Since 2008, Peach Bowl, Inc. has sponsored and operated its own ‘Kickoff’ to each college football season with the aptly named Kickoff Game, first sponsored by Chick-fil-A, and currently with Aflac.
For nearly 30 years, Gary Stokan has directed the Peach Bowl to become an economic force in Atlanta, not only for its post-season seat at the table in the College Football Playoff, but for also creating big-name matchups to open each succeeding college football season.
We spoke with Gary Friday afternoon for an upcoming edition of our The Juice on the Cuse podcast. The topics included why the time was right to invite Syracuse as the ACC representative to play in the game, and the logical pairing of ACC-SEC teams in Atlanta on an ongoing basis.
A great business relationship with John Wildhack landed Syracuse in Atlanta
Excluding the COVID season of 2020 (at North Carolina), the Orange have only played one Power 4 team in a season opener since a 2013 game against Penn State at MetLife Stadium. That was the 31-7 blitz of Louisville in the Dome in 2022. That’s just two games in 12 seasons against non-Group of Five Conference or FCS teams over that span…