ATLANTA (Sept. 1) - Kickoff is rapidly approaching and the months and months of preparation are coming to a close as Thursday's inaugural game is almost here.

The Georgia Dome staff is making all their final preparations, including painting the logos on the fields. The Georgia State operations staff will work with the Dome staff to turn the facility into a Georgia State site with additional signage and logo placements.

The ticket operations staff are in high gear as sales are climbing and climbing. Making sure every season ticket holder and every single season ticket holder, along with all the students who get in with their ID since they have paid their student fees is no small task. You'll see in the photo album the ticket manager can't even see his desk.

The football equipment staff has been busy readying all their gear, including the final steps like shining and buffing the helmets, then placing the new logos on for the first time in school history.

The media are covering in full force with more than a hundred credentials issued already. They'll be live TV coverage by the local stations before kickoff and postgame. The historic significance has been documented locally, regionally and nationally, as the Panthers are the national cover subject of ESPN The Magazine.

Wednesday morning at 9 a.m., the football team takes its final walk-through at their new home in the Dome and then get a team address from legendary civil rights icon and national leader Andrew Young.

We've captured a few shots in the Photo Album above.