Ireland is continuing to get a look at the college football landscape, as Navy and Notre Dame prepare for the second iteration of the Aer Lingus Classic and eighth game to be played in Ireland. It's the third straight visit from NCAA teams that will be played at Aviva Stadium, home of a myriad of Ireland national teams.
This will be these two teams' third matchup in the Emerald Isle, with Notre Dame winning the first two in decisive fashion. Navy is hoping new head coach Brian Newberry is able to lessen the gap between the two schools.
Last season's game between Northwestern and Nebraska was a thrilling affair, which turned out to be the beginning of the end for Scott Frost in Lincoln. Marcus Freeman is hoping to return stateside 1-0 with a dominant victory after what some deemed an underachieving first year.
MORE: Week 0 picks against the spread: ND covers, USC does not
Aviva Stadium will continue to play host to the Aer Lingus Classic. Here's what to know about Ireland's prestigious stadium.
Where is Notre Dame vs. Navy being played?
Aviva Stadium is located in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, at 62 Lansdowne Road. It was built on top of the site of the demolished Lansdowne Road Stadium, which was brought down in 2007, the same year ground was broken on Aviva.
How much did Aviva Stadium cost to build?
Aviva Stadium cost 410 million euros to build, with 191 million euros coming from government funding. In March 2010, when the stadium was opened, that comes out to around $488 million, thanks to the 1.19 conversion rate of euros to dollars in March 2010.
Aviva Stadium capacity
Aviva Stadium generally plays host to rugby union and soccer games. Its listed capacity is 51,700.
College football games in Dublin
The Aer Lingus Classic was supposed to begin in 2020 with Navy vs. Notre Dame, but those plans were scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the second game of the series to be played, with the first being Nebraska vs. Northwestern last year. Next season, Florida State will take on Georgia Tech.
| Season | Matchup | Venue | Attendance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Boston College 38, Army 24 | Lansdowne Road | 42,525 | Emerald Isle Classic |
| 1989 | Pittsburgh 46, Rutgers 29 | Lansdowne Road | 19,800 | Emerald Isle Classic |
| 1996 | Notre Dame 54, Navy 27 | Croke Park | 38,651 | Shamrock Classic |
| 2012 | Notre Dame 50, Navy 10 | Aviva Stadium | 48,820 | Emerald Isle Classic |
| 2014 | Penn State 26, UCF 24 | Croke Park | 53,304 | Croke Park Classic |
| 2016 | Georgia Tech 17, Boston College 14 | Aviva Stadium | 40,562 | Aer Lingus College Football Classic |
| 2022 | Northwestern 31, Nebraska 28 | Aviva Stadium | 42,699 | Aer Lingus College Football Classic |
| 2023 | Notre Dame vs. Navy | Aviva Stadium | TBD | Aer Lingus Football Classic |
| 2024 | Georgia Tech vs. Florida State | Aviva Stadium | TBD | Aer Lingus Football Classic |
