Ain't That Peachy? Atlanta College Bowl Gets a Fresh Name

Atlanta's college football bowl game is getting a makeover with the word ‘“Peach" being restored to its name, Sports Illustrated reported today.

The game was founded in 1968 as the Peach Bowl then switched to the “Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl” in 1997. Eight years ago, “Peach” was dropped.

Bowl president Gary Stokan spoke with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and said the moniker was restored for tradition’s sake.

“It got down to what is our history, what is our heritage, what is our tradition and how can we pay homage to that in our name,” Stokan said.

The change comes after College Football Playoff organizers decided to make the Atlanta bowl a rotating site for national semifinals. During the playoffs, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl will host a national semifinal name every three years starting in 2016. The game will be played in the Georgia Dome until 2017, when the Atlanta Falcons’ new retractable-roof stadium debuts.

Stokan told the AJC that “Peach” was restored because it fits with the bowl.

"We felt it was important to the fans, to the staff and to the volunteers who have committed to the bowl through the years,” he said, “so we paid homage to the history and the tradition of the bowl.”