FSU vs. Alabama in 2017 formally announced

A January loss in the Rose Bowl snapped the Seminoles’ 29-game winning streak and Alabama’s loss in the Sugar bowl ended a five-year stretch where the of Alabama sent a representative to the national championship game.

The Palm Beach Post first reported the possibility of this game happening last month.

The 10 installment of the nation’s longest-running kickoff game will feature the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Florida State Seminoles in what will be the first regular-season college game to be played in the Falcon’s state-of-the-art New Atlanta stadium.

Although the Seminoles will sacrifice a home game by playing Alabama at a neutral site, the program will benefit financially. “These are two great programs and it will be a tremendous atmosphere”.

The game will be in its 10th year in 2017.

The game also extends the streak of Alabama opening seasons in neutral-site games. But the earliest that could happen is 2019 with the 2018 non-conference schedule already including a game at Notre Dame.

“This game with Florida State fits our scheduling philosophy of playing outstanding opponents in great venues in games that create great exposure for our program”, Alabama athletic director Bill Battle said a statement. “We are looking forward to the opportunity”.

Florida State and Alabama will open the 2017 season in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta, the schools announced Thursday.

“To be able to go against someone who you have a ton of respect for in Nick and the program in which they have just adds to it”, Fisher said.

Fisher served as offensive coordinator under Saban at LSU.

Two of college football prestigious programs will play each other to begin the 2017 season. Fisher remained on the LSU staff with head coach Les Miles before becoming the Florida State offensive coordinator and eventual coach-in-waiting in 2007. “Jimbo has done an excellent job there and this will provide a great challenge for our team”.