With a 13-11 record the past two football seasons, the Georgia Bulldogs have fallen from the national stage.
They’ve got a chance to jump back on.
Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game officials confirmed Friday that Georgia will face Boise State in the Georgia Dome on Sept. 3, 2011. The game will have an 8 p.m. start and will be televised by ABC or ESPN.
“This game is one that the University of Georgia has never played in,” Bulldogs athletic director Greg McGarity said. “We felt like this was a game that could put us on national stage and bring a level of excitement that we need for our program.”
When asked what coach Mark Richt said when approached about the matchup, McGarity said, “He wanted to make it work.”
Georgia was scheduled to open next season against Louisville, but ESPN and the Kickoff Game are paying Louisville $600,000 for stepping aside for the Bulldogs to face the Broncos. Kickoff Game president Gary Stokan said Georgia will be paid around $1.7 million and Boise State will get $1.4 million.
“We feel like we’ve found another Daytona 500 of college football,” Stokan said.
Stokan also announced that Boise State and Ole Miss will open the 2014 season in the Dome. The Broncos and Rebels had been scheduled to open next seaon in Oxford, Miss.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.