The South Carolina Gamecocks and Virginia Tech Hokies will play in the 2025 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl officially announced on Friday.
The game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sunday, August 31 or Monday, September 1, 2025. The game will be broadcast on ESPN or ABC.
“The Chick-fil-A Kickoff game has often become a showcase for the ACC and the SEC to face each other in a high-profile competition to kick off the season,” said Bob Somers, president of Peach Bowl, Inc. ” continue that tradition and renew an old rivalry between two historic programs. ”
Virginia Tech will play its third game Chick-fil-A Kickoff. The Hokies played and were defeated by Alabama Crimson Tide in both competitions, 34-24 in 2009 and 35-10 in 2013. South Carolina will make its first appearance in the game.
“It is an honor to welcome Virginia Tech back to the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game after 12 years, and we look forward to hosting South Carolina for the first time in the game,” Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and President Gary Stokan said. “It must be an intriguing confrontation with Shane Beamer training against his father’s old team. I also hope that Coach Fuente will have his Hokies ready to play against a formidable SEC opponent. “
South Carolina and Virginia Tech clashed 20 times on the football field. Gamecocks won the two most recent meetings, 35-24 in 1990 and 28-21 in 1991, and now lead the overall series 11-7-2.
“We are excited to be playing the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against South Carolina to open the 2025 season,” said Athletics Technical Director Whit Babcock. “We are looking forward to presenting our program in front of a national television audience at one of the country’s leading sports venues, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. I am confident that we will see a large contingent of our fan base cheering on the Hokies at their inaugural game at that facility and visiting the College Football Hall of Fame that weekend. We are very confident about the strength of our programming going forward, as well as its appeal to technology fans across the country. “
To schedule the game against South Carolina, Virginia Tech postponed or canceled the season opener on August 30 at Penn State and postponed the home game against Vanderbilt a week before September 6.
“We are excited to open our 2025 season against Virginia Tech at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game,” said South Carolina Athletics Director Ray Tanner. “This will give our program the opportunity to play in one of the best showcases in college football at the beginning of the season. I know our fans will love this classic contest outside the conference in a first class stadium, while competing for the ‘The Old Leather Helmet’ trophy. “
On Wednesday, the Peach Bowl announced that the 2023 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game will feature the Louisville Cardinals and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Future Chick-fil-A Kickoff games
- 2021 – Alabama vs. Miami, FL (September 4)
- 2021 – Louisville vs. Ole Miss (September 5-6)
- 2022 – Oregon v Georgia (September 3)
- 2022 – Clemson at Georgia Tech (September 5)
- 2023 – Louisville vs. Georgia Tech (September 2)
- 2024 – Clemson vs. Georgia (August 31)
- 2025 – South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech (August 31 or September 1)
Football schedules