For the fourth consecutive year, the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game opened the college football season with a BCS-style shootout between two top-25 teams as No. 5 Boise State and No. 19 Georgia launched their 2011 campaigns in front of a sold-out crowd of 73,614 fans at the Georgia Dome on Sept. 3

In addition to elite college football action, the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game hosted several events that contributed to the game’s festival-like atmosphere, including the Kickoff Cook-Off, FanZone presented by Coca-Cola Zero and team tailgate parties. 

Inside the Dome, Boise State’s all-everything quarterback Kellen Moore demonstrated the form that has made him one of college football’s top signal-callers in recent years. Moore completed 28 of 34 pass attempts for 261 yards and three touchdowns. The Bulldogs would manage two touchdowns late in the game, but never seriously threatened as Boise State cruised to a 35-21 victory.

Check out photos from the game at: http://www.cfack.com/

In July, the Chick-fil-A Bowl announced that Alabama and Virginia Tech will open the 2013 college football season in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta.

The last matchup between the two perennial BCS contenders took place at the 2009 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, when the No. 5 Crimson Tide downed the No. 7 Hokies 34-24 in a thrilling Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, using the game as a catalyst to start their national championship run.

"Alabama and Virginia Tech are consistently two of the top teams in the country," said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. "This match-up will be the best kickoff to college football, especially with the grand opening of the new College Football Hall of Fame and the enshrinement ceremonies that weekend."

For more information on upcoming on future Chick-fil-A Kickoff Games, follow this link: http://www.cfack.com/NEWS/NewsReleases/0707
112013Games/tabid/113/Default.aspx

In its 15th year as the title sponsor of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Chick-fil-A has been a key part in the Bowl’s growth.  Chick-fil-A has been instrumental in the creation of the Chick-fil-A Bowl Family of Events, turning the Chick-fil-A Bowl from a once-a-year event into three nationally significant events throughout the year.

For the last four years, Atlanta has been the center of the college football universe on opening weekend, as the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game has become a BCS-style event to open the college football season.

Each December, Chick-fil-A and the Bowl staff work together to provide a first-class experience for teams and fans alike with a week of celebrations and activities leading up to the game.

Chick-fil-A’s support continues through the spring with the Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament.  Held at Reynolds Plantation, the event features coaches and celebrity alumni competing against each other for over $400,000 in scholarship money for their institutions.

Inspired by Chick-fil-A’s generosity, the Chick-fil-A Bowl is also driven to give, making charitable contributions to causes like WinShape Homes. Developed by Chick-fil-A Founder and Chairman S. Truett Cathy, WinShape Homes provides long-term foster care for young people in need. Additional donations have been made to university and high school scholarships, the National Football Foundation’s “Play it Smart” program and the Lions Club of Atlanta. In 2010, donations exceeded $1.2 million in total giving – the most of any bowl game including the BCS.

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is the nation’s second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain (based on sales), currently with more than 1500 restaurants in 39 states and Washington D.C. Credited with inventing the boneless breast of chicken sandwich and first introducing the chicken nugget concept, Chick-fil-A serves nutritious and freshly prepared food products in mall locations, stand-alone restaurants, drive-thru-only restaurants, Chick-fil-A Dwarf House and Truett’s Grill full-service restaurants, and through licensed outlets on college campuses, hospitals, airports, business and industrial sites. More information may be found at www.chick-fil-a.com and www.truettcathy.com.

Since 2007, the Chick-fil-A Bowl has relied on Ticketmaster as its official ticket resale service.  With the bowl poised to sell out for the 15th consecutive season, fans have a safe, bowl-sanctioned outlet to buy and sell tickets to the game. Ticketmaster allows buyers and sellers to connect without the worry of counterfeit or fraudulent game tickets. Visit https://oss.ticketmaster.com/html/pack_home.htmI?l=EN&team=chickfilabowl for 2011 Chick-fil-A Bowl ticket information.

Ticketmaster is one of the world's largest e-commerce and ticketing sites online, operating in 18 global markets, and with 19 worldwide call centers. Ticketmaster has been connecting fans to live entertainment since 1976, and is a Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. company (NYSE: LYV).

Georgia Tech head football coach Paul Johnson and former Ramblin’ Wreck basketball star Jon Barry combined to shoot an 11-under par 61 to win the 2011 Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament May 3 at Reynolds Plantation outside Atlanta.

Johnson drained a 17-foot downhill putt for birdie on the 18th hole to put the Yellow Jacket team at-11, three strokes clear of the Tennessee team of Derek Dooley and Stanley Morgan. Ole Miss, Virginia Tech and South Carolina finished in a three-way tie for third place at 7-under par 65.

The Yellow Jacket team took home $120,000 in scholarship donations for Georgia Tech with their winning effort. In total, the Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge contributed $415,000 in scholarship money to the 12 universities that competed. In addition to the $415,000 scholarship purse, an additional $238,000 was donated to other charities including $135,000 to Chick-fil-A’s WinShape Homes and $70,000 to benefit tornado victims in Alabama.

For more information on the Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge, visit:
http://www.chick-fil-abowlchallenge.com/

With its decade-plus partnership with the Chick-fil-A Bowl, AT&T keeps fans connected with the most complete and current bowl information. AT&T is the title sponsor to Leeman Bennett’s Team Selection Blog. The blog gives fans an inside look at the team selection process, allowing ACC and SEC followers to get an idea on which teams are on the Chick-fil-A Bowl’s short list in the month leading up to the team selection announcement.

AT&T is also the presenting sponsor of the Chick-fil-A Bowl Fan Guide, a comprehensive publication sent to ticket buyers that provides fans with all the information they need to know regarding Bowl Week. 

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at www.att.com.

In June, the Chick-fil-A Bowl was honored as a Top 10 small business in Atlanta and one of the best small businesses of the South by Business Leader Media.

Winning companies were evaluated on a combination of factors including sales generated in their local markets, revenue growth, business achievements and civic contributions as a part of Business Leader Media’s Top 300 Small Business of the South Award.

The Chick-fil-A Bowl was recognized for its accomplishments in hosting three major events that combined to create more than $65 million in economic impact and more than $3 million in direct tax revenues for Atlanta over the last year.

“This is a very meaningful designation for us and a reminder that what we do have a positive impact on our community,” said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. “It’s a validation for our mission to be the leader in charitable and scholarship giving and be an example for others to follow.”

Coca-Cola’s 25-year partnership with the Chick-fil-A Bowl has always centered on creating a memorable fan experience. Coca-Cola Zero serves as the presenting sponsor for two of the bowl’s fan-centric events – FanZone and FanFest.

Held at the Georgia World Congress Center, nearly 36,000 football fans attended FanFest prior to last year’s bowl and over 13,600 were in attendance at FanZone at the 2011 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in September. Each year, both events allow fans to get ready for the game through interactive games and appearances by team bands, mascots and cheerleaders. To cap off each event, traditional team walks took place, allowing the fans the chance to see players and coaches make their way into the Georgia Dome.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola®, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company's portfolio includes 12 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke®, Fanta®, Sprite®, Coca-Cola Zero®, vitaminwater®, Powerade®, Minute Maid®, Simply® and Georgia®. For more information about The Coca-Cola Company, please visit www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

The Chick-fil-A Bowl hosted the first ever Chick-fil-A Bowl Sustainability Summit August 30 at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta.

The first gathering of its kind specifically for college athletics, the summit served as a forum for university leaders to share their current sustainability practices, as well as learn about best practices in environmental sustainability.

Universities represented at the Chick-fil-A Bowl Sustainability Summit included Auburn, Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Georgia, Ole Miss, Georgia State, Kennesaw State and Emory. 

The Chick-fil-A Bowl established itself as a Bowl industry leader in environmental responsibility by launching its sustainability efforts in 2010, making it among the first college bowl games to focus on proactive green initiatives.

With the summit, the Chick-fil-A Bowl is now actively pursuing ways to spread the impact of sustainability efforts throughout college athletics.

“The goal of our sustainability program is to set the tone for the industry in terms of how we approach environmental issues. The experts we have partnered with create a winning team focused on reaching that goal,” said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. “Together we plan to build on that foundation and grow our efforts, creating a model for others to follow.”

For more information on the Chick-fil-A Bowl Sustainability Summit, follow this link: 
http://www.chick-fil-abowl.com/PressBox/News/110824Sustainability
Summit/tabid/246/Default.aspx

For all of its air travel needs, the Chick-fil-A Bowl relies on Delta Air Lines.  The bowl’s first corporate sponsor and a partner for 25 years, Delta is the official airline of the Chick-fil-A Bowl.  As the exclusive airline of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Delta makes travel enjoyable for Bowl representatives. Whether it’s scouting ACC and SEC games or conducting meetings across the country, Delta is the efficient solution for all of the Bowl’s air travel needs.

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year, and was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2011 World's Most Admired Companies airline industry list. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 338 destinations in 59 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. Delta is investing more than $2 billion through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground.  Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.

BB&T takes an active role once again in its eighth year as the exclusive financial services provider of the Chick-fil-A Bowl. While BB&T plays an integral role in the Bowl’s operation year-round by handling all of its banking and investment needs, the bank also reprises its game day role as presenting sponsor of the MVP Tailgate. The MVP Tailgate is the Bowl’s ultimate pre-game hospitality party and gives everyone a chance to be a bowl game VIP by participating in a true college tradition – the tailgate party!

BB&T Corporation, headquartered in Winston-Salem, N.C., is among the nation's top financial holding companies with $159 billion in assets. Its bank subsidiaries operate approximately 1,800 financial centers in the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Indiana, Texas, and Washington, D.C.  A Fortune 500 company, BB&T is consistently recognized for outstanding client satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Greenwich Associates and others. More information about BB&T and its full line of products and services is available at http://www.bbt.com.

In 2011, the Chick-fil-A Bowl is redefining how it interacts with its customers.

Long known as the leader in hospitality, the Chick-fil-A Bowl is giving an identity to its approach to customer service. Chick-fil-A Bowl C.A.R.E.

Chick-fil-A Bowl CARE  is defined by the four pillars that make the word CARE:

C         Customer-first. In every situation we will consider the needs of our customer above all else.

A         Attitude. We will maintain a positive attitude, as it is the most important asset we have. A good attitude is contagious. It can make bad situations better and good situations exceptional.

R         Relationships. We will dedicate ourselves to building strong, positive personal and professional             relationships with our customers and with our fellow staff members and volunteers.

E          Excellence. At every level, we should strive for excellence in everything we do. We will provide excellent, best-in-class service to everyone we come in contact with while representing the Bowl.

Going forward, our collective mission will be to learn these principles and to make them a natural and permanent part of who we are at all times and in all ways for each of our events.

Learn more about Chick-fil-A Bowl C.A.R.E.:
http://www.chick-fil-abowl.com/GivingBack/Bowl
Volunteers/ChickfilABowlCare/tabid/250/Default.aspx

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The Chick-fil-A Bowl kicked off the season with its annual Volunteer Party on Oct. 13 on the rooftop of the Metro Atlanta Chamber building.  More than 130 volunteers were in attendance with 36 teams participating in the third annual BCS – Beanbag toss Championship Series.  Guests enjoyed a great dinner provided by Max Lager’s Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery, games, entertainment, prizes and the crowning of the BCS Volunteer Challenge Champions – The Bash Brothers.