ATLANTA (July 14, 2026) – Led by Peach Bowl, Inc., the Aflac Kickoff Game – in partnership with Auburn Athletics – in July will launch a new, ground-breaking Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal, marking the first time a neutral-site college football game has incorporated NIL compensation for student-athletes.
In the multi-million-dollar agreement, Peach Bowl, Inc., through the Aflac Kickoff Game, will partner with third-party entities to secure marketing assets and promotional appearances by up to two dozen Auburn student-athletes.
Beginning in July and running through the game on Sept. 5, participating student-athletes will engage in a variety of activations designed to promote the game and its surrounding events through social media posts, public appearances, advertisements, in-game promotions and media interviews, as well as signage and branding opportunities.
The nation’s longest-running neutral-site game remains on the cutting edge of college athletics with this first-of-its-kind initiative.
“In the new NIL era of college football, this will be an innovative way to create wins for the teams, programs and student-athletes,” said David Epps, Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO. “This new model is a true win-win scenario where Auburn and its student-athletes get a financial boost in the NIL space. At the same time, it’s a potential gamechanger for neutral-site games like ours who want to bring added value to participating teams and make it a more attractive and lucrative opportunity.”
Baylor and Auburn will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and the game will be nationally televised on ABC. Baylor is set to make its first-ever appearance in the game, while Auburn returns for its fourth trip. This marks only the sixth meeting between Baylor and Auburn on the gridiron, dating back to 1954.
Since its creation in 2008, Aflac Kickoff Games have drawn 1.48 million fans to its games, along with an additional 116.4 million viewers on national television.