and the ACC that they'll make some statements at the end of July. Not sure whether that'll be if they're going to play a kind of schedule or if they're going to start in September so we just have to wait and see.

"In the meantime, we're talking to all six schools in the three games, talking to the (conference commissioners' offices), talking to Mercedes-Benz Stadium and just planning how three games are going to happen. That's the plan right now.”

The Pac-12 and Big Ten announced last week a decision to move to a conference-only season. The ACC, Big 12 and SEC — three leagues involved in these Kickoff games — are reportedly working together to still maintain the non-conference portions of their respective schedules.

Stokan said there are "contingency plans" in place if the schedule goes awry, but did not go into detail on how refunds would be distributed.