News List
City of Atlanta and Chick-Fil-A Bowl To Host College Football Playoff Semifinal Game in 2014
Mayor’s Office of Communications
55 Trinity Avenue, Suite 2500 • Atlanta, Georgia 30303
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Sonji Jacobs, Director |
Anne Torres, Deputy Director 404-330-6423, office 404-904-2618, cell amtorres@atlantaga.gov |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 04/24/13
MEDIA STATEMENT
City of Atlanta and Chick-fil-A Bowl To Host College Football Playoff Semifinal Game in 2014
ATLANTA - The city of Atlanta and Chick-fil-A Bowl will host a semifinal game in 2014 as part of the new national College Football Playoff. The announcement was made today by a committee comprised of the commissioners of 11 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick.
The decision places the city of Atlanta in rotation to host a national semifinal game for up to 12 years beginning in the 2014 football season. Atlanta would be one of six cities in that rotation. As one of the new “Host Bowls,” the Chick-fil-A Bowl will host a national Semifinal Game (#1 vs. #4 or #2 vs. #3) four times over the next 12 years. In the other eight years, the Bowl will host top ranked teams from around the country as assigned by a selection committee. All games will be played either on December 31 or January 1.
“The city of Atlanta is honored to be chosen as a host city for the national College Football Playoff,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “After successfully hosting the NCAA Men’s Division Basketball Final Four Championship for the fourth time earlier this month, the city is poised and ready to welcome more world-class sporting events. These events create millions in economic impact for our thriving tourism and convention industry, which generates $10 billion annually and employs 229,000 people. I look forward to hosting the Chick-fil-A semifinal game and welcoming thousands of college football fans to Atlanta in 2014.”
“The Chick-fil-A Bowl is thrilled, humble and proud to have been chosen to be a part of one of the most exciting things to ever happen in college football,” said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. “Our thanks goes out to every member of Team Atlanta who helped us win this bid and to all of our staff, volunteers, partners and sponsors who collectively have elevated the bowl to put us in this position.”
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For more information about the City of Atlanta, please visit http://www.atlantaga.gov or watch City Channel 26. Follow the City of Atlanta on Facebook and Twitter @City_of_Atlanta. Follow Mayor Reed on Facebook and Twitter @Kasim Reed