Georgia and Clemson will be playing earlier than originally planned.

On Tuesday, officials confirmed that the two programs will open the 2021 season on Sept. 4 at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium.

The contest will be part of a 2021 rivalry series being hosted by the Charlotte Sports Foundation. This includes a neutral-site contest between Appalachian State and East Carolina, who will play two days earlier on Thursday, Sept. 2.

"This is another great opportunity to schedule a national non-conference game with a top level opponent,” said UGA head coach Kirby Smart. “Playing a regular season game in Charlotte will give our fans the opportunity for a completely new experience in a great city and top-level stadium. I know our coaches and players will be excited for the challenge to kick off the season in this kind of environment.”

The 2021 contest will be the first of six meetings in 13 years between the two programs, who are separated by 90 miles.

“The eyes of the nation will be on Charlotte as we start the 2021 season,” said Bulldog athletic director Greg McGarity. "It is yet another opportunity to strengthen our schedule and provide an opportunity for our supporters to enjoy another huge matchup. We will now have at least two Power 5 opponents on our schedule through 2033.”

In order to schedule the game, the Bulldogs had to buy out their 2021 opener against San Jose State, while the Tigers had to do likewise for their game against Wyoming.

Georgia and Clemson, which last met in 2014, will play at Mercedes Benz Stadium at the Chick fil-A Classic in Atlanta in 2024, followed by a pair of home-and-home series. The Bulldogs will travel to Clemson in 2029 and 2033 and host the Tigers in 2030 and 2032.

The Bulldogs also have upcoming non-conference contests against Texas (2028 at Austin and 2029 in Athens); UCLA (2025 in Pasadena and 2026 in Athens); Florida State (2027 in Tallahassee and 2028 in Athens); Oklahoma (2023 in Norman and 2031 in Athens); and Ohio State (2030 in Athens and 2031 in Columbus). They also have three neutral site Power 5 games in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium: 2020 vs. Virginia; 2022 vs. Oregon; and 2024 vs. Clemson.

The Georgia-Clemson series dates back to 1897. The teams most recently split a home-and-home series in 2013-14, with each school defending its home turf in a pair of Top 20 match-ups. The program met 24 times in a span of 26 years from 1962-87, playing one another every year with the exception of the 1966 and 1972 seasons.

In the back-to-back years of 1980-81, the winner of the Georgia-Clemson contest went on to win the national championship. Georgia earned a 20-16 victory against Clemson and a national title in 1980, followed by Clemson defeating Georgia, 13-3, en route to a national title in 1981.