Tickets for the 44th annual Red Carpet Bowl will finally be on sale starting today at Michel’s Record Shop, 1417 Washington St., RCB chairman Rickey Mitchell said.

The $8 tickets also can be purchased from Red Carpet Bowl Committee members. They will go on sale at Vicksburg and Warren Central junior and senior high schools on Aug. 27.

Four-time defending Class 5A champion South Panola and Class 4A runner-up Clarksdale are the featured opponents for the kickoff classic at Warren Central’s Viking Stadium. WC will play South Panola, winners of 60 straight games on Thursday, Aug. 30. Vicksburg will play Clarksdale on Friday, Aug. 31 at WC.

Mitchell said Thursday at the Port City Kiwanis Club meeting that excitement is building for the event.

&#8220People keep stopping me and expressing how excited they are about the games,” Mitchell said. &#8220The countdown the (Vicksburg) Post is doing has created some excitement.

&#8220Because of the expected crowds, we changed the format this year to play the two games on separate days. There was no way we could park, seat and then move out one crowd and then bring in another crowd on the same day,” Mitchell said.

&#8220South Panola has a new coach in Lance Pogue and he told us they expect to bring between 2,000 to 2,500 fans. Coach Jim Hughes from Clarksdale said they expect to bring from 1,000 to 1,200. Because the first game will be on Thursday night, it will be the only game in town. We’re expecting to have folks from Clinton, Madison, Brandon and Pearl to come see it. It’s going to be full,” Mitchell said.