Auburn, UNC to lose multi-million dollar payouts after canceled Chick-fil-A Kickoff
In addition to a strong non-conference opponent to add to its resume, both Auburn and North Carolina will lose multi-million dollar payouts following the cancellation of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff.
Auburn’s ticket allocation for its game against North Carolina, originally scheduled for Sept. 12, included 38,949 game tickets, valued at a total of $5,688,650, according to the contract between Auburn and the Peach Bowl, Inc.
The Peach Bowl Inc. guaranteed Auburn a total team payout of $5 million for selling its ticket allotment.
North Carolina was allotted 16,852 tickets, valued at $3,113,400, according to the contract signed between UNC and the Peach Bowl, Inc. UNC was guaranteed a total payout of $3 million for selling its ticket allotment.
The ACC announced a scheduling model last Wednesday that allows each team — including Notre Dame — to play 10 in-conference games and a non-conference game within the ACC team’s home state.
UNC’s preference was to play Auburn as its non-conference opponent, according to 247Sports’ North Carolina outlet.
But the SEC announced Thursday that the conference would adopt a 10-game, conference-only scheduling format for the 2020 season due to coronavirus concerns, which officially canceled the Tigers’ Week 2 game against the Tar Heels.
“The Presidents and Chancellors’ decision to implement a 10-game, conference-only schedule for the 2020 football season is prudent and the Tigers are fully supportive,” Auburn AD Allen Greene said.
North Carolina is the only notable game Auburn will miss following the SEC and ACC scheduling decisions: The Tigers were scheduled to face out-of-conference foes UNC, Southern Miss, Alcorn State and UMass.
No new schedule has been released regarding the SEC’s new conference-only schedule. The conference announced Tuesday that the first allowable practice was delayed until August 17.
This story was originally published August 4, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
