Chick-fil-A Bowl Extends Partnership with SEC

Courtesy of the Chick-fil-A Bowl

ATLANTA – The Chick-fil-A Bowl today announced an extension of its partnership with the Southeastern Conference that will ensure its hosting of an SEC team through the 2013 college football season. An SEC team has played in the Chick-fil-A Bowl every year since 1992.

“The SEC is one of the strongest brands in college football and they are a huge asset to the success of our game,” said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. “From highly ranked teams, to passionate fans, to compelling match-ups for TV, the SEC delivers on all fronts.”

Five of the top six SEC teams over the last five years – as ranked by ESPN.com – have all appeared recently in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The SEC’s top teams and the years they appeared in the Chick-fil-A Bowl include: Florida (2004), LSU (2008, 2005), Georgia (2006), Auburn (2007) and Tennessee (2009). Alabama has appeared in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game twice, in 2008 and 2009.

“The Southeastern Conference is pleased to continue its relationship with the Chick-fil-A Bowl,” said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. “The Chick-fil-A Bowl has been a great host to our schools and fans for almost 20 years. The city of Atlanta, the bowl staff and the many volunteers that support the bowl have helped create a tremendous atmosphere for college football. The Bowl gives our institutions an opportunity to play in an outstanding stadium and enjoy a destination that is centrally located in the SEC footprint.”

SEC teams are 9-9 against their rivals from the Atlantic Coast Conference and have outscored the ACC 375-362 in the 18 years the two conferences have been matched in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The Chick-fil-A Bowl continues to be the longest-running ACC vs. SEC match-up in the country.

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 43rd year, the Chick-fil-A Bowl has established itself as one of the nation’s elite bowl games with a string of 13 consecutive sellouts and has earned a reputation as one of the most competitive bowls in the nation. Ten of the last 18 games have been decided by a touchdown or less. The Chick-fil-A Bowl has disbursed more than $97 million in team payouts over its 42-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 $5.8 million to organizations in need since 2002. 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 projected top-20 teams, LSU and North Carolina, to open the 2010 season Sept. 4.