By GRANT TRAYLOR

Marshall Athletics

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Athletics announced on Wednesday that Marshall Football has signed a one-game deal with Georgia for the 2025 season.

The contest between the Thundering Herd and Georgia will take place in the 2025 season opener on Aug. 30 at historic Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia.

“This is who we want to be as a program – willing to line up with the best in the country,” said Christian Spears, Marshall Director of Athletics.

“College football is dramatically changing and Marshall deserves to be in the conversation with the best of the best. Our tradition, our story, our fans, and our community deserve amazing experiences like the one we will see at Georgia as we hunt for national respect. We are Marshall is not a cliché; it’s a mindset. Spot the ball!”

The contest between Marshall and Georgia will be the second meeting between the programs in history.

The first contest between the two teams came on Sept. 18, 2004, when Marshall traveled to Sanford Stadium to take on No. 3 Georgia and fell 13-3 in a defensive struggle that went down to the wire.

Marshall took a 3-0 lead on the initial drive of the game, highlighted by a 57-yard reception by Emmauel Spann on the first offensive play, but offense would be difficult to come by over the rest of the contest for both teams.

The announcement of the 2025 game with Georgia means that Marshall will play five Power Five opponents in a five-year stretch, starting with the 2024 season.

This year, Marshall has a pair of Power Four contests – one at Virginia Tech on Sept. 7 and another at Ohio State on Sept. 21.

In addition to the Georgia game in 2025, other Power Four contests include a 2026 game at Penn State and a 2028 contest at Wisconsin.