Northwestern will open the 2022 football season against Nebraska in Dublin, the teams announced Thursday.
The game originally was scheduled to be played in Evanston but instead will be held as part of The Aer Lingus College Football Classic on Aug. 27, 2022 at Aviva Stadium, which hosts Irish national team rugby and soccer games.
“This is an incredible opportunity for our entire university community, from student-athletes to coaches, alumni and fans,” Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said in a statement. “We are thrilled that our program will get to experience the beautiful Irish culture, while we continue to help grow the game of college football on a global stage.”
Nebraska was slated to play Illinois in Dublin to kick off the 2021 season, but the game was moved to Champaign because of COVID-19 concerns.
Illinois’ schedule precluded the Illini from playing an overseas game, an Illinois spokesman said. The university continues to be in talks with the Classic’s officials about scheduling a future game in Ireland.
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Northwestern and Nebraska will arrive in Dublin “a few days” before the game for practices and to acclimate to the time zone difference, the statement said. The teams also will take in various tourist opportunities.
Tickets are on a first-come, first-serve basis and will be available through university travel and hospitality packages.
The game is the first in a five-game series held annually in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. It will be the first Northwestern football game played outside the United States.
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