Not surprisingly, it will pay handsomely for Clemson and Georgia to open up next season’s slate.
In February of this year, both Clemson and Georgia announced that the two football programs will kick off the 2021 season against each other. The game will be played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. on Saturday, Sept. 4.
According to information obtained by the Athens Banner-Herald, "[e]ach school will receive the greater of $4 million or 45 percent of the event’s net revenue” for the non-conference, neutral-site affair. The Banner-Herald added that "[p]art of the event’s revenue is expected to be generated by media rights, ticket sales and sponsorships.”
The fact that each school will receive at least $4 million will help to offset the cost of getting this game on the schedule. To make room for the non-conference matchup, Clemson canceled a previously-scheduled tilt with Wyoming while Georgia did the same with one against San Jose State. Because of the cancellation, Clemson will pay Wyoming $1.1 million and Georgia will cut San Jose State a $1.8 million check.
That said, it’s the cost of putting on such a quality matchup. One that has been and will continue to be must-see TV for the foreseeable future.
Along with the addition of a new home-and-home announced in April of last year, the Tigers and Bulldogs are now scheduled to face each other six times between 2021 and 2033, including the 2024 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. There’s also a previously announced home-and-home series scheduled for 2029 (in Clemson) and 2030 (in Georgia).
The two football programs have met 64 times previously, the first in 1897 and the most recent in 2014. UGA leads the all-time series 42-18-4.
