Late last week it was reported that the Atlanta postseason football game would be reconnecting with its past. Monday, that reconnection was completed.
At a press conference earlier this afternoon -- yes, they held a pres conference -- it was announced that, henceforth, the Chick-fil-A Bowl will now be known as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Known as the Peach Bowl from 1968-1996, Chick-fil-A came on as the title sponsor for the 1997 game. In 2006, the word “Peach” was unceremoniously dropped from the bowl game’s name.
The reason for putting the Peach back into the bowl game is quite simple, as the press release explained: “The name change and new logo come as a direct result of the Bowl’s inclusion in the College Football Playoff where the use of a traditional moniker is required for the six top-tier bowls that will host the playoffs.”
The new logo referenced above, incidentally, can be seen in the upper right of this post.
“This is a remarkable day in our history when we can all come together as partners to celebrate these milestones,” said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl president and CEO, in a statement. “This not only represents the beginning of our new era in the College Football Playoff, but a reconnection to our history and tradition by bringing the peach back into our name.Chick-fil-A’s agreement with ESPN and the Bowl allows us to continue a 17-year relationship regarded as one of the most successful in the industry.”
Along with the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Rose and Sugar Bowls, the Peach Bowl -- sorry, Chick-fil-A, it’s simply the Peach Bowl moving forward -- will be a part of the annual rotation of semifinal games as part of the new College Football Playoff, which will debut following the 2014 regular season and (thankfully) replaces the BCS.
The Peach Bowl will host its first semifinal following the 2016 regular season. The postseason game will also bid for the rights to host the 2017 CFP championship game.