College football is deeply American, but it’s become common in recent years that the season actually gets underway in a different continent entirely.
This year, Florida State and Georgia Tech will do the honors when they play their season-openers in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday.
What happens in Ireland sometimes stays in Ireland. Northwestern won its season-opener over Nebraska in Dublin two years ago, and it was the only win the 1-11 Wildcats would get all year. Coming an unbeaten regular season, though, Florida State hopes a win over the Yellow Jackets would be the first of many.
Georgia Tech, meanwhile, made strides in coach Brent Key’s first full season and is looking to start its quest for a second consecutive winning season with an international upset.
Here’s what you need to know about why Florida State and Georgia Tech are playing in Dublin and a complete history of games in Ireland.
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Why is Florida State vs. Georgia Tech in Dublin?
While the NFL or NBA might hold international games to try to grow their respective leagues around the world, it was actually Ireland that pitched the idea of hosting American college football games in the 1980s. The Emerald Isle Classic was first played in 1988 between Boston College and Army, with the goal of choosing schools that would draw heavy interest from Irish-Americans.
Five more games would be played between 1989-2012, taking on different names, including the Shamrock Classic and Croke Park Classic. In 2016, college football returned to Ireland under the label of Aer Lingus College Football Classic, and the event returned as an annual competition in 2022.
Irish connections were prominent last year when Notre Dame and Navy faced off in Dublin, but the idea of playing in Ireland has started to attract non-traditional programs. Florida State and Georgia Tech, just like Northwestern and Nebraska two years ago, may not have too obvious ties to the country, but playing internationally in “Week 0” when most programs are off puts each program under a spotlight.
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Where is Florida State vs. Georgia Tech being played?
Florida State and Georgia Tech are playing at Aviva Stadium, which hosted games in 2012 and 2016 before serving as the annual home for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic starting in 2022.
Aviva Stadium, which traditionally hosts the Irish men’s soccer and rugby union teams, is set to host college football games in 2025 and 2027 as well.
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College football games in Ireland
| Year | Result | Stadium |
| 1988 | Boston College 38, Army 24 | Lansdowne Road |
| 1989 | Pittsburgh 46, Rutgers 29 | Lansdowne Road |
| 1996 | Notre Dame 54, Navy 27 | Croke Park |
| 2012 | Notre Dame 50, Navy 10 | Aviva Stadium |
| 2014 | Penn State 26, UCF 24 | Croke Park |
| 2016 | Georgia Tech 17, Boston College 14 | Aviva Stadium |
| 2022 | Northwestern 31, Nebraska 28 | Aviva Stadium |
| 2023 | Notre Dame 42, Navy 3 | Aviva Stadium |
| 2024 | Florida State vs. Georgia Tech | Aviva Stadium |
| 2025 | Iowa State vs. Kansas State | Aviva Stadium |
| 2027 | Pittsburgh vs. Wisconsin | Aviva Stadium |
