Georgia, Clemson to kick off 2021 season in Charlotte
ATHENS, GA - AUGUST 30: Todd Gurley #3 of the Georgia Bulldogs returns a second quarter kickoff for a 100-yard touchdown against the Clemson Tigers at Sanford Stadium on August 30, 2014 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Georgia Bulldogs and Clemson Tigers will face one another in a neutral site season opener in Charlotte, N.C., school officials announced.
The contest will take place at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021.
“This is another great opportunity to schedule a national non-conference game with a top level opponent,” said UGA head coach Kirby Smart. “Playing a regular season game in Charlotte will give our fans the opportunity for a completely new experience in a great city and top level stadium. I know our coaches and players will be excited for the challenge to kick off the season in this kind of environment.”
The addition of the neutral-site game represents the sixth scheduled meeting between Clemson and Georgia over the next 14 seasons. In addition to the game in Charlotte, the two programs will face one another in the 2024 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta.
The historic geographic rivals also recently announced two home-and-home series that will feature games in Clemson in 2029 and 2033 and games in Athens in 2030 and 2032.
“The eyes of the nation will be on Charlotte as we start the 2021 season,” said UGA J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Greg McGarity. “It is yet another opportunity to strengthen our schedule and provide an opportunity for our supporters to enjoy another huge matchup. We will now have at least two Power 5 opponents on our schedule through 2033.”
Aerial view of Ericcson Stadium and Charlotte, NC (Photo by: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The Georgia – Clemson series dates back to 1897. The teams most recently split a home-and-home series in 2013-14, with each school defending its home turf in a pair of Top 20 matchups. The program met 24 times in a span of 26 years from 1962-87, playing one another every year with the exception of the 1966 and 1972 seasons. In back-to-back years in 1980-81, the winner of the Georgia-Clemson contest went on to win the national championship. Georgia earned a 20-16 victory against Clemson and a national title in 1980, followed by Clemson defeating Georgia, 13-3, en route to a national title in 1981.
Georgia’s previously announced home-and-home series with Power 5 non-conference opponents include two with Clemson as mentioned (2029 at Clemson and 2030 in Athens, and 2032 in Athens and 2033 at Clemson); Texas (2028 at Austin and 2029 in Athens); UCLA (2025 in Pasadena and 2026 in Athens); Florida State (2027 in Tallahassee and 2028 in Athens); Oklahoma (2023 in Norman and 2031 in Athens); and Ohio State (2030 in Athens and 2031 in Columbus). The Bulldogs also have three neutral site Power 5 games in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium: 2020 vs. Virginia; 2022 vs. Oregon; and 2024 vs. Clemson.
The game against Clemson replaces a previously scheduled contest against San Jose State in 2021.
This story was reported on from Atlanta.