The Blue Board

Pretty much this. He's friends with the president and AD at West Virginia and always thought this was going to happen. Here's to Dana Holgerson having a great career at WVU and they never come calling for their boy to come home.

Official release

WVU To Face Alabama In 2014 Kickoff Classc
8 mins ago

West Virginia University will meet the defending National Champs, Alabama, in the 2014 Chic-Fil-A Kickoff Classic.Tickets to the game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta will be split evenly between the two schools in an effort to create a true neutral site game."Alabama and West Virginia are consistently among the premier teams in the country and we're thrilled to be able to host such a high profile game with representatives from the SEC and the Big 12," said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. "This will be an epic blockbuster-type game the nation will anticipate for a long, long time and will continue our tradition of showcasing two top-ranked teams to open the season on Saturday night."West Virginia last played in the Georgia Dome in the 2006 Sugar Bowl and defeated Georgia 38-35 in that BCS bowl game.WVU fans have been wanting to see these two teams meet for some time. Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban is a West Virginia native. He is from Marion County."The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is an outstanding event and we look forward to opening the 2014 season in Atlanta," said Nick Saban, Alabama head coach. "Gary Stokan and his staff do a great job in hosting this game and the atmosphere in the Georgia Dome has been like a BCS bowl game in our previous experiences there. The exposure for our football players and our program is tremendous and it is a great experience for our fans. This will be the sixth time we have played a non-conference game at a neutral site, and the fourth time at Atlanta.""I believe that playing an opponent that has the national reputation that West Virginia does, one of the top programs in the country, provides a great challenge for our players and gives us something to look forward to in the offseason," Saban said. "We are privileged at the University of Alabama to be a part of what has become a great tradition in college football with first-class organizations like the Chick-fil-A Bowl and the City of Atlanta."

Alabama is 10-8-1 all time against teams from the Big 12 with their most recent match-up ending in a victory over Texas in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game.

West Virginia is 24-22-2 all time against teams from the SEC and defeated Georgia to win the 2006 Sugar Bowl the year it was played in Atlanta's Georgia Dome, site of the game with Alabama. "Playing in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is a great opportunity for our football program and will be an exciting event for our fans," said Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia head coach. "Alabama is one of the top teams in college football history, and it will be a tough challenge for us." "Playing in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is yet another great way to showcase our football program on a national stage," Director of Athletics Oliver Luck said. "Playing Alabama will match-up two programs with great college football traditions. I have known Nick Saban since my playing days at West Virginia, and I have the utmost respect for him and his program."

West Virginia and Alabama have never played. Alabama will meet Virginia Tech in the 2013 Chic-Fil-A Kickoff Classic.

I get your point Nova, but seriously who do you expect us to play. I know preseason rankings are pretty much meaningless excluding the top 4 or 5 but VT, Clemson were both preseason top 10 teams. If i'm not mistaken the 1st time we beat VT they went on to win the ACC and won 10 of their last 11 games...may be wrong though. Clemson fizzled out after we beat them I think. Michigan will probably be a preseason top 10 and have a good chance to win the Big10. Not sure where WV will be when we play them but it's certainly a team that is capable of beating a lot of good teams and they will only get better talent wise playing in a better conf. Recruiting will be better for them in that aspect. I enjoy reading your post because you are a realist but I'm not sure who you think we should be scheduling considering our conference schedule. Either way success comes in cycles and I'm going to enjoy this ride because it was 6 short years ago we were average at best and that could return after Saban leaves....it all comes in cycles. So for now I say bring on who ever wants to get in the ring with the bull. Enjoy your posts though man.