Chick - fil - A Bowl The Chick - fil - A Bowl , formerly called the Chick - fil - A Peach Bowl , and before that simply called the Peach Bowl , is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta , Georgia since December 1968 . The first three Peach Bowls were played at Grant Field on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta . Between 1971 and 1991 , Atlanta - Fulton County Stadium hosted the game . Since then , the Georgia Dome has played host . Seven of the first ten meetings ( all but the 1968 , 1971 and 1974 games ) pitted an Atlantic Coast Conference team against an at - large opponent . Since 1993 , the game has matched a Southeastern Conference team against one from the ACC . In 2005 , the bowl reached a new landmark in prestige with its first - ever matchup of top 10 - rated teams . The game was originally created as a fund - raiser by the Lions Clubs of Georgia but in 1968 , after years of lackluster attendance and revenue , the game was taken over by the Chamber of Commerce . Atlanta - based Chick - fil - A became the title sponsor of the event with the January 1998 game . Beginning with the December 2006 game , Chick - fil - A assumed complete naming rights to the game in a five year , $ 22 million , sponsorship deal , ending almost forty years of the Peach Bowl name . A new logo was unveiled April 6 , 2006 . The funds from the deal will be used to increase payouts for the participating teams in hopes of further enhancing the bowl ' s stature . In response , the ACC has given the committee the first pick of its teams after the BCS beginning in 2006 . The bowl currently has the fifth overall selection from the SEC ( including the BCS ) . However , the BCS has taken two SEC schools in every season since 2006 , leaving the Chick - Fil - A with the sixth pick from the conference . The 2010 game was a sellout , the fourteenth consecutive year as such . In 2007 the Chick - fil - A Bowl became the best - attended non - BCS bowl for the last decade , and had the 3rd longest bowl sellout streak behind the Rose and Fiesta Bowl s . The 2007 game was played on December 31 , 2007 featuring the second Chick - fil - A / Peach Bowl matchup between # 15 Clemson and # 21 Auburn . Clemson lost to Auburn 23 — 20 in the first ever Chick - fil - A or Peach Bowl to require overtime play . With a 5 . 09 share ( 4 . 92 million households ) , the 2007 game was the highest - rated ESPN - broadcast bowl game of the 2007 - 2008 season as well as the highest rated in the game ' s history . The rating was also higher than two New Year ' s Day bowls , the Cotton and the Gator . In October 2009 , the bowl extended the Atlantic Coast Conference contract through 2013 . According to " Sports Illustrated " , although the bowl generated $ 12 . 3 million in profit in 2007 , only $ 5 . 9 million of that was paid out to the participating schools . On December 31 , 2012 the bowl set new records for viewership . The New Year ’ s Eve telecast – a 25 - 24 Clemson victory over LSU – averaged 8 , 557 , 000 viewers ( a 5 . 6 household coverage rating ) , making it ESPN ' s most - viewed non - BCS bowl ever . Bowl facts . About the Game • Average margin of victory is 8 . 6 points in the last 20 years . • Holds record for largest attendance in the history of the Georgia Dome : 75 , 406 in 2006 ( Georgia vs . Virginia Tech ) . • 16 straight sellouts ( through 2012 Bowl ) . • Highest - attended non - BCS bowl game . • $ 110 million in cumulative payout . • Two of the top six bowl game broadcast ratings in ESPN history . • Average rating is 5 . 0 over the last three years ( through 2006 Bowl ) . About Charitable Contributions • Most charitable bowl game , has given over 13 million dollars as of 2011 . • Pledged $ 180 , 000 annually to the National Football Foundation ’ s Play It Smart program . • Endows a $ 100 , 000 scholarship at each participating university annually . • Is one of three bowls to receive an NCAA grant for the Youth Football Program . • Holds annual Chick - fil - A Bowl Challenge — a golf event featuring NCAA head coaches and celebrity alumni competing for $ 350 , 000 in scholarship money . Game results . All rankings are taken from the AP Poll .