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SEC agrees to 10yr deal to keep SECCG in Atlanta

RunInRed

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RunInRed Founding Father

RunInRed 16,380

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Extended through 2026 ...

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ATLANTA -- The Southeastern Conference, along with AMB Sports & Entertainment (AMBSE) and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA), today at the College Football Hall of Fame announced an agreement to host the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta through 2026. The new agreement allows the SEC the option of adding up to two successive five-year extensions.

The Georgia Dome has hosted the SEC Championship Game for 21 years beginning in 1994, with capacity crowds in the last 19 consecutive years. By the end of the new agreement, including options, the Championship will have been played in Atlanta a total of 43 years. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is set to open in 2017, with 2016 set to be the final SEC Championship Game held in the Georgia Dome.

"Atlanta has served as an outstanding host for the SEC Football Championship Game for more than two decades and has been the perfect venue for one of the premier events in college sports," said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. "We look forward to continuing a very positive relationship with Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Georgia World Congress Center as the home of our football championship."

The SEC Football Championship joins a growing list of events that will be hosted in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The NCAA Men's Final Four will play in the stadium in 2020, and the stadium will host the annual Celebration Bowl, a championship game for the Mid-Eastern and Southwestern conferences of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities beginning in 2017. Atlanta is currently bidding on the 2018 National College Football Playoff Championship Game, which will be awarded later this year, and is a finalist for the 2019 or 2020 NFL Super Bowl. Selections for the Super Bowl games will be announced in May 2016.

"We are tremendously excited to continue the SEC legacy in Atlanta in the years to come," said Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United Owner Arthur Blank. "The SEC Football Championship Game is a premier sporting event and is representative of the marquee events we will host at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. We look forward to working with the SEC toward their goal of producing national championship winners."

As reported by the GWCCA, the economic impact of the SEC Football Championship Game to the State of Georgia since 1999 is estimated at more than one billion dollars.

"The announcement made today is a reaffirmation of the strong relationship the Georgia World Congress Center Authority team has with the Southeastern Conference," said GWCCA Executive Director Frank Poe. "The Authority, through the Georgia Dome, has been a proud partner in the growth and development of the nation's premier collegiate football championship. We look forward to continuing that relationship as the SEC plays its final championship game in the Georgia Dome and moves into Mercedes Benz Stadium."

The press conference announcing the new 10-year agreement between Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the SEC was also attended by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.

Currently under construction in downtown Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be a world-class, multi-purpose venue representing the latest in design, features and amenities. The stadium is on track to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification at the highest level from the U.S. Green Building Council and will contribute to a thriving downtown tourist and entertainment district.

"The City of Atlanta is proud to be the home of the SEC Championship for the next ten years," said Mayor Reed. "Atlanta is the premier city for these prestigious events because we have a verifiable track record of success. With this announcement, Atlanta will remain where fans from across the Southeast come to experience our world-class hospitality."

About Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The new home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, Mercedes-Benz stadium will open in 2017. The multi-purpose venue will feature flexible capacity expandable for football events such as the SEC Championship to up to 75,000 seats; a retractable roof structure inspired by the oculus in the ancient Rome Pantheon; views of the Atlanta skyline; a 360-degree HD video halo board that, at nearly six stories tall and 1,100 linear feet in diameter, will be the largest in the NFL and the world; an exterior fan plaza providing fans with pre- and post-game entertainment; and a technology lounge offering a unique game-day experience full of media content and full game-day immersion.

http://www.secsports...rticle/13607404

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WarTim Founding Father

WarTim 3,456

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So, Does that mean Legion Field is no longer in the running ????? :dunno:

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McLoofus Founding Father

McLoofus 35,182

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This was a no brainer, stadium is going to awesome, what else in SEC country can compete?

Nobody else has the infrastructure, the proximity to most reaches of the conference, an airport that flies direct to everywhere, etc. They were talking on local sports radio this morning about how some other towns like New Orleans and Nashville pitched the SEC and were given due consideration, but that there was never any serious notion of moving it elsewhere. Tony Barnhard- yes, intentional- was saying that even the continuity of the name recognition was meaningful, that the SEC likes coaches and players saying every year that their goal is to "get to Atlanta".

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CJBas Mentor

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Atlanta is the obvious place for it. Always has been. When iit first started the game was played in bammerham for a few years. That was obviously to make it bammer's home game. bammerham is NO the place to play outside in early DEc.

For that matter, the SEC home office should be moved to Atlanta. Get it out of bammerham permanently.

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wakeriderof87 Proficient

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Good news, Atlanta I'd a great home for the championship. Nashville seems like the only other logical choice.

Where would they play in Nashville? Titans stadium?

Yep, the downside would be weather concerns, but it is still pretty centrally located. I think Jacksonville, Tampa and New Orleans are all too far for too many fan bases.

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eibua12 Founding Father

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Good news, Atlanta I'd a great home for the championship. Nashville seems like the only other logical choice.

Where would they play in Nashville? Titans stadium?

Yep, the downside would be weather concerns, but it is still pretty centrally located. I think Jacksonville, Tampa and New Orleans are all too far for too many fan bases.

The new dome has a seating capacity of 65k that is a disappointment. Nashville is central, outside in early December (54/35 are the temps) ouch, seating is 69k. The facilities and city infrastructure pale in comparison to the Dome, GWCC,

I will be honest if the SEC moved the game outside in December I am not going. I will sit in my house with my big arse TV and my waitresses (my kids) and treat it like a box seat! For the cost and the travel not worth it anymore even the Chik Fil A Kickoff was an amazing drop of cash for face value tickets and the atmosphere wasn't all that (I am well aware the SECCG is much different). The dome was hot as heck were I was the guy next to me fell asleep, the young couple next to them had no clue, the family to my right was in it to win it and we had fun. But I felt UL fans out performed us

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wakeriderof87 Proficient

wakeriderof87 31

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Good news, Atlanta I'd a great home for the championship. Nashville seems like the only other logical choice.

Where would they play in Nashville? Titans stadium?

Yep, the downside would be weather concerns, but it is still pretty centrally located. I think Jacksonville, Tampa and New Orleans are all too far for too many fan bases.

The new dome has a seating capacity of 65k that is a disappointment. Nashville is central, outside in early December (54/35 are the temps) ouch, seating is 69k. The facilities and city infrastructure pale in comparison to the Dome, GWCC,

I will be honest if the SEC moved the game outside in December I am not going. I will sit in my house with my big arse TV and my waitresses (my kids) and treat it like a box seat! For the cost and the travel not worth it anymore even the Chik Fil A Kickoff was an amazing drop of cash for face value tickets and the atmosphere wasn't all that (I am well aware the SECCG is much different). The dome was hot as heck were I was the guy next to me fell asleep, the young couple next to them had no clue, the family to my right was in it to win it and we had fun. But I felt UL fans out performed us

It's a toss up on weather, but certainly could be bad. I think keeping it in Atlanta is smart.

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