It's still roughly half a decade from now, but South Carolina will headline one of college football's biggest early-season events.

The Gamecocks announced Friday they will play Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game to start the 2025 season.

The game will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on either Aug. 31 or Sept. 1 in 2025.

“We are excited to open our 2025 season against Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game,” South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said. “It will give our program an opportunity to play in one of the best early season showcases in college football. I know our fans will enjoy this classic non-conference contest in a first-class stadium as we compete for ‘The Old Leather Helmet’ trophy."

It's an interesting headline right now with Gamecock head coach Shane Beamer having coached at Virginia Tech for a brief stint before going to Georgia. Beamer's father, Frank, was also a legendary, hall of fame coach, for the Hokies.

Beamer was also part of the event in 2013 as an assistant at Virginia Tech and again in 2016 at Georgia.

“Any time you open a season in a premier event like the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against a quality opponent like Virginia Tech, it’s exciting for our players, staff and fans and helps in our recruiting efforts," Beamer said. "Having been part of this game before, I know it’s run in a first-class manner and we’re happy to be a part of it.”

The two programs have faced off plenty in their pasts with South Carolina owning the all-time record at 11-7-2 but the two teams haven't played since 1991, a 28-21 South Carolina win.

They played every year from 1986-1991 but haven't played since then. The two teams will also have a home-and-home starting in 2034 with a game in Columbia and a return trip to Blacksburg in 2035.

The Gamecocks have another ACC home-and-home scheduled with Miami as well with the Columbia game in 2026 and a trip to Miami in 2027.