Love college football? We do, too! Atlanta is a hot spot for college football with regular season games, playoffs and championships games, and the College Football Hall of Fame. If you have a student attending an Atlanta university, or if you are an alum of an Atlanta university, or if you just love college football, you must make a trip to Atlanta! During the college football season, it feels like there is something going on every weekend.
- College Football Hall of Fame
You can revel in your love of college football all year long because the museum is open daily from 10 am until 5 pm. The 95,000 square foot facility has called Atlanta home for ten years. It boasts three floors and five themed galleries. Visitors can learn about the 1074 players and 230 coaches in the Hall of Fame (as of 2023). There are more than 50 interactive exhibits including an ESPN College Game Day Desk where fans can share their insights and Fight Song Karaoke. Make sure to take a picture in front of the three-story wall that boasts 750 college football helmets – can you find your favorite school? The College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, GA, is ranked #19 out of 536 things to do in the area on TripAdvisor. The museum is only two miles from Stonehurst Place. - Aflac Kickoff Game (known as the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game until 2023)
Start the NCAA Division I FBS Season off with a bang. Every year since 2008, this series of football games has been played on opening weekend. The date of the game coincides with Labor Day Weekend and more than 66,000 people flock to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to attend every year. Some people go to cheer on their team. Some go in hopes of seeing current and future greatness; since its inception, 88 first-round NFL Draft picks have played in this series of games. In 2024, the game between the Clemson Tigers and the University of Georgia Bulldogs will be held on August 31. Can’t make it in 2024? There is a double header in 2025. Make your plans now to see the Virginia Tech play South Carolina or Syracuse play Tennessee.The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is only three miles from Stonehurst Place. Atlanta’s public train system, MARTA, is an easy and inexpensive option to get you to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Midtown station is only a 0.4mi walk from Stonehurst Place, and the Vine City Station is at the stadium’s doorstep!
- SEC Championship Game
The 33rd SEC Football Championship Game is scheduled for Saturday, December 7, 2024 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Sixteen schools will play all season in hopes of landing one of the top two records and the opportunity to play in the game. Ten teams in the division have played in the SEC Championship Game but only six have won (Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn, and LSU). Two new teams (Oklahoma and Texas) have joined the SEC in 2024. Could this be the year of a new winner? - 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship
Atlanta is excited to be the host of college football’s biggest game. On Monday, January
20, 2025, Atlanta, Georgia, will become the only city to have hosted the College Football Playoff National Championship twice. Atlanta last hosted in 2018 when Alabama beat Georgia. This year, the winner of the Capital One Orange Bowl on January 9, 2025 and the winner of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on January 10, 2025 will compete to be the number one football school in the country. The game will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. - Home Games at the Georgia Institute of Technology
Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field will host five home games for Georgia Tech: Georgia State on August 31 (this is the first meeting between the two Atlanta schools), Virginia Military Institute (VMI) on September 14, Duke on October 5, University of Miami on November 9 (this also Homecoming Weekend), and NC State on November 21. The Yellow Jackets will also have a home game versus Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 19. Do not miss your chance to sing along to “I’m a Rambling Wreck” or to hear the train whistle whenever the Yellow Jackets score. Single game, mini-plan, and season tickets are on sale now. Traveling from far away and want to tailgate without having to bring chairs, a tent, etc.? Full-service tailgate packages are available with tents, chairs, tables, coolers with ice, and even a television.Bobby Dodd Stadium is just over a mile from Stonehurst Place! A stroll down Peachtree Street, a quick Uber, or even a very short trip on MARTA are easy options!
- Home Games at Georgia State University
Center Parc Stadium will host six home games for Georgia State in 2024: Chattanooga on September 7, Vanderbilt on September 14, Georgia Southern on September 28, Old Dominion on October 12, Arkansas State on November 16, and Coastal Carolina on November 30. Come see how they play under new head coach Dell McGee. Season tickets are on sale now. It is possible that Atlanta will host the Hercules Tires Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game on December 7. The game will be held at the home stadium of the either the East or West division winner of the Sun Belt Conference. Center Parc Stadium is approximately 3.5 miles from Stonehurst Place. You may recognize the stadium as it was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium for the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games. The stadium boasts the eighth largest video board in college football so you will never miss a play. - Atlanta is an ideal launching point for games at other universities throughout the South!
We all know how expensive local hotels can be on a gameday weekend, or airfare to regional airports. Fly into Atlanta and stay at Stonehurst Place the night before the big game and head out on a gameday road trip. Distances from Stonehurst Place:
Under 1hr- Kennesaw State
Under 1.5hrs- University of Georgia
Under 2hrs- Auburn University, Jackson State University
Under 2.5hrs- Clemson University
Under 3.5hrs- University of South Carolina, Georgia Southern University
Under 4hrs- University of Alabama, University of Tennessee
