One of the most anticipated games of the college football season is Georgia against Clemson in Charlotte, and it’s a renewal of a long-standing rivalry between the national heavyweights that are only some 75 miles apart.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who is familiar with the rivalry that goes back decades, spoke to the magnitude of the matchup during a segment on “Marty & McGee” on ESPN Radio.

The game will be played at the home of the Carolina Panthers in Bank of America Stadium, and is set for Sept. 4.

“It’s what people want to see, it’s what college football’s all about,” Smart said. “When I was growing up, that was one of the biggest rivalries in all of college football. Georgia-Clemson in the early ’80s was just epic, and most people don’t really remember that. And even as a player at Georgia, we played Clemson, I went to Death Valley, played them at home and as late as Todd Gurley being here played Clemson. It’s a great rivalry, it’s not far apart, we recruit a lot of the same kids, got a lot of respect for Dabo (Swinney), he’s done an incredible job with that program.”

This matchup is the start of what is a series of games.

Georgia and Clemson are also scheduled to play in the 2024 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta, and they have planned a home-and-home series that includes games in Clemson in 2029 and 2033 and in Athens in 2030 and 2032.