College football in Ireland#2024
{{Short description|American football in Ireland}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=October 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox college football bowl game
|name =Aer Lingus College Football Classic
|full_name =
|nickname =
|defunct =
|logo =
|image_size =
|caption =
|stadium = Aviva Stadium
|previous_stadiums = Lansdowne Road
Croke Park
|location = Dublin, Ireland
|previous_locations =
|years = 1988–89, 1996, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2022–24
|previous_tie-ins =
|conference_tie-ins =
|payout =
| sponsors = {{ubl
}}
|former_names = Croke Park Classic
Emerald Isle Classic
Shamrock Classic
|prev_matchup_year = 2023
|prev_matchup_season = 2023
|prev_matchup_teams = Navy 3, Notre Dame 42
|next_matchup_year = 2024
|next_matchup_season = 2024
|next_matchup_teams = Georgia Tech 24, Florida State 21
}}
File:Navy-Notre Dame pregame coin toss.jpg Dan Rooney and Taoiseach Enda Kenny take part in the ceremonial coin toss before the 2012 game at Aviva Stadium]]
College football in Ireland began initially in 1988 as part of a promotional campaign to mark the Dublin millennium celebrations. Initially known as the Emerald Isle Classic, it was the "first major" NCAA-sanctioned American college football game played in Europe.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/20/sports/college-football-dubliners-cheer-as-bc-wins.html|title = COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Dubliners Cheer as B.C. Wins|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 20 November 1988|last1 = Lohr|first1 = Steve}} The first games were played, at Lansdowne Road in Dublin, in 1988 and 1989.
The event was first proposed and arranged by Aidan J. Prendergast and Jim O'Brien. Prendergast, who was a former president of the Irish American Football Association conceived the idea of bringing a major NCAA game to Ireland in the mid-1980s and started pitching the idea on both sides of the Atlantic. Prendergast promoted both the 1988 and 1989 games.
Also previously known as the Shamrock Classic, from 2016 the event was marketed as the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
1988
The inaugural Emerald Isle Classic was held at Lansdowne Road in Dublin with a crowd of 42,524 in attendance. It featured a 2–7 Boston College team led by Mark Kamphaus that beat the 8–1 Army Black Knights 38–24.{{cite web |title=007 Emerald Isle Classic, 1988 |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/dublincitypubliclibraries/52102690299/in/feed-6594729-1653641918-1-7215772162094853 |website=flickr |date=27 May 2022 |access-date=27 May 2022}}
1989
The second annual Emerald Isle Classic was held at Lansdowne Road on 2 December 1989. In the contest, Pittsburgh defeated Rutgers by a final score of 46–29 before a crowd of 19,800.{{cite news |first=Chuck |last=Finder |title=Pitt logs Ireland win among 1989 travels |page=24 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rdNRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZW4DAAAAIBAJ&dq=emerald-isle-classic&pg=5668%2C920553 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=December 4, 1989 |accessdate=February 15, 2025|via=Google News Archive}}
1991
On 16 November 1991, an NCAA-sanctioned American college football game was played at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. The game, marketed as the Wild Geese Classic, coincided with the 300th anniversary of the Flight of the Wild Geese of 1691 and was named for the Irish soldiers who resisted the Siege of Limerick.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-naples-daily-news-holy-crossfordham/164260320/|work=The Naples Daily News|title=Holy Cross–Fordham meet in first Wild Geese Classic|date=October 22, 1991|accessdate=January 29, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}} The game matched NCAA Division I-AA teams Fordham and Holy Cross with Holy Cross winning 24–19.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-1991-fordham-hc/58589214/|work=The Boston Sunday Globe|title=Crusaders invade Ireland, claim 19th straight victim|date=November 17, 1991|accessdate=January 29, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}
While the Gaelic Grounds had a capacity at the time of about 50,000 people, the game had an attendance of approximately 12,000. According to a contemporary report in the New York Times, some of the local Irish attendees (including the sports editor from the Limerick Leader) queried how substitutions could be made freely between plays. And, while some were unfamiliar with "linebackers and end-arounds", the attendees "did recognize high hang-time punts".{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/17/sports/college-football-old-sod-or-new-crusaders-just-win.html|title = College Football; Old Sod or New, Crusaders Just Win|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 17 November 1991|last1 = Clarity|first1 = James F.}}
1993
The 1993 Emerald Isle Classic was scheduled to be played at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney. To be played on October 9, the game was to have been a matachup against Yankee Conference rivals UMass and Rhode Island.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-republican-plans-continuing-for-umas/164256946/|work=The Sunday Republican|title=Plans continuing for UMass–R.I. grid game|date=June 30, 1993|accessdate=February 15, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}} In August 1993, the game was relocated from Ireland to McGuirk Stadium in Hadley, Massachusetts after it was determined the game would be a financial loss for the participating schools.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-republican-umass-trip-to-ireland-ca/164257147/|work=The Sunday Republican|title=UMass' trip to Ireland cancelled|date=August 15, 1993|accessdate=February 15, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}
1996
In 1996, Notre Dame and the United States Naval Academy began a second American football event in Ireland called the Shamrock Classic. The event, played at Croke Park, drew a slightly smaller crowd than the first Emerald Isle Classic. Notre Dame won the game over Navy, setting the record for the longest winning streak over an annual collegiate opponent at 33 wins (Notre Dame added 10 additional wins to the streak, which remains the all-time record at 43 consecutive victories).{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}
2012
A return trip by the teams in 2012, held at Aviva Stadium, was confirmed by the two schools and stadium management in September 2010. The Emerald Isle Classic was tied to the Irish tourism initiative The Gathering, which sought to encourage members of the Irish diaspora (especially in the U.S.) to visit their ancestral home in 2013. The first advance sellout for a sporting event in the two-year history of Aviva Stadium, 15,000 tickets sold in less than two hours, and about 35,000 Americans travelled to Dublin. The 2012 game also aired live in parts of Europe as well as the U.S.
The game provided a huge boost to the Irish economy, estimated to be approximately €100 million.{{cite news|last=O'Dea|first=Arthur James|url=https://www.offtheball.com/american-football/college-football-classic-economic-hit-1068218|title=No College Football Classic denied Ireland a huge economic boost|publisher=OffTheBall|date=6 July 2021|access-date=25 August 2024}}
A total of six players who featured in the Emerald Isle Classic for Notre Dame went on to be selected in the 2013 NFL Draft. Most notably, Tyler Eifert was selected in the first round by the Cincinnati Bengals.
2014
In June 2013, Penn State and UCF were reportedly in negotiations to play their 2014 season opener at Aviva, and the stadium was also seen as a potential venue for a proposed bowl game that would begin that season.{{cite news|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/report-bowl-games-could-coming-dubai-dublin-bahamas-173707695.html |title=Report: Bowl games could be coming to Dubai, Dublin, the Bahamas |first=Christopher |last=Wilson |work=Dr. Saturday |publisher=Yahoo! Sports |date=11 June 2013 |access-date=16 June 2013}} The Orlando Sentinel, located in UCF's home city, reported in July 2013 that the teams would play the game at Croke Park instead of Aviva.{{cite news |url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/blogs/knights-notepad/os-ucf-penn-state-ireland-game-20130709,0,7486935.post |title=UCF, Penn State to officially announce Ireland game on Sunday |first=Paul |last=Tenorio |newspaper=Orlando Sentinel |date=9 July 2013 |access-date=10 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130710115244/http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/blogs/knights-notepad/os-ucf-penn-state-ireland-game-20130709,0,7486935.post |archive-date=10 July 2013 |url-status=dead }} That month the game, to be called the Croke Park Classic, was confirmed.{{cite press release|url=http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/071413aab.html |title=Penn State to Face UCF in Ireland's Croke Park Classic to Open 2014 Season |publisher=Penn State Athletics |date=14 July 2013 |access-date=14 July 2013}} The Croke Park Classic saw the University of Central Florida (UCF) host Penn State in their 2014 Season Opener in GAA HQ on 30 August 2014. This was the first time UCF and Penn State had played outside the United States and Penn State took the Dan Rooney Trophy in a competitively fought game. 53,304 fans attended the thrilling encounter in which Penn State defeated UCF with a Sam Ficken field goal in the dying seconds, by a final score of 26 to 24. The Irish American Football Association was one of the official partners in the game and provided both promotional and technical assistance to Croke Park.
2016
On 4 June 2015, Irish American Events Limited (IAEL), which is a joint venture between Corporate.ie and Anthony Travel, announced that American college football would return to Ireland in 2016 with a match-up between Boston College and Georgia Tech. The game was played at Aviva Stadium on 3 September 2016, and billed as the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.{{cite web| url = http://collegefootballireland.com/| title = College Football Ireland}}
The announcement was made at the reception in Dublin attended by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD, which was followed by a reception in Boston College in the U.S. attended by the mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh.
Aer Lingus was announced as the title sponsor for the game, with Tourism Ireland, Failte Ireland and the Dublin City Council also lending support.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}
The game attracted 40,562 spectators and resulted in a 17–14 victory for Georgia Tech.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/game?gameId=400869424|title = Georgia Tech vs. Boston College - Game Summary - September 3, 2016 - ESPN}}
2020
University of Notre Dame announced on 25 October 2018, that the Fighting Irish would return to Dublin to face Navy Midshipmen at Aviva Stadium on 29 August 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2018-10-25/notre-dame-football-fighting-irish-take-navy-2020-dublins-aviva|title=Notre Dame football: Fighting Irish to take on Navy in 2020 at Dublin's Aviva Stadium|date=2018-10-25|website=NCAA.com|language=en|access-date=2019-01-09}} On 2 June 2020, it was announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the game would not be played in Dublin and would instead be played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.{{cite web |last1=Dinich |first1=Heather |title=Notre Dame-Navy football game moving from Ireland to Maryland |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29254539/notre-dame-navy-game-moving-ireland-maryland |website=ESPN |date=2 June 2020 |access-date=2 June 2020}} The game would eventually not be played after Notre Dame elected to play an all-ACC schedule for the 2020 season, and the conference disallowed most games outside the conference to maintain the same screening standards for each game.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/08/06/navy-notre-dame-football-rivalry-canceled-2020-byu-fills-slot/|title=Navy-Notre Dame, one of college football's longest rivalries, canceled for 2020|last=Copeland|first=Kareem|date=6 August 2020|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=24 October 2021}}
2022
University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced on 14 October 2019, that the Nebraska Cornhuskers would travel to Dublin to face the Illinois Fighting Illini at Aviva Stadium on 28 August 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://huskers.com/news/2019/10/14/football-huskers-illinois-to-open-2021-season-in-ireland.aspx|title = Huskers, Illinois to Open 2021 Season in Ireland}} On 17 February 2021, it was announced that the game would once again not be played in Dublin due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and instead be played at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois, on 28 August 2021.{{Cite web|last=IAEL|date=2021-02-17|title=2021 College Football Game moved from Aviva Stadium|url=https://collegefootballireland.com/2021-college-football-game-moved-from-aviva-stadium/|access-date=2021-02-17|website=Aer Lingus College Football Classic {{!}} 2021 Nebraska vs Illinois|language=en-US}} The game was ultimately postponed to the 2022 season, when it was played on 27 August 2022 against the Northwestern Wildcats instead of Illinois where Northwestern won the game 31–28 against Nebraska.{{cite news|last=Maguire|first=Ken|title=Northwestern rallies past Nebraska 31-28 in opener in Dublin|url=https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-nebraska-dublin-ireland-389834f58240c65f94b478dde0f8d151|work=Associated Press|date=August 27, 2022|access-date=August 27, 2022}}
2023
The University of Notre Dame announced on 24 October 2022, that the Fighting Irish would return to Dublin to face Navy Midshipmen at Aviva Stadium on 26 August 2023. Notre Dame won 42–3.{{cite web|url=https://collegefootballireland.com/games/notre-dame-vs-navy/|title=Notre Dame vs Navy|date=August 26, 2023|access-date=August 28, 2023}}
2024
Georgia Tech faced off against Florida State in Aviva Stadium to kick off the 2024 college football season on 24 August 2024. Georgia Tech upset the tenth-ranked Seminoles 24–21 with a walkoff, game-winning field goal.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401635525/florida-st-georgia-tech|title=Florida State vs Georgia Tech|date=August 24, 2024|access-date=August 24, 2024}} For the first time in the history of ESPN’s flagship college football pregame show, College Gameday aired outside of the United States in Dublin to kick off the 2024 college football season.{{cite web|url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2024/08/espns-college-gameday-built-by-the-home-depot-kicks-off-2024-season-with-historic-first-international-show-live-from-dublin/|title=ESPN's College GameDay Built by The Home Depot Kicks Off 2024 Season with Historic First International Show Live from Dublin|date=August 24, 2024|access-date=August 24, 2024}} TG4 broadcast this year's edition of the Football Classic live from the Aviva Stadium marking the first time ever that the match was to be broadcast live on free-to-air television in Ireland.{{cite web|url=https://www.the42.ie/college-football-classic-tg4-6444806-Jul2024/|title=US College Football Classic to be broadcast free-to-air in Ireland for the first time|date=July 24, 2024|access-date=August 25, 2024}}
Results
| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"|Season ! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"|Date ! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;" colspan="2" | Winners ! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;" colspan="2" | Losers ! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"|Venue ! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"|Attendance ! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"|Notes ! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"|Ref. |
| 1988
| {{Start date|1988|11|19|df=y}} | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Boston College Eagles|border=0}};"| Boston College | 38 | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Army Black Knights|border=0}};"|Army | 24 | rowspan="2" | Lansdowne Road | 42,525 |rowspan=2|Emerald Isle Classic | title = COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Dubliners Cheer as B.C. Wins | work = The New York Times | date = 1988-11-20 | url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE2DE173FF933A15752C1A96E948260 | access-date = 2007-10-04 | first=Steve | last=Lohr}} |
| 1989
| {{Start date|1989|12|2|df=y}} | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Pittsburgh Panthers|border=0}};"|No. 24 Pittsburgh | 46 | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Rutgers Scarlet Knights|border=0}};"|Rutgers | 29 | 19,800 |title = Croke Park Classic |publisher = UCF |url = http://ucf.crokeparkclassic.com/about/the-game/ |access-date = 2014-08-30 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150912021716/http://ucf.crokeparkclassic.com/about/the-game/ |archive-date = 12 September 2015 |df = dmy-all }} |
| 1991
| {{Start date|1991|11|16|df=y}} | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Holy Cross Crusaders|border=0}};" | Holy Cross | 24 | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Fordham Rams|border=0}};" | Fordham | 19 | Gaelic Grounds, Limerick | 12,000 | Wild Geese Classic |
| 1996
| {{Start date|1996|11|2|df=y}} | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Notre Dame Fighting Irish|border=0}};"|No. 19 Notre Dame | 54 | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Navy Midshipmen|border=0}};"|Navy | 27 | 38,651 | Shamrock Classic |{{cite news |title=No. 19 Notre Dame 54, Navy 27 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/longterm/colleges/colfoot/1102/ndnavy.htm |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=22 March 2023}}{{cite web | title = Games Played in Ireland | publisher = College Football Data Warehouse | url = http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/bowls/special_game_results.php?country=Ireland | access-date = 2007-10-04 | archive-date = 17 February 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100217120523/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/bowls/special_game_results.php?country=Ireland | url-status = dead }} |
| 2012
| {{Start date|2012|9|1|df=y}} | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Notre Dame Fighting Irish|border=0}};"|Notre Dame | 50 | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Navy Midshipmen|border=0}};"|Navy | 10 | 48,820 | Emerald Isle Classic |
| 2014
| {{Start date|2014|8|30|df=y}} | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Penn State Nittany Lions|border=0}};"|Penn State | 26 | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|UCF Knights|border=0}};"|UCF | 24 | 53,304 | Croke Park Classic |
| 2016
| {{Start date|2016|9|3|df=y}} | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets|border=0}};"|Georgia Tech | 17 | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Boston College Eagles|border=0}};"|Boston College | 14 | rowspan="4" | Aviva Stadium | 40,562 | rowspan="4" |Aer Lingus College Football Classic |
| 2022
| {{Start date|2022|8|27|df=y}} | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Northwestern Wildcats|border=0}};"|Northwestern | 31 | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Nebraska Cornhuskers|border=0}};"|Nebraska | 28 | 42,699 |
| 2023
| {{Start date|2023|8|26|df=y}} | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Notre Dame Fighting Irish|border=0}};"|No. 13 Notre Dame | 42 | style={{CollegePrimaryStyle|Navy Midshipmen|border=1}};"|Navy | 3 | 49,000 |{{Citation|title=2023 – Notre Dame vs. Navy Game Announcement|date=2021-11-05|url=https://und.com/2023-notre-dame-vs-navy-game-announcement/|website=und.com/|language=en-US|access-date=2021-11-15}}{{cite web|title=Hartman throws 4 TD passes as No. 13 Notre Dame opens with a 42-3 win over Navy in Ireland|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=401525434|website=ESPN|access-date=26 August 2023}} |
| 2024
| {{Start date|2024|8|24|df=y}} | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets|border=0}};"|Georgia Tech | 24 | style={{CollegePrimaryStyle|Florida State Seminoles|border=0}}|2024 Florida State Seminoles football team | 21 | 47,998 |
Proposed games
| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"|Season ! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"|Date ! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"colspan="2" |Matchup ! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"|Venue ! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"|Notes ! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"|Ref. |
| 2025
| {{Start date|2025|8|23|df=y}} | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Iowa State Cyclones|border=0}};"|Iowa State | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Kansas State Wildcats|border=0}};"|Kansas State | rowspan="3" | Aviva Stadium | | |
| 2026
| {{Start date|2026|8|29|df=y}} | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|North Carolina Tar Heels|border=0}};"|North Carolina | style={{CollegePrimaryStyle|TCU Horned Frogs|border=0}}| 2026 TCU Horned Frogs football team | | |
| 2027
| {{Start date|2027|8|28|df=y}} | style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Pittsburgh Panthers|border=0}};"|Pittsburgh | style={{CollegePrimaryStyle|Wisconsin Badgers|border=0}}| 2027 Wisconsin Badgers football team | | |
Most appearances
;Teams with multiple appearances
| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"|Rank ! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"|Team ! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"|Appearances ! style="background:#193E30; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #BEB07D ;"|Record |
| rowspan=2|1
| style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Notre Dame Fighting Irish|border=0}};"|Notre Dame | 3 | 3–0 |
| style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Navy Midshipmen|border=1}};"|Navy
| 3 | 0–3 |
| rowspan=2|2
| style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets|border=0}};"|Georgia Tech | 2 | 2–0 |
| style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Boston College Eagles|border=0}};"|Boston College
| 2 | 1–1 |
;Teams with a single appearance
Won (3): Penn State, Pittsburgh, Northwestern
Lost (5): Army, Florida State, Nebraska, Rutgers, UCF
Attendance
Up to date as of 24 August 2024
| class=wikitable |
| colspan=3 align=center|Total attendance |
|---|
| colspan=3 align=center|383,359 |
| colspan=3 align=center|Average attendance |
| colspan=3 align=center|42,595 |
| colspan=3 align=center|Highest attendance |
| colspan=3 align=center|53,304 Penn State 26–24 UCF 30 August 2014 |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.collegefootballireland.com/ Aer Lingus College Football Classic]
{{college football}}
{{College football kickoff games}}
Category:American football in Ireland
Category:College football bowls
Category:Army Black Knights football
Category:Boston College Eagles football
Category:Navy Midshipmen football
Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football