Murray State football’s 2020 season opener at Georgia State has been moved from Saturday, September 5 to Thursday, September 3 at 7 p.m. ET.
The game presents a unique opportunity for Murray State players and fans alike, as the game will be played at historic Georgia State Stadium formerly known as Centennial Olympic Stadium and Turner Field. The stadium was built in 1996 for that year’s summer Olympics when it hosted both the opening and closing ceremonies and saw American track and field legends Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson and Gail Devers all win gold medals.
Following the Olympics, the stadium was converted to a baseball-specific venue prior to the 1997 Major League Baseball season where it was renamed Turner Field and served as the home of the Atlanta Braves for 20 season. After the Braves’ move to Truist Park following the 2016 season, Georgia State acquired the site and has called the now “Pete” Petit Field at Georgia State Stadium its new home since 2017.
This year’s meeting marks just the second all-time between the two teams with the only other meeting coming in 2011. The Racers beat the Panthers 48-24 at the Georgia Dome in just the second year of existence for the GSU football program.
The game is scheduled to be aired on one of ESPN’s digital platforms, although the exact platform will be announced at a later date.