Georgia Will Play North Carolina in 2016 Chick-Fil-a Kickoff Game

Georgia and North Carolina will open the 2016 season in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at the Georgia Dome.

Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt issued the following statement, per Seth Emerson of The Macon Telegraph:

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I know our team, coaches, and fans will be looking forward to playing a quality opponent like North Carolina in Atlanta. It will be a national stage for a season opener and generate a lot of excitement for fans not only of both schools but college football fans around the country.

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Georgia last played in the Chick-fil-A game four years ago, when it lost 35-21 against Boise State.

Unless Georgia makes the 2016 SEC Championship Game, this will be its last chance to play in the Dome, which is being replaced by the Atlanta Falcons' new home stadium in 2017.

The Dome has become something of a curse to the Bulldogs, who lost the SEC title there to LSU the same year it lost to Boise State and again to Alabama in 2012. Ideally, it would make one more trip to Atlanta after playing the Tar Heels, but that cannot be guaranteed.

The game itself renews a rivalry on a 40-plus-year hiatus. Georgia and North Carolina have met 30 times, but the last meeting came in the 1971 Gator Bowl, which Georgia won 7-3.

With Richt and UNC head coach Larry Fedora (presumably) on the sidelines, though, it's safe to say the 2016 meeting will feature more than 10 points. It should definitely be a fun one to watch.

Georgia has now completed its 2016 nonconference schedule, which also includes Nicholls State, Louisiana-Monroe and Georgia Tech.

David Goldman/Associated Press

The Tar Heels are a step up from Georgia's soft 2015 schedule, which along with UL-Monroe and Georgia Tech features Southern and Georgia Southern, but no one has a right to complain about the Bulldogs' scheduling. They played a home-and-home against Clemson the past two seasons and have another planned with Notre Dame in 2017 and 2019.

North Carolina is a fine, respectable, above-average opponent for the Dawgs to play on a neutral field, especially since they already have one ACC team on their nonconference schedule. They continue to test their team more than they have to outside of SEC play.

This is good news for everyone—fans especially.