Duke has announced that it will open the 2019 football season against Alabama in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic at Atlanta’s new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The game will be played on Aug. 31 and represents a major upgrade in non-conference competition for the Blue Devils, who are currently battling to extend a streak of four straight bowl appearances. The game will mark the fifth time Duke and Alabama have played in football. The Crimson Tide has one the last three meetings, with the most recent coming in 2010. The Blue Devils’ only win in the series was a 29-26 victory in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1945. “This is a tremendous opportunity for our program, and obviously an incredible challenge facing the University of Alabama,” Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. “The proud history between the two schools is well documented, as Duke and Alabama have an unparalleled common connection with Coach (Wallace) Wade, along with playing in the 1945 Sugar Bowl and Steve Sloan, who played quarterback under Coach Bryant and later served as the head coach here at Duke.” The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic averages more than 67,000 fans per game has an average payout of $4.7 million per team. Television viewership is also traditionally strong with more than 47 million viewers tuning in to the series since 2008. Tickets to the 2019 game are available at GoDuke.com/footballtix with prices ranging from $125.00 to $300.00. A non-refundable deposit of $75.00 per ticket is required. Tickets will be allocated and remaining balances charged after January 1, 2019.
