ATLANTA - Local leaders gathered Friday morning at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to remotely ring the New York Stock Exchange Opening Bell ahead of the inaugural Aflac Kickoff Game and the start of the college football season.
The event marked the first-time that the NYSE Opening Bell has been rung from the state of Georgia, in what has become a tradition to ring in the new season each year for college football. Last year, Georgia representatives opened the season from the NYSE Trading Floor in New York.
Attendees included Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady of Georgia Marty Kemp; Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens; Lynn Martin, president, New York Stock Exchange; Gary Stokan, CEO and president, Peach Bowl, Inc.; Virgil Miller, president, Aflac U.S.; Ángel Cabrera, president, Georgia Institute of Technology; Kim Schatzel, president, University of Louisville; J Batt, athletic director, Georgia Institute of Technology; Josh Heird, athletic director, University of Louisville; Sonny Perdue, chancellor, University System Georgia; Jeff Sprecher, founder, chair and CEO, Intercontinental Exchange | ICE; Tim Zulawski, president, AMB Sports and Entertainment; Aflac Duck; Buzz, Georgia Institute of Technology Mascot; Louie the Cardinal, University of Louisville Mascot; Huddles, Peach Bowl, Inc. Mascot, and a number of representatives from the Georgia NYSE-listed community.
The 2023 Aflac Kickoff Game features the Louisville Cardinals and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 1 on ESPN.