Gary Stokan of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic told SportsRadio WNML today that he has “full assurance’’ the Tennessee-Georgia Tech game Sept. 4 and the Alabama-Florida State game Sept. 2 will be played in Atlanta’s new Mercedes Benz Stadium, adjacent to the Georgia Dome.
“I have talked with them (officials) daily over the last week,’’ Stokan said. “We’ll be in good shape. It’s the fourth event (UT-GT) in there.’’
Due to construction delays, the first event that was scheduled, an MLS soccer match July 30, has been moved. Delays were caused by issues over the retractable roof, which is expected to be closed for the first few games.
The delay is the third one thus far. The new $1.53 billion stadium was supposed to open March 1, then was pushed back to June 1, then July 30.
The first event will be an Aug. 26 exhibition game between the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona, followed by an Aug. 31 exhibition between the Falcons and Jacksonville.
Meanwhile, Stokan said Tennessee (25,000 tickets) and Georgia Tech (30,000) have each sold out their allotment.
Stokan also said the Alabama-FSU game is sold out.
“We need more tickets,’’ Stokan said of the 71,000-seat Mercedes-Benz Stadium. “We have two hard sellouts for sure.’’
Actually, neither of those schools has actually sold its allotment, but is responsible for those tickets, per the contract agreement.
An official at the UT ticket office said the UT-Georgia Tech tickets have yet to go on sale; that donors would have first crack May 16-31, then tickets would go on sale to the general public in July. That’s in line with what UT typically does for a bowl game – sell to donors first, then the general public.
Tickets range from $80 to $205.
Stokan said the Georgia Dome won’t be demolished until a certificate for occupancy is used for the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. That could mean that if the new stadium isn’t ready by Sept. 2 or 4, those games could be played in the Georgia Dome.
The Georgia Dome was initially set to be torn down in June but that has been delayed due to construction delays for the new stadium.
Sponsored by Big Kahuna Wings: The wings that changed it all
