Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley watches as his football team practice.KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee’s wait for the start of a much-anticipated 2012 football season just got shorter.
The Volunteers will open coach Derek Dooley’s third season on Friday, Aug. 31, against North Carolina State in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta as the first game of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic.
Auburn and Clemson will meet in the second game of the Classic on Saturday. Game times have not been set. The Friday game will be televised on ESPNU, and Clemson-Auburn will be televised by ESPN or ABC.
“We look forward to being a part of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff weekend in Atlanta,” UT athletic director Dave Hart said in the school’s release. “The exposure afforded our university and football program through our participation in this season-opening event is very significant.”
The Vols have not played a regular-season game on a Friday since 1939, which was a 13-0 win against N.C. State in Raleigh. UT’s last trip to the Georgia Dome ended in a 37-14 loss to Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.