Times and Networks Announced for
2025 Aflac Kickoff Games
ACC vs. SEC double-header on Labor Day weekend to feature
Orange vs. Volunteers and Hokies vs. Gamecocks
ATLANTA (May 13, 2025) – Officials today announced the times and networks for the two 2025 Aflac Kickoff Games on Labor Day weekend. Syracuse vs. Tennessee will kick off at noon ET on Saturday, Aug. 30 and be aired on ABC, while Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina will kick off at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 31 and will be nationally telecast on ESPN. Both games will be played from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
This will mark only the second time Aflac Kickoff Games have been scheduled on consecutive days and the first time a game will be played on a Sunday in the event’s 17-year history.
“We’re kicking off the 2025 season here in the Capital of College Football with two terrific ACC vs. SEC matchups,” said Gary Stokan, Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and president. “For nearly two decades the Aflac Kickoff Game has been the leader in neutral-site opening weekend matchups. That will once again be the case this year with games between storied programs from two of the premier college football conferences.”
Syracuse and South Carolina will both make their first-ever appearances in the Aflac Kickoff Game. Tennessee is set to return for the third time after winning its two previous games in 2012 vs. NC State and a double-overtime thriller in 2017 vs. Georgia Tech. Virginia Tech will also make the program’s third appearance in the game after facing Alabama during its previous two trips in 2009 and 2013.
This will mark only the fourth meeting between the Syracuse and Tennessee football programs, while Virginia Tech and South Carolina will face off for the 21st time. The Volunteers hold a 3-0 all-time record vs. the Orange, including a 33-9 Tennessee win in their most recent meeting during the 2001 season. South Carolina holds an 11-7-2 all-time record vs. the Hokies, but this will be their first matchup in 34 years after the Gamecocks prevailed 28-21 in 1991.
The 2025 Aflac Kickoff Games represent the 15th and 16th ACC vs. SEC contests since the event’s creation in 2008, with the SEC holding a 13-1 advantage in head-to-head matchups entering this year’s games.
Both teams will battle for The Old Leather Helmet Trophy, one of college football’s newest rivalry-style icons. Traditionally, winners of The Old Leather Helmet don the helmet on the field after the game, starting with the head coach and then rotating from player to player as the team celebrates its victory.
Fans interested in purchasing tickets to this year’s Aflac Kickoff Games are encouraged to join the official Peach Bowl, Inc. Wait List. Members of the Wait List will be contacted before the general public on any ticket offer on a first come, first served basis if there is ticket availability in late summer. All proceeds from the Wait List will benefit the Peach Bowl LegACy Fund, dedicated to helping find a cure for childhood cancer.
For more information, visit https://aflackickoffgame.com/.
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