Alabama Vs. West Virginia Have Most Expensive Chick-Fil-A Kick-Off Tickets In Four Years Since 2008, the Chick-Fil-A Kick off classic has put an end to the long summer’s wait that college football fans have to endure each season. Over the first six seasons that the game has been played, Alabama participated three times, with Virginia Tech having the second most appearances, at two. Alabama fans travel as well as any in the nation, which makes the economics of accepting the invitation too good to pass up for the Crimson Tide. The payout to each team depends on the amount of revenue gained in excess of the Kickoff’s $5.5 million budget. In 2008, that amounted to more than $2 million for both Alabama and Clemson. With the game’s increased profile and the the never-ending increase in live-sports revenue, 2014’s payout is surely more than that. Despite the fact that Virginia Tech has lost both games against Alabama, it’s a spotlight and payday that’s too difficult to pass up, even if it means starting the season with a loss. This year, Virginia Tech Rival West Virginia is playing the role of well-compensated foil to Alabama. Based on the average price on the secondary market for Chick Fil-A Kickoff tickets, demand for the 2014 edition is as strong as ever. At an average price of $192 on the secondary market, the Alabama-West Virginia game is the most expensive edition of the kick off classic over the last four years. Over the last decade, the Georgia Dome has become a home away from home on the Alabama football schedule. Between the three kick-off classics and many SEC championships, the three-hour trip from Tuscaloosa and Atlanta is old hat for Tide fans. This year will be no different and Alabama fans will likely dominate the crowd. In addition the Alabama-West Virginia game, 2014 marks the second time that there is a second kick-off classic game. 2012 was the other year with two games and that year Tennessee, NC State, Clemson and Auburn all kicked off the season in Atlanta. This year, the undercard match-up is actually the first game, as Boise State will face off against Ole Miss on September 28th, two days before the Alabama-WVU game. With an average price of $112, it’s the least expensive kick-off classic over the last four years. It’s also the earliest date for a kick-off classic since the game’s inception. Previously, the earliest game had been August 30th, which was the date that the inaugural kick-off classic was played in 2008. The latest kick-off classic date was in 2009, when Alabama played Virginia tech on September 5th. Next year, the first game on the Auburn Football Schedule will be played in Atlanta against Louisville on September 5th. In addition to being a major success for the teams participating, it’s also been a huge branding platform for Chick-Fil-A. For years, it had been delicacy enjoyed mostly below the Mason-Dixon line. Over the last decade, however, Chick-Fil-A has become a national brand with stores as far north as Philadelphia. The game has been so successful on all fronts, in fact, that it’s even spawned an imitator: the Advocare Texas Kickoff. Hosted at Houston’s NRG Stadium, this will be the second season that the game has been played. Last years game between Oklahoma State and Mississippi State only drew 35,000 fans and had an average price on the secondary market of $76. This year’s game will be the first game on the LSU football schedule and prices are up considerably for the match-up against Wisconsin. At an average price of $209 on the secondary market, it’s actually more expensive than the Kick-Off Classic this season. At a drive of just over four hours from Baton Rouge, the game will likely have a similar ratio of LSU fans as Chick-Fil-A does Alabama fans. If you can’t wait quite that long for college football, the season actually begins next weekend with ESPN’s broadcast of Sam Houston State against Eastern Washington. The game won’t likely have any bearing on who makes it to the inaugural college football playoff, but it will be a football appetizer for those starved fans who have been waiting all summer for some Chick-Fil-A.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 13:45:34 +0000
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