The Irish American Football Association (IAFA) is pleased to announce that a major NCAA game is due to take place in Ireland.
Navy will face Notre Dame in the newly constructed Aviva Stadium on Saturday 1st September 2012. The game will be a full NCAA regular season game and the outcome is expected to have a major effect on both teams National Championship prospects. Both teams have visited Dublin in the past, having played against each other in Croke Park, Dublin in November 1996. On that occasion, Notre Dame won 54-27.
“To see this stadium is to believe it has to be one of the finest venues in the world,” said Navy Athletic Director, Chet Gladchuk. “Although modest in capacity, few stadiums anywhere have attended to the detail, aesthetics and fan comfort found at Aviva. I guarantee those who travel to Ireland and attend this event will enjoy an experience that will be awesome and a memory not to be forgotten. Navy is very much looking forward to our visit and the wonderful experience we expect our coaches, players, fans and friends will enjoy.”
“We are all delighted that Navy has chosen Aviva Stadium for its game against Notre Dame in 2012,” said Aviva Stadium Director Martin Murphy. “We fully realize just how important this game is in the U.S. sporting calendar and we are looking forward to hosting what will undoubtedly be a fantastic event. The selection of Aviva Stadium for this game is a huge endorsement of the stadium and it is a terrific boost for Irish tourism as I have no doubt the teams’ fans will travel in great numbers. We are confident they will have a memorable time in Ireland.”
The Navy-Notre Dame rivalry is the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in college football with the two schools having met every year since 1927. The 84th meeting between the two schools will take place on Saturday, Oct. 23, at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutheford, N.J. Kickoff is set for 12 noon and will be nationally televised by CBS.
Navy and Notre Dame will be the first NCAA teams to visit Ireland since John Carroll University, Adrian College and CMU played Irish opposition in the Celtic Classic series of games between 2004 and 2007. The Aviva Stadium is built on the site of Lansdowne Road stadium which hosted NCAA games involving Boston College, Army, Pittsburgh & Rutgers in the 1980s.
The sport of American football has made some significant strides in Ireland over the past decade with membership of the IAFA increasing 10 fold over that period. This increase in interest in the sport, and the consequential larger fan base, has now made Ireland and viable and attractive venue for major games.
Details of how to obtain tickets will be released closer to the game.
Link to official release on Navy website:
http://www.navysports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/092110aaa.html
Link to official release on Notre Dame website: