1968 - 1969 The Dawn of an Era
How It All Began
The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl is now such a staple in the college football world, it’s hard to imagine the postseason without it. Atlanta’s own bowl, the 9th oldest in college football history, only began due to the persistence of a six-man committee. It took three attempts, but in 1968, the Lion’s Club of Atlanta finally received NCAA certification to start the Peach Bowl. Since then,
more than 2.8 million fans
have attended the
annual game.
The Lion’s Club of Atlanta originally founded the Peach Bowl as a fundraiser. It was first played at Georgia Tech’s Grant Field.
Atlanta Gears Up For The Big Game
1st Annual
December 30, 1968LSU 31
#19 FLORIDA STATE 27
The year was 1968. It was December 30th. Anticipation built in the Atlanta air as the cold rain muddled the turf of Grant Field. The wind wobbled passes. The Tigers, struggling with the conditions and a tough Seminole team, coughed up the ball four times in the first half. As they surged back to win—the Peach Bowl was born. A record book of champions got its first entry.
2nd Annual
December 30, 1969#19 West Virginia 14
South Carolina 3
The Mountaineers won a rain-soaked,defensive slugfest in the second iteration of the Peach Bowl—despite only completing one pass. Their staunch defense forced three turnovers and held South Carolina to a single field goal.
With Grant Field a mud pit, West Virginia had to run their wayto the program’s first 10-win season since 1922.
