NOTRE DAME WILL host Navy in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at the Aviva Stadium in August 2023.
Organisers announced details of the second game in the five-game series today; scheduled for the Lansdowne Road venue on Saturday, 26 August 2023, acting as the opening game for the 2023 College Football season
The clash is set to provide a €147m economic boost to Ireland – as calculated by Grant Thornton and Failte Ireland economists – with 40,000 US fans expected to travel.
It will be broadcast on NBC with over 10 million viewers expected to tune in.
The news comes after an announcement earlier this year that Northwestern University (Wildcats) and University of Nebraska (Cornhuskers) will kick off the 2022 season at the Aviva, after Covid-enforced cancellations in 2020 and 2021. Tickets for the 27 August meeting go on sale later this month, with travel and hospitality packages currently available.
The 2023 showdown is the first time that Notre Dame move a home game to these shores, and is a rematch of a Dublin meeting in 2012 when Navy played host in a sell-out. 35,000 US fans travelled on that occasion; a world record of American supporters to travel outside the States for one singular sports event.
Travel and Hospitality packages will go on sale on Tuesday, 23 November, with further ticketing information to be released in due course.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin was one of several official figures to welcome the news, commenting:
“The past year-and-a-half have been challenging for us all in Ireland and the United States. Today’s announcement that Notre Dame will play its first-ever home game in Ireland against Navy is extremely exciting and welcome news.
“The movement of this game to Ireland will provide a significant boost to our tourism and hospitality industries. We will have a very special welcome ready for the teams and supporters of Notre Dame and Navy when they visit us for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in August 2023.”
Today’s announcement comes ahead of the clash of the two teams this weekend in South Bend, Indiana.
For more information see www.collegefootballireland.com, and follow College Football Ireland on social media.
– First published 15.53, 5 November
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