Evolution of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
1968
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The Peach Bowl is created by the Lion’s Club of Atlanta |
1986
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Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce takes over Bowl management |
1991
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ESPN becomes exclusive TV partner |
1992
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The Bowl reaches agreements with the ACC and SEC to form permanent bowl matchup |
1992
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The Peach Bowl moves to its new home at the Georgia Dome |
1996
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Chick-fil-A becomes the Bowl’s first and only title partner |
2008
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The Chick-fil-A Bowl hosts its first Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game |
2009
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The Bowl partners with the NFF to bring the College Football Hall of Fame to Atlanta |
2010
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Peach Bowl Inc. dissolves partnership with Metro Atlanta Chamber and re-emerges as standalone sports event management company |
2012
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The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game opens the college football season with the first-ever double hosting of BCS-style games on back-to-back days in the same venue |
2013
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The Chick-fil-A Bowl is selected as one of six bowl games to host the new College Football Playoff |
2014
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The Chick-fil-A Bowl adds “Peach” back to its name, becoming the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl once again. |
2025
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The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl becomes part of the 12-team College Football Playoff expansion. |
The Beginning (1968-1986)
After three attempts, a six-man committee appointed by the Lion’s Club of Atlanta received. NCAA certification in 1968 to operate a postseason bowl game, dubbed the Peach Bowl. The first three contests took place at Georgia Tech’s Grant Field before shifting to Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in 1971. Outdoor venues provided the Peach Bowl with its first homes and exposure to the Atlanta audience, but could not shield from the frequent cold temperatures and precipitation that frustrated early crowds.
Game-changing Growth (1986-1996)
The Peach Bowl began to emerge in the years after the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce took over in 1986, thanks to an increase in resources devoted to expanding promotion of the game.
Partnership with Chick-fil-A (1996-2013)
The Peach Bowl entered a new age when it signed Chick-fil-A as its first-ever title sponsor in 1996, and nearly a decade later, the game became the Chick-fil-A Bowl. During this period, the Bowl eclipsed the $100 million mark in team payout, achieved 17 straight sellouts, distributed 17.3 million in charity and scholarship, and held the number-one and number-two most-viewed non-BCS games in ESPN history.
New Year's Six (2013-2024)
The Chick-fil-A Bowl made history by being selected to join the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Rose and Sugar Bowls as the hosts for a new playoff structure that began following the 2014 college football season. As part of its new role in the College Football Playoff, the Chick-fil-A Bowl added “Peach” back to its name, becoming the “Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl” once again. Over the next 11 years, the Bowl hosted a national semifinal game (#1 vs. #4 or #2 vs. #3) three times. In the other eight years, the Bowl hosted top-ranked teams from around the country.
12-Team College Football Playoff (2025-present)
The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl entered a new era in 2025 with the expansion of the College Football Playoff to 12 teams, marking one of the most significant changes in the history of the sport. As part of the updated postseason structure, the Bowl now plays a pivotal role in the national championship pathway, rotating between hosting Quarterfinal and Semifinal matchups featuring the nation’s top teams.
