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Over 14,000 US Fans Descend on Dublin for Aer Lingus College Football Classic

This week Dublin becomes the home of American College Football as Texas Christian University’s (TCU) Horned Frogs and University of North Carolina’s (UNC) Tar Heels face-off. The Week Zero clash, the first game of the U.S college football season kicks off on Saturday, August 29th at 5.00pm at Aviva Stadium.



Over 14,000 U.S. fans are travelling to Ireland, bringing the atmosphere of a major American sporting occasion to Ireland’s capital. Irish fans can still be part of the game with limited tickets still available, at ticketmaster.ie/collegefootball with student tickets starting at €50 and special family packages available in partnership with Applegreen.



TCU will face a UNC side led by Head Coach Bill Belichick, eight-time Super Bowl winner and one of America’s most recognisable sporting figures. UNC's travelling party also includes County Down native Adam McCann Gibbs, the freshman punter who could make his college football debut on home soil this Saturday.

Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 4.15pm to enjoy a full-scale US game-day build up, including university marching bands and cheer squads, mascots, team traditions and a stadium filled with the energy of thousands of supporters.  

 

Whether you are attending as a family, meeting friends for a different kind of Saturday out or simply curious to experience a big U.S. sporting spectacle in Dublin, the Aer Lingus College Football Classic offers an accessible and high-energy day out.

 

'Celtic the Brave', the official mascot of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, returns to the gridiron alongside TCU's SuperFrog and UNC's Rameses. At halftime, 20 of Ireland's elite young kickers will compete for a Golden Ticket to Chicago and the chance of a life-changing Division 1 college football scholarship in Leader Kicking's search for Ireland's next Kicking King.



The game is the fifth consecutive fixture in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic series. It will be broadcast in the United States on ESPN to a U.S audience of over 4 million and domestically in Ireland on TG4.

 

Padraic O’ Kane, Director and Co-Founder of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic said: "If you have ever wondered what a huge American college game day feels like, this is your chance to experience it without leaving Ireland. The best way to take in the bands, to feel the tackles, to experience the traditions and hear the roar is inside Aviva Stadium.”

 

O’Kane added: “You do not need to know every rule to have a fantastic time; you just need to come ready for the colour, the noise and the fun. With TCU facing a Bill Belichick-led UNC and limited tickets still available, this is a Saturday people will be talking about for weeks to come. We want fans in the stands, to be part of the show for what will be a truly unforgettable Dublin game day."

 

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic has become a pillar of the Irish sporting calendar and a week-long celebration of Irish-U.S. connections. Under the banner #MuchMoreThanAGame, business, cultural, political, medical and community events will take place across Dublin throughout the week.

 

The city will see cowboy hats, team colours and college spirit in abundance as TCU and UNC fans gather for pep rallies, alumni events and official tailgating pubs presented by Guinness and Teeling Whiskey. On Friday 28th August at 7.00pm, the UNC Tar Heels Women's Soccer team will face Shelbourne FC at Tolka Park in UNC's first international fixture since 2011. UNC alumna Maggie Pierce is set to line out in midfield for Shelbourne FC.

 

As title sponsor, Aer Lingus is flying both teams, coaching staffs and delegations to Dublin on specially chartered flights. The travelling parties include a combined 130 members of the universities' bands and cheer squads, helping to turn the city and stadium into a celebration of American college sport. To coincide with their 90th anniversary in business, Aer Lingus will mark the occasion with plenty of surprises throughout game day.

 

A full schedule and the latest information are available on the Official Game Week App. Official 2026 merchandise is available online for delivery or click and collect, with merchandise stores open at the Merrion Square pep rallies and at Aviva Stadium during game week and on game day.



KEY PUBLIC EVENTS


Monday 24th  - Sunday 30th August

  • All day:  Official Aer Lingus College Football Classic tailgating pubs, including dedicated TCU and UNC venues presented by Guinness

Wednesday 26th August

  • 10.00am: The Ultimate Irish Experience at Kildare Village (continues through to Monday)

Thursday 27th August

  • 5.00pm: Thursday Night TCU Spirit Pep Rally, Fitzsimons Pub 

  • 5.00pm: G.I.F.T. High School Pep Rally, Merrion Square

  • 7.00pm: PFI Football Season Preview Night, Teeling Whiskey Distillery 

Friday 28th August

  • 9.00am: G.I.F.T. High School Volleyball Games, Maynooth University 

  • 12.00pm: Teeling Whiskey Free UNC Band and Cheer Performance, Teeling Whiskey Distillery

  • 3.00pm: G.I.F.T. High School Football Game, Energia Park 

  • 3.15pm: TCU Pep Rally, Merrion Square

  • 5.15pm: UNC Pep Rally, Merrion Square

  • 7.00pm: UNC Women's Soccer v Shelbourne FC, Tolka Park 

  • 9.00pm: Carolina Bluegrass in Ireland, Old Storehouse 

Saturday  29th  August – Game Day

  • 12.00pm:  Official Aer Lingus College Football Classic Tailgating Pubs, including dedicated TCU and UNC venues presented by Guinness

  • 12.00pm: Dublin City Council Ceol Country, Merrion Square

  • 3.30pm: Aviva Stadium gates open

  • 4.15pm: Fans encouraged to be seated for the full pre-game spectacle

  • 5.00pm: Aer Lingus College Football Classic: TCU v UNC


  • Limited Tickets Available at ticketmaster.ie/collegefootball

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