Ireland Set To Welcome Up To 22,000 U.S. Fans For The 2025 Aer Lingus College Football Classic

The month of August sees Ireland welcome back the Aer Lingus College Football Classic for the first U.S. college football game of the 2025 season, known as ‘Week Zero’. The highly anticipated match between Kansas State University’s ‘Wildcats’ and Iowa State University’s ‘Cyclones’ will take place on Saturday, 23rd August, in the Aviva Stadium with kick off at 5pm Irish Time. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN to an estimated U.S. audience of 4.5 million.

The 2025 game will mark a historic moment as the first-ever Big 12 Conference matchup to grace Irish soil. The fixture is being billed as the most competitive American College Football game ever to be played outside of the U.S. Both teams, ranked within the top 25, enter the season with the goal of winning the Big 12 Championship. The winner of this season opener is predicted to reach the 2025 College Football Playoffs with the loser facing a difficult uphill task to regroup. Fans attending will get to experience one of college football’s most famous rivalries, known as ‘Farmageddon’.

This year, both universities are travelling with 125 members each from their band and cheer teams, adding to the celebratory atmosphere. A spectator flyover by an Aer Lingus aircraft is also planned over the Aviva Stadium before the game kicks off that is sure to grab fans attention and wow all in attendance. For fans who wish to be part of this unmissable experience, the final release of tickets for the 2025 game between K-State and Iowa State are currently available and now live on Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ie/collegefootball.

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic has consistently boosted Ireland’s economy, according to Grant Thornton’s Post Game Economic Impact Reports. This year’s game is projected to generate over €130 million for the local Irish economy, driven primarily by the travelling U.S. visitors expected to attend the game. The vast majority of these visitors are scheduled to stay an average of seven nights, visiting an average of three destinations throughout the island showcasing the event’s significant tourism draw. Combined with the previous three games already hosted in Ireland, delivering an economic boost of €382m as per Grant Thornton’s reports, these initial four games in the series are now set to contribute over €512m.

This economic impact underscores the value of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic initiative, enhancing tourism, supporting the local economy, and facilitating the creation of international business and education connections. This is driven by the increase of U.S. visitors to the games, many of whom participate in the wide range of activity programmes organised around the game.

“I am thrilled to see the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Ireland again this August with Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and Enterprise Ireland playing key roles in the event’’ said Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.  ‘On 23rd August, Kansas State and Iowa State Universities will face off in what promises to be a superb spectacle, in what will be much more than a football game, rather a celebration of culture, connection, and economic opportunity.  Recent college classic games generated a huge boost for the Irish economy and our tourism sector, and I have no doubt that the K-State V Iowa State event will be another great success. Not only will the event generate significant revenue in August, the extensive coverage of the game in the USA will also put Ireland’s vibrant tourism offering in the shop window for those planning a trip in the future”.

Summit like in nature, the clash between the Wildcats and Cyclones is #MuchMoreThanAGame, it is a weeklong celebration that extends across Dublin City. On the ground, fans can look forward to a host of events. Drawing on inspiration from College Football tradition, Merrion Square will be home to pep rallies for both teams. Tailgating pubs for each team, brought to you by Guinness, will be active all week, including The Old Storehouse, Buskers and Ryans of Beggars Bush for K-State fans and Dame Tavern, Stag’s Head and Crowes for Iowa State University fans to name a few. There will be lots more pubs across the city and near the stadium activated and alive with the spirit of college football – all information is available on the game app. Other activities include the high school based Global Ireland Football Tournament (GIFT) at Energia Park and numerous cultural experiences and other sporting activities throughout the city.

Additionally, an exciting schedule of community, political, business and academic events are planned in the week leading up to the game. One such event is the Ireland-US CEO Club, which is set to attract over 450 Irish and U.S. CEOs to this prestigious event.

A full schedule of public events is available through the official Aer Lingus College Football Classic app (https://collegefootballireland.com/app/).

“This game has become a key part of the Irish sporting calendar.”, said Charlie McConalogue, Minister of State at the Department of Culture Communications and Sport, “It confirms Ireland’s capabilities to host world class sporting events and strengthens the incredibly deep and valuable relationship between the U.S. and Ireland. Hosting such events helps us to drive participation levels in sport and build a lasting legacy on so many fronts.  Importantly, this series also delivers trade, tourism, business, community engagement and economic benefits. The series has strongly positioned Ireland as a key overseas home for American football in Europe and I know that all fans especially those supporting Kansas State University and Iowa State University will have a memorable experience in Dublin and further afield.”

Ray McAdam, Lord Mayor of Dublin said “Dublin City Council is delighted to be a partner of this event for the fourth consecutive year, and we welcome the opportunity for Dublin to host a great sporting occasion like the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. It allows us to showcase our city as a premier destination for sports, tourism and business. The benefits for our city, both economically and socially, are also immense, providing a welcome boost for the local tourism and hospitality sectors. I hope that this visit will be a very exciting and memorable experience for all the players, coaches, officials, alumni and the 22,000 American fans that have travelled to our great city for this game.”

Susanne Carberry Chief Customer Officer, Aer Lingus said “The Aer Lingus College Football Classic is a special event that celebrates sport, tradition, and transatlantic connection. It unites College Football fans from the U.S., Ireland, and Europe, offering them a unique opportunity to experience the thrill of pre-match tailgates, marching bands, and the first ever Big 12 matchup on Irish soil. At Aer Lingus, we’re proud to play a role in making these moments possible – connecting people, places, and possibilities through the power of sport. We look forward to saying ‘You’re Very Welcome’ to the Kansas State Wildcats and the Iowa State Cyclones, along with their passionate supporters, as they travel with us to Ireland for what promises to be an unforgettable experience.”

Final release of tickets for the 2025 Aer Lingus College Football Classic are now on sale at www.ticketmaster.ie/collegefootball