ATLANTA — The Southeastern Conference championship game will continue to be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium through at least 2031 following a contract extension announced on Thursday.
The SEC, stadium operator AMB Sports and Entertainment, and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority revealed the agreement ahead of the 32nd annual title game, in which No. 1 Georgia will face off against No. 8 Alabama.
The previous deal was scheduled to expire after the 2026 game. Under the new agreement, the SEC also has the option to extend the contract for an additional five years, keeping the game at the 71,000-seat retractable roof stadium near downtown Atlanta through 2036.
Atlanta has been the host of the SEC championship since 1994, with the Georgia Dome serving as the venue until 2016 when it was replaced by the current facility, Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey stated, “The SEC football championship game is one of the premier events in college sports and Mercedes-Benz Stadium is one of the finest sports facilities on the globe, making Atlanta the perfect venue for our annual title game.”
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, known as the home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United, also hosts several college football games each year, including the Peach Bowl and the Celebration Bowl for historically Black colleges.
In addition, the stadium is set to host the national championship game for the second time in 2025, as well as games for soccer’s World Cup in 2026.
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