The highly-anticipated Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl is officially sold out.
Bowl officials announced on Thursday that the matchup between No. 11 Ole Miss (10-2, 6-2 SEC) and No. 10 Penn State (10-2, 7-2 Big 10) is garnering exceptional levels of excitement and engagement from fans.
Enthusiasm ahead of the New Year’s Six bowl stems from both programs’ remarkably successful 2023 campaigns. It will also be the first time the Rebels and Nittany Lions face off on the gridiron in both programs’ history.
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In his fourth year at Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin has amassed two 10-win regular seasons — the first time that feat has been accomplished in program history. He has also had Ole Miss featured in postseason matches each year at the helm.
Kiffin is looking to record his first New Year’s Six bowl win as the Rebels’ head coach and post a win over a top-10 program in Penn State. The Rebels appeared in the Allstate Sugar Bowl in 2021 and fell to Baylor 21-7. Kiffin and company will work to wipe the slate clean and elevate the ceiling in Oxford.
Penn State, under the leadership of James Franklin, is making its second-consecutive New Year’s Six bowl after defeating Utah 35-21 to win last season’s Rose Bowl. The Nittany Lions were a force in conference play and showcased one of the fiercest defenses in the league throughout the year.
“Fans are excited to see the Rebels and Nittany Lions face off for the first time in what is shaping up to be one of the best matchups this Bowl Season between a top-20 offense at Ole Miss vs. the nation’s top defense with Penn State,” Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and president Gary Stokan said.
“We’re looking forward to once again having a full house and an electric atmosphere on Dec. 30 here in the Capital of College Football.”
Since its inaugural game in 1968, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl has attracted more than 3.2 million fans to Atlanta, with an average of 68,348 fans attending the game since 2000.
Last season’s attendance of 79,330 set new Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and Mercedes-Benz Stadium records, surpassing the number of fans who attended Super Bowl LIII, the 2019 CFP Semifinal, the 2018 CFP National Championship, and the SEC Championship in the same venue.
Kickoff for the matchup between Ole Miss and Penn State is set for Saturday, December 30 at 11 a.m. CT. The game will be played at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., and will be broadcast on ESPN as well as participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
