The 2018 season will open with a rare intersectional matchup were a Pacific Northwest team travels across the country to meet an SEC team in its backyard. And now the 2022 season will as well.
With No. 6 Washington and No. 9 Auburn just 11 days away from their meeting in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff in Atlanta, Oregon and Georgia are officially set to do the same four years from now.
“Both coaches wanted to do it, and we got with the athletic directors and were able to put a deal together,” Peach Bowl, Inc., CEO Gary Stokan told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We are ecstatic about having Georgia and Oregon.”
The Ducks and Dogs have met once previously, a 27-16 Georgia win on Sept. 10, 1977 in Athens.
The 2022 game, set for Sept. 3, will be Georgia’s fourth appearance in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff at its home away from home. The Bulldogs lost to Boise State to open the 2011 season, beat North Carolina in 2016 -- Kirby Smart‘s first game as head coach -- and will face Virginia to open 2020.
It will be Oregon’s first Chick-fil-A Kickoff appearance, though the Ducks did open 2011 with a loss to LSU in the Cowboys Classic at AT&T Stadium. Oregon will return to Dallas to open next season against Auburn.
“It’s a great honor for our program to open the 2022 season in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game and to play a great program, like Georgia,” Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal said in a statement. “As we continue to grow this program we want to challenge ourselves against the best competition. I’m also extremely excited for our fans to make the trip to Mercedes-Benz Stadium and put their passion for the Ducks on full display.”
Oregon’s 2022 non-conference slate is now complete; the Ducks will host Eastern Washington and BYU in the weeks immediately following their Georgia opener. Georgia still has one opening for 2022. In addition to Oregon, the Bulldogs host Kent State on Sept. 24 and Georgia Tech on Nov. 26.
Future Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game schedule:
2018: Auburn vs. Washington
2019: Alabama vs. Duke
2020: Florida State vs. West Virginia (Saturday), Georgia vs. Virginia (Monday)
2021: Alabama vs. Miami, Louisville vs. Ole Miss
2022: Georgia vs. Oregon