It's in vogue recently for the top teams in college football to open the season with a bang instead of a cupcake, and there is a good reason why: not only does it bolster a team's strength of schedule, but the payouts reportedly make these super-matchups very profitable.
Expect this newfound tradition to continue, as it looks like we might already have a future game in the books. According to Mike Casazza of the Charleston Gazette-Mail, Florida State and West Virginia are nearing a deal for the 2020 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game
Sources tell Gazette-Mail WVU and Florida State talking, close to finishing deal to open 2020 season in Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta.
— Mike Casazza (@mikecasazza) July 26, 2016
According to Casazza, the two teams are in the process of negotiating ticket allotments and payouts. If there are any holdups, it looks like they may be coming from the West Virginia side.
Florida State and West Virginia have met three times in the past, with the Seminoles winning all three meetings. The last such meeting was in the 2010 Gator Bowl, which Florida State won 33-21.
RELATED: Florida State is the only FBS team in the country to do this in 2016
If this game is agreed upon, it would only bolster the credibility that both teams have when it comes to playing tough out-of-conference games. Florida State is essentially scheduling another tough out-of-conference game every year in addition to the annual game against Florida, starting this year with Ole Miss, and next year with Alabama. The Mountaineers are definitely looking to do the same, as they definitely have their work cut-out for them with regards to making the College Football Playoff.
Speaking of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff, the 2016 version is only five weeks away! This year's game will feature North Carolina and Georgia on September 3.
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