THE UNIVERSITY OF Illinois and University of Nebraska have been revealed as the pairing for the 2021 Aer Lingus College Football Classic at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
25,000 fans are expected to travel to Ireland for the game which will take place on Saturday 28 August 2021.
It’s the second of the five-game College Football Series, which was announced in October 2018, that is set to run between 2020 and 2024.
It begins next year with the return of Navy against Notre Dame on Saturday 29 August 2020.
It emerged last week that American sports broadcasting giant ESPN will broadcast its first-ever College GameDay programme from outside the United States at next year’s game in Dublin.
The announcement about the 2021 game was made today at a press conference in the City of Champaign, Illinois and will mark the first time that either team has travelled to Ireland.
Emerald Isle → 2021#GBR pic.twitter.com/1KdotJnx9L
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFBNation) October 14, 2019
The #Illini are headed to Ireland to take part in @CFBIreland!
— Illinois Athletics (@IlliniAthletics) October 14, 2019
8.28.21 - @IlliniFootball vs. @HuskerFBNation
Get ready for an unforgettable experience in Dublin, Illini Nation!
🔗 https://t.co/Y7HQa12Hho pic.twitter.com/6d0nWO4clE
“It’s great to see new teams getting involved in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic,” stated Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
“Ten of thousands of fans are expected to make the journey for each game in the series over the next five years, bringing with them a huge boost for the economy. Illinois and Nebraska players and fans can look forward to the best of Irish hospitality.
“The series will showcase Ireland as a location for international events and tournaments and put our world-leading tourism sector front and centre.
“The 2020 game between Notre Dame and Navy is fast approaching and now sports fans have another great occasion to plan for in 2021.”
Ryan Bailey steps into the presenter’s chair where he’s joined by Murray Kinsella and Eoin Toolan on the line for Japan to tee up one of the biggest, if not the biggest week in Irish rugby: a World Cup quarter-final against back-to-back champions New Zealand.
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
