Auburn and Oregon Announce 2019 Season Opener at AT&T Stadium
Fans of offenses that are dangerous for the health and well-being of statisticians across the country, a dream matchup is happening—again—as Auburn and Oregon will open the 2019 season against each other.
Auburn and Oregon announced Tuesday they will square off in the 2019 AdvoCare Classic, which will take place Saturday, Aug. 31, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
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"I’m thrilled that Auburn will face Oregon in an epic matchup of two elite programs on a big stage to open the 2019 season," Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said in a press release. "I know how much it means to our players to have an opportunity to play in high-profile games; it is one reason they choose to come to Auburn."
The game will only be the second meeting between the two programs and a rematch of the 2011 BCS National Championship Game. The Tigers won, 22-19, to capture their first national championship since 1957.
"An invitation to participate on a stage likes this speaks to the reputation Oregon football has earned, and we're excited to be part of such a prestigious matchup," Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens said, according to the program's website.
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn and Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich both were the offensive coordinators at their respective schools during 2011's duel in the desert.
While that national championship game only had a combined 43 points, the Tigers and the Ducks have some of the country's highest-scoring offenses with Malzahn and Helfrich.
With this announcement, the AdvoCare Classic now has high-profile matchups scheduled for the next five years:
| 2015 | Alabama vs. Wisconsin |
| 2016 | Alabama vs. USC |
| 2017 | Florida vs. Michigan |
| 2018 | LSU vs. Miami (Fla.) |
| 2019 | Auburn vs. Oregon |
The 2019 AdvoCare Classic will be one of several major nonconference matchups these two powerhouse programs have scheduled for the coming years.
Auburn will open this season against Louisville in Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic. The Tigers also have home-and-home series scheduled against Clemson and Cal.
Oregon wraps up a home-and-home with Michigan State this season and then starts one with another Big Ten school, Nebraska, next season. The Ducks will also play Ohio State in more national championship rematches in 2020 and 2021.
Quotes obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.
Justin Ferguson is an on-call college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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