Tag: Gary Stokan

Exclusive: Buckeyes Wire goes 1:1 with Chick-fil-A CEO and President Gary Stokan to discuss hosting Ohio State for the first time and more

Buckeyes Wire sat down with Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl CEO and President, Gary Stokan, to discuss having Ohio State in the game for the first time and much, much more. #GoBucks

The Ohio State football program is playing in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl for the first time in its illustrious history. As such, many Buckeye fans may not know a whole lot about the bowl and all that comes with playing in Atlanta. Because of that, we are here to give you more information on the culture, festivities, and pageantry of the bowl and city as many in scarlet and gray descend upon one of the jewels of the American South.

And what better way to do it than to talk to Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl CEO and President, Gary Stokan? As one of the most influential figures in college football, Stokan was kind enough to spend some time talking with us here at Buckeyes Wire. We touched on a wide range of topics including having Ohio State in the game for the first time, its fans, the state of college football, and much more.

Here is a condensed version of the Q&A session with Stokan so that you can be a little smarter when it comes to important facts surrounding the game on Saturday. Feel free to drop some of this info on whatever audience you are around for the College Football Playoff semifinal on Saturday night.

‘UGA Football Live with JC Shelton’: SEC Championship feat. UGA OT John Theus

John Theus & Gary Stokan join the show ahead of the SEC Championship…

Host J.C. Shelton is joined by former Georgia offensive tackle John Theus and Peach Bowl president Gary Stokan ahead of UGA’s SEC Championship matchup with LSU. 

Your friends at UGA Football Live and UGA Wire present your one-stop-shop podcast for all things Georgia football: “UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton.”

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Stats, analysis and interviews with some Georgia greats. We are here every week throughout the 2022 season with everything you need to be prepared for the Bulldogs’ matchups.

On the Championship Week episode, former Georgia tackle and NFL pro, John Theus, helps J.C. break down the SEC Championship, including key stats, players to watch, analysis and predictions.

Also on the show, Peach Bowl president Gary Stokan drops by to talk the semifinal game in Atlanta and the College Football Playoff expansion.

Listen here, on Spotify:

Listen here, on Apple Podcasts:

Also on the show:

  • Georgia Tech review: Stats, analysis and takeaways from Georgia’s win in ‘Clean Old Fashioned Hate.’

Make sure to subscribe, rate and review! And check out one of our latest interviews with Georgia tight end Ryland Goede:

 

Gary Stokan, CEO and president of Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, discusses Tennessee-Georgia

Gary Stokan, CEO and president of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, discusses the Tennessee-Georgia game and the College Football Playoff.

No. 3 Tennessee (8-0, 4-0 SEC) will play at No. 1 Georgia (8-0, 5-0 SEC) Saturday in Week 10.

Rankings reflect the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.

The Vols are No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings, while Georgia is No. 3.

Kickoff between the Vols and Bulldogs is slated for 3:30 p.m. EDT. CBS will televise the SEC East matchup from Sanford Stadium.

Ahead of Saturday’s SEC East matchup with College Football Playoff implications, Gary P. Stokan, CEO and president of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, discussed the game with Vols Wire.

“Credit to both Kirby (Smart) and Josh (Heupel), what they’ve done with both their programs, elevating them to the status of Georgia last year, winning the national championship for the first time since 1980, and obviously Tennessee putting itself in a position at No. 1 now since 1998,” Stokan told Vols Wire. “Both teams control their own destiny, so as always, it’s played out on the field.”

The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl will be played Dec. 31 and is a semifinal in the College Football Playoff.

“It’s really going to be a great opportunity to have the semifinal this year,” Stokan continued. “I think this, out of the nine years so far of the CFP, this will be the most challenging, potentially the most challenging decisions the CFP selection committee will have with all the teams that are either undefeated or only have one loss this late in the season.

“You can make a case for just about every team in the top 10 or top 12, to really still get into a CFP semifinal game. It’s a great time of the year, great to be able to see it, happen before our eyes with so many teams playing each other, even UCLA and USC playing each other still, so the playoffs are happening starting this weekend.”

The Tennessee-Georgia game is even bigger within Stokan’s family with his daughters.

“A little story on our side, my daughter went to Tennessee and my other daughter went to Georgia,” he said. “It will be an interesting weekend, so I’ll have a lot of fun watching both of them enjoy both their alma maters play.”

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