Chick-Fil-A Games Apparently Cancelled

In response to the ACC’s announcement detailing its 2020 football scheduling, the trio of Chick-fil-A Kickoff Games in Atlanta are apparently off for this year.

Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game and Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan, in a brief statement, acknowledged that the ACC’s decision was made with safety in mind.

“We certainly understand the ACC is doing what they feel is in the best interest of the conference and the health of their teams, staff and student athletes, and as our partners, we support them in that decision,” Stokan said. “However, we are disappointed we will lose the opportunity to host Florida State, Virginia and North Carolina and their fans in our scheduled Chick-fil-A Kickoff Games this season.

“We still look forward to hosting two top 10 teams in our Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on January 1 in Mercedes Benz Stadium.”

The statement did not include any reference to West Virginia, Georgia or Auburn, the three opposing teams scheduled in the Kickoff Games.

WVU was slated to play the Seminoles in a marquee opener to the season on Sept. 5 in Atlanta. The Mountaineers now have a 10-game schedule, as Maryland previously came off the board when the Big 10 opted for a conference-only slate.

The Big 12 has not yet set a date for its schedule model. Its most recent target date of the end of July to make a decision on this fall’s scheduling was recently pushed back to an undetermined August date. Big 12 presidents are reportedly scheduled to meet on Monday evening, Aug. 3, to discuss and perhaps identify the scheduling model to be used this year.  As many as five different options are potentially in play, with a full schedule of 12 games and a conference-plus-one model of 10 games as likely the leading candidate.