Duke football to kick off 2019 season against powerhouse Alabama
Duke will soon take on probably the decade’s most successful college football program.
The Alabama Crimson Tide.
The two schools announced on Monday they would play each other in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game to start the 2019 football season.
Since 2009, Alabama has won four national championships under head coach Nick Saban. And since 2008, Saban’s teams have spent all or part of each season ranked No. 1 in national polls.
“For starters, we’re both honored and thrilled to represent Duke University and the Atlantic Coast Conference in this game,” Duke coach David Cutcliffe said in a press release. “This is a tremendous opportunity for our program, and obviously an incredible challenge facing the University of Alabama.”
The game will be played on Aug. 31, 2019, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Both the kickoff time and broadcast television network will be determined at a later date.
Tickets range from $125 to $300 and are available at GoDuke.com/footballtix. A non-refundable $75 deposit per ticket is required.
The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game averages more than 67,000 fans for each game – higher than 33 bowl games from last year – and its team payout averages $4.7 million.
The teams will battle for The Old Leather Helmet Trophy, one of college football’s iconic rivalry-game trophies.
“The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is an outstanding event and we are excited to open the 2019 season in Atlanta,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said in a statement. “We have had the opportunity to play in this game on multiple occasions and it is like a bowl game in terms of the competitive venue that’s created. David Cutcliffe has done an excellent job at Duke, and they will be a really good challenge for our team. It’s an honor and a privilege to be a part of this first-class event hosted by the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Playing in this game has provided great exposure for our football program and has been something our fans have enjoyed attending.”
It will be the first time the two teams have met since 2010, when the Crimson Tide won 62-13 in Durham.
Alabama (11-0, 7-0 SEC) has been dominant this season and is ranked No. 1 in the country.
Jonathan M. Alexander: 919-829-4822, @jonmalexander
Buying tickets
Tickets to the 2019 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game are available at GoDuke.com/footballtix or by calling the Duke Athletics Ticket Office at 919-681-BLUE. Game ticket prices range from $125 to $300, and a non-refundable deposit of $75 per ticket is required. Tickets will be allocated and remaining balances charged after Jan. 1, 2019. Upgrades and allocation will be based on availability, Iron Dukes priority, date of deposit and special requests. Tickets will be mailed in July 2019.
This story was originally published November 21, 2016 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Duke football to kick off 2019 season against powerhouse Alabama."