Legendary Florida State coach Bobby Bowden will be back on the field named after him during the Seminoles’ season opener against Virginia Tech.

Bowden and former Hokies coach Frank Beamer will serve as honorary captains for the Labor Day contest.

“I am honored that Coach Bowden accepted our offer to be the honorary captain for our first game at Florida State,” FSU coach Willie Taggart said, per a release from the school. “Growing up, I admired Coach Bowden for his success on the field as well as his passion for changing the lives of young men, and I could not think of a greater vote of confidence than having him on the field for our first game. This is also a great opportunity for our fans to show their appreciation to Coach Bowden and adds to what will surely be a fantastic atmosphere on Labor Day night.”

Bowden’s presence around FSU’s program has been evident since Taggart took over in December. Taggart, who closely followed Bowden’s program while he was playing prep football in Palmetto, Fla., made it a point to welcome Bowden back to the program as often as possible as he aimed to bridge FSU’s past to its present. Under the previous regime, Bowden's trips to FSU were limited, with Bowden telling the Orlando Sentinel that he didn't want the coach at the time to think Bowden was "looking over his shoulder." Bowden, a Tallahassee resident, has been to FSU at least twice since Taggart arrived.

“At least I feel like I’m wanted and will go back when I can,” Bowden told Noles247 back in April. “I like what [Taggart] is doing. I like his attitude. He’s a very happy individual and it’s contagious. So everything I know so far is good.”

Bowden is considered the architect of FSU’s program, guiding the Seminoles to two national titles in his 34 seasons as a head coach. He set NCAA records for consecutive bowl wins (10) and consecutive bowl appearances without a loss (14), per FSU’s official website.

Beamer is also held in high regard nationally for his work at Virginia Tech, going 238-121-2 with the Hokies.

This won’t be the first time Bowden and Beamer lined up across one another. They met numerous times as coaches, going head-to-head eight total times, including a memorable matchup in 1999. That year, FSU met Virginia Tech -- led by dynamic quarterback Michael Vick -- in the 2000 Sugar Bowl BCS National Championship game. The Seminoles out-dueled the Hokies to win 46–29.

FSU, ranked No. 19 in the recently released USA Today/Amway Preseason Coaches Poll, takes on No. 17 Virginia Tech at 8 p.m. on Sept. 3. The game will be televised on ESPN. FSU has a projected win percentage 63.5 over the Hokies, according to ESPN's FPI metric formula.