For the first time in 15 years, the Kickoff game that ushers in the college football season is switching sponsors.
Hosted at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the event has always been associated with Georgia’s most famous chicken sandwich brand. However, a new feathered mascot is taking the handoff.
Fortune 500 insurance giant Aflac has agreed to become the new title sponsor to the Kickoff game, signing a 3-year deal to lend its name to the annual September event, the company told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an exclusive interview.
Based in Columbus, Aflac will pick up the mantle from Chick-fil-A, the Kickoff’s sponsor since its inception in 2008. Chick-fil-A will continue to partner with the annual Peach Bowl, which also takes place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Credit: Aflac
Credit: Aflac
Garth Knutson, Aflac’s chief marketing officer, said the sponsorship is a perfect fit, since it shares the same philanthropic partner as the Kickoff game — Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
“We felt like it was great to kick off the season with a bang,” Knutson said. “This is not just one of the first football games of the season, but we’re jumping in with ‘Kickoff for a Cause,’ so it just made perfect sense.”
Gary Stokan, the CEO of Peach Bowl Inc. and operator of the Kickoff game, said the roster fell into place last year at the New York Stock Exchange, where he was among several executives invited to ring the market opening bell before the 2022 Kickoff event. Virgil Miller, who became Aflac’s president at the beginning of this year, was among the attendees, so Stokan planted the idea.
“I told Virgil that Chick-fil-A let me know that... they’re going to step away from the Kickoff game for 2023 as the title sponsor,” Stokan said. “Virgil took the handoff and ran with the ball internally to make it happen.”
Both Aflac and Chick-fil-A have been heavily involved with college football. Aflac has sponsored mid-game trivia questions for decades and partners with well-known coaches Nick Saban and Deion Sanders for ad campaigns. Chick-fil-A, which did not respond to a request for comment, lends its name to the College Football Hall of Fame and the Peach Bowl.
The Kickoff event, which typically consists of one or two nationally televised games, has a robust partnership with Children’s Healthcare. In 2019, Peach Bowl Inc. donated $20 million to the Aflac Center and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare, a pediatric effort supported by more than $168 million from Aflac over the years.
“Children’s is thrilled Aflac Inc. will become the new title sponsor of the Kickoff Games this fall and is grateful for the opportunity for Aflac to continue to raise awareness for the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center on a national level,” Children’s Healthcare said in a written statement.
Aflac did not disclose its fundraising goals for the 2023 game between Georgia Tech and Louisville. Georgia Tech, the home team for the game, will receive a $3.5 million payout for participating, Stokan said, adding that Louisville gets no compensation as the visiting team in an ACC matchup. Stokan said Peach Bowl Inc. expects to raise at least $5 million for Children’s Healthcare, which it will match with its own donation.
“We’re just blessed to be able to have another Georgia company step up who is so committed to not only college football like Chick-fil-A but is committed to the charity that we’re most committed to as well, and that’s Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta,” Stokan said.
Mark Vaughan, executive vice president and chief sales officer of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the Kickoff game falls on one of the busiest tourism weekends for the city. He said metro Atlanta’s hotels are usually at their highest occupancy the first weekend of September due primarily to the Kickoff game, Dragon Con and Atlanta Black Pride Weekend happening simultaneously. Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 4.
“We always have a good crowd that weekend,” he said. “People are excited about the college football season.”
Stokan expects to sell out the 45,000 seats they’ll have within Mercedes-Benz for this year’s game, which will take place on Friday, Sept. 1, at 7:30 p.m.
Knutson said Aflac is still finalizing its fan events, but he said the company’s iconic duck will make plenty of appearances, adding that plush ducks sporting leather helmets and vintage pigskin attire will be handed out to attendees.
“It’s exciting as a Georgia company to be able to take part in Atlanta really becoming the epicenter of college football in America.” Knutson said. “We believe that Atlanta is the home of college football and we’re excited to be part of it.”
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