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WVU, FSU will meet in Kickoff Classic in 2020

Artist rendering of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The WVU Mountaineer football team will open the 2020 season against national powerhouse Florida State in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game in Atlanta. WVU Athletic Director Shane Lyons announced the game Thursday, along with three other games, rounding out the non-conference schedule through 2021.

It will mark the second time the Mountaineers will have played in the season opening classic.  Alabama defeated WVU 33-23 in 2014 in a game played at the Georgia Dome. The 2020 game will be played in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the new home of the Atlanta Falcons, which is scheduled to open with the start of the 2017 NFL season.

“The Mountaineers look forward to returning to the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game, and playing in Atlanta’s new premier sports venue,” said Lyons.  “We all know that West Virginia and Florida State have met in bowl games before, but this provides a quality regular season matchup for both teams on a national stage.  The game will be a great chance for the two fan bases to make a road trip to Atlanta and get the 2020 season started.”

West Virginia has played FSU three times in bowl games, in 1982, 2004 and 2010 in Gator Bowls, losing all three.

The remaining three non-conference games added to the schedules are: Youngstown State on September 8, 2018, James Madison on August 31, 2019 and Indiana State on September 11, 2021. All three will be played at Milan Puskar Stadium.