Former beat colleague Kyle Tucker broke this story in the Virginian Pilot yesterday.
In short, it says there is a planned Chick-Fil-A college football kickoff game set for 2009 that will square off Virginia Tech and Alabama. Pretty big time game to start the season.
However, it's not easy.
Then Ian Rappaport published this on al.com. Apparently Alabama is saying VT jumped the gun.
The rumblings I'm hearing are this game is a go. If Alabama wants in, then they can accept. If not, expect someone like Tennessee, Auburn or another big-name SEC school to step up to the plate.
It's a great opportunity for both schools. Lots of exposure. VT could build inroads in an area where they pretty much never recruit. And the SEC, who can recruit everywhere, would get tons of exposure in Virginia -- a state that could produce up to 70 Division I-A (FBS) prospects this year.
Stay tuned.
Here are some big Week 1 games this year: Alabama vs. Clemson in Atlanta (this year's version of the proposed 2009 game), Michigan State at Cal, Appalachain State at LSU (new quarterback in Baton Rouge...we'll see) and Southern Cal at Virginia.
By the way, those games are 45 days away...