College Gameday To Kick Off Football Season At Atlanta's Mercedes Benz Stadium

ATLANTA, GA -- As if we didn't need a bigger indication to know that the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game at Atlanta's shiny new Mercedes Benz Stadium will be huuuge, ESPN analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and the whole College Gameday gang will be live and in the house.

In a social media post on Twitter, College Gameday announced Wednesday that it will cover the Alabama-Florida State contest, which is slated for Saturday, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. ET. (SIGN UP: For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. Or if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

While ESPN will no doubt get in-depth about the myriad storylines around Bama and FSU, the $1.5 billion stadium will share top billing. The luxury seats, jumbo screens and retractable roof (which won't be ready, but still...) promise to play spoiler before, during and after the game.

Nearly two months ago, the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game made history, becoming the first college football matchup to not only play at Atlanta's new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but to sell out.

First College Football Game At Mercedes-Benz Stadium Sells Out

The game promises to be a stellar matchup as FSU and Bama have combined to win five of the last eight college football national championships.

If Alabama opens season play at No. 1, as they're projected, and Florida State rises to No. 2 or even stays at No. 3, where they're forecast, it will be the biggest season opener since the preseason rankings began.

Image via Craig Johnson / Patch