Mercedes-Benz Stadium to host SEC Championship through 2031

The SEC Championship Game will continue to be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta through the year 2031

Falcons fans who are enjoying Saturday’s SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta can rest easy knowing the conference title matchup won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

The SEC announced earlier this week that the game will continue to be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium through at least the year 2031.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium has served as the game site since 2017. The Georgia Bulldogs have played in the SEC Championship game six out of the last seven years. The Bulldogs currently trail the Alabama Crimson Tide, 20-10, late in the third quarter.

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Falcons still refuse to put the Saints on their scoreboard

The Falcons still refuse to put the Saints on their scoreboard. It’s Atlanta versus the Visitors on Sunday:

The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons renewed their rivalry for the first time this season as they met in Atlanta for Week 12.

The Falcons have continued an old tradition as they refuse to put the Saints’ name on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium scoreboard, instead showing “Visitors.” This rivalry has been heated and petty for years, this is just another feather in that cap. The mind games haven’t done great for the Falcons in the past, as the Saints haven’t lost in Atlanta since the 2017 season.

There is some extra spice to this game as the all-time series is tied for the first time in almost 60 years, with the Saints on a 6-1 stretch. The battle is now for bragging rights as well as the NFC South title.

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Falcons’ PA system failed on special intro for Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary

The Falcons’ PA system failed on a special intro for Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary in Sunday’s game with the Saints:

The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons met for their Week 12 matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but the Falcons tripped up before the teams took the field. Their public address system appeared to be malfunctioning.

Atlanta advertised this game as a celebration of Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary with dozens of local musicians being featured. As a part of that, they planned to have T.I. lead out the team to the hit song “Bring Em Out” but to their surprise, the microphone failed. They just had to play the song’s instrumentals by itself.

The mics continued to fail as the game started, with the referee unable to share penalties over the system and a pre-recorded national anthem played before kickoff. It’s not a good look, but that’s the Falcons for you:

NFL reveals venue for potential neutral site AFC Championship Game

Mercedes-Benz Stadium to play host to neutral site AFC Championship

The Atlanta Falcons didn’t make the NFL playoffs. That paved the way for their home stadium to become the site for a potential AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills.

The NFL announced Thursday that Mercedes-Benz Stadium would be the site of the AFC Championship if a neutral site is necessary.

The option is necessary because of the way playoff positioning was determined after the Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game on Jan. 2 was canceled after Bills DB Damar Hamlin collapsed in the first quarter.

Hamlin is recovering nicely after suffering a cardiac arrest.

“We are heartened by the continued improvement and progress of Damar Hamlin in his recovery, and Damar and his family remain top of mind for the entire NFL community,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “We are also grateful to Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons for agreeing to host the AFC Championship Game in Atlanta should the Bills and Chiefs advance. We thank both of those clubs for their assistance in the planning process. We know, if necessary, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will provide a world class atmosphere for the competing teams, our fans and partners.”

The NFL also announced that additional details for a Buffalo-Kansas City title game, including ticket information, will be announced at a later date.

Kansas City is about 800 miles from Atlanta while Buffalo is about 892 miles from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. So, that’s about as neutral a site as one can find.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium goes from Peach Bowl to Falcons field in time-lapse video

How does a field go from CFP to to NFL in mere hours?

The Peach Bowl didn’t end up after midnight.

That didn’t leave much time for the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to transform from a College Football Playoff scene to one for Sunday’s Arizona Cardinals-Atlanta Falcons game.

Through the magic of time-lapse video, here goes:

Oregon identified as major test for Georgia in season opener

Oregon was listed as one of Georgia’s biggest tests as they prepare to face off on September 3 in the 2022 season opener.

The 2022 college football season will begin for the Oregon Ducks against the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs. The game is scheduled for Sept. 3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

While this is no doubt a huge test for Dan Lanning in his first game as a head coach, this game is also a big test for the defending champs as well.

The folks over at Bleacher Report ranked the earliest tests for each of college football’s top contenders for the 2022 season, and Georgia’s first game against the Ducks was among those listed.

While the betting lines are going to remain heavily in Georgia’s favor for this contest, it’s clear this will not be an walk-through victory for the Bulldogs.

Oregon is going to be a hard team for opposing teams to get a read on until it has played a few games this season because it heads into the year with a new coach, new coordinators, new quarterback, mostly new running backs and wide receivers and new starters all over the defensive unit as well.

About the only area that has any experience is up front in the trenches, which should help Oregon move the football against even a defense like Georgia’s.

Georgia will need a win to cement itself as the team to beat in college football this season. Regardless the outcome, each team will learn a lot about itself in this season-opening contest.

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All tickets sold for Clemson vs. Georgia Tech Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game

ATLANTA (July 21, 2022) – The 2022 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game between Clemson and Georgia Tech has officially sold all available tickets for its prime-time matchup on Labor Day night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Clemson vs. Georgia Tech …

ATLANTA (July 21, 2022) – The 2022 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game between Clemson and Georgia Tech has officially sold all available tickets for its prime-time matchup on Labor Day night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The Clemson vs. Georgia Tech Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game will kick off in prime time at 8 p.m. ET, Monday, Sept. 5 and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. The matchup is the first-ever clash between two ACC teams since the creation of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in 2008.

“The historic rivalry between Clemson and Georgia Tech will continue in this year’s Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, featuring two schools from the same conference for the first time in our game’s history,” said Gary Stokan, Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and president. “Both teams and their passionate fan bases will create an electric atmosphere when they compete on the national stage to begin the 2022 ACC season.”

Stadium configuration for the game will be similar to last year’s inaugural “Mayhem at Mercedes-Benz Stadium” game when Georgia Tech defeated No. 20 North Carolina, 45-22. A very limited allotment of tickets has been reserved for fans that still wish to purchase Georgia Tech season tickets or three-game mini-packs. For more information, visit ramblinwreck.com/footballtickets.

“We’re excited to open the 2022 season in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Being the only college football team in the nation that is guaranteed to play a game annually at Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a huge privilege for Georgia Tech football, and doing it in the season opener against a great opponent like Clemson only sharpens our focus as we approach the season,” said Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins. “We’re looking forward to playing in front of a great crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and a huge Monday Night Football television audience on ESPN.”

This will be Clemson’s third appearance in the game, after facing Alabama in the inaugural Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in 2008 and then defeating Auburn 26-19 in 2012. Georgia Tech will play in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game for the second time after previously facing Tennessee in 2017. The Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series vs. Clemson 50-34-2, but the Tigers have won the last seven contests, including a 14-8 victory last season.

As the nation’s longest-running kickoff game, the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game averages 67,064 fans – higher than the attendance of 43 bowl games last year – and has an average payout of $5.96 million which is higher than 30 bowl games during the 2022-21 Bowl Season. The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Games also have a strong television viewership year-after-year, with more than 87.5 million viewers since the inaugural series in 2008.

The teams will battle for The Old Leather Helmet Trophy, one of college football’s newest rivalry-style icons. Traditionally, winners of The Old Leather Helmet don the helmet on the field after the game, starting with the head coach and then rotating from player to player as the team celebrates its victory.

Secondary Market Tickets Through Ticketmaster

Fans interested in locating tickets in the secondary ticket market can visit the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game’s official ticket exchange on Ticketmaster.  It is common for secondary market prices to exceed face value.  Visit https://chick-fil-akickoffgame.com/resale to view tickets for resale on the exchange.

–Press release courtesy of Chick-fil-A Kickoff game

Dear Old Clemson’s first event is July 24. Now there is a new way to support Clemson student-athletes. Come out and meet the freshmen football players at this meet and greet autograph session. If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events. Purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Falcons’ home stadium to host World Cup matches in 2026

The World Cup is coming to Mercedes-Benz Stadium as Atlanta was one of 11 American cities chosen to host games in 2026.

The United States was selected as one of three nations, along with Mexico and Canada, to host FIFA’s 2026 World Cup. This will be the first time the United States has hosted the tournament since 1994.

On Thursday, Atlanta was selected as one of 11 American cities to host World Cup games in 2026. The matches will take place at the Falcons’ home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The other American cities are Seattle, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, and New York/New Jersey. Five other cities — Vancouver, Toronto, Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey — will host games.

Atlanta is no stranger to the world of soccer as Falcons owner Arthur Blank also owns Atlanta United, an MLS team. Since joining the MLS in 2017, Atlanta United has been to two Eastern Conference Finals, one MLS Cup win, one US Open Cup win, and one Campeones Cup win.

The team’s rapid ascension in the MLS has made Atlanta one of the biggest soccer cities in the country, and its inclusion in the 2026 World Cup will only expand that growth.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is set to kick off this November in Qatar as the United States finds itself in Group B placed with England, Iran, and Wales.

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Alabama’s all-time record against the Miami Hurricanes

What is Alabama’s all-time record against the Miami Hurricanes?

We are now just five days away from Alabama and Miami facing off in Atlanta to kick off the 2021 season.

Alabama and Miami are two of the most storied programs in college football history so this is truly a matchup of two of the giants in college football.

The Crimson Tide and the Hurricanes have faced off a total of seventeen times and Alabama owns a decisive 14-3 advantage.

The teams have not played each other since Alabama dominated Miami for the National Championship in the 1993 Sugar Bowl.

The teams first met all the way back in November of 1941, in a game that Alabama won 21-7.

Can Alabama add another victory to a series they currently dominate? We’ll find out this Saturday inside of Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 2:30 p.m. central time!

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

Report: Kanye West living in Falcons stadium until album finished

Kanye West held a listening party for his new “Donda” album at Mercedes-Benz Stadium last week, but apparently the Chicago native has enjoyed himself so much that he’s not quite ready to leave.

Last week, Kanye West held a listening party for his new “Donda” album at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the home of the Atlanta Falcons, and apparently the Chicago native has enjoyed himself so much that he’s not quite ready to leave.

According to a report by TMZ, West is currently living in the stadium and plans to do so until he finishes his album:

“Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Mr. West will miss his weekend performance at Rolling Loud in Miami because he has literally moved into Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.”

West has announced the release date for “Donda” has been pushed back to August 6, but don’t worry, the Falcons’ season-opening matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles isn’t until September 12. 

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