University of Missouri

SEC Championship Game to remain in Atlanta through 2026


The Alabama Crimson Tide celebrated its 42-13 defeat of Missouri on Dec. 6, 2014, to win the Southeastern Conference Championship. The SEC, in conjunction with the AMB Sports & Entertainment and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, on Tuesday announced a 10-year agreement that will keep the conference’s annual championship football game in Atlanta through 2026.
The Alabama Crimson Tide celebrated its 42-13 defeat of Missouri on Dec. 6, 2014, to win the Southeastern Conference Championship. The SEC, in conjunction with the AMB Sports & Entertainment and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, on Tuesday announced a 10-year agreement that will keep the conference’s annual championship football game in Atlanta through 2026. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Missouri and the rest of the Southeastern Conference’s football powers will continue trying to march on Atlanta, but the Georgia Dome will no longer be the destination after the 2016 season.

The SEC, in conjunction with the AMB Sports & Entertainment and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, announced a new agreement Tuesday to keep the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta through 2026.

The game will remain at the Georgia Dome through the 2016 season, but it will move into the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium after that.

The new agreement also includes SEC options for two five-year extensions.

The Georgia Dome has held the SEC Championship Game since 1994 and claims capacity crowds in 19 consecutive seasons.

“Atlanta has served as an outstanding host for the SEC Football Championship Game for more than two decades and has been the perfect venue for one of the premier events in college sports,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a release from the conference. “We look forward to continuing a very positive relationship with Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Georgia World Congress Center as the home of our football championship.”

Mercedes-Benz Stadium is under construction in downtown Atlanta and will serve as the new home of the NFL’s Falcons.

To reach Tod Palmer, call 816-234-4389 or send email to tpalmer@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @todpalmer.

This story was originally published September 8, 2015 at 1:36 PM with the headline "SEC Championship Game to remain in Atlanta through 2026."

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