Big time US Sport is coming to Ireland on a more permanent basis than ever before. An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar was at the Aviva Stadium yesterday to announce a five-game plan which will see the return of College Football to Ireland and an expected €250 million economic windfall for the country over the coming years.

The series kicks off with the return of Navy vs Notre Dame which will take place on Saturday 29th August 2020. That will be part of one of the biggest sporting weekends ever in Dublin with the All Ireland Football Final at Croke Park the following day.

Aer Lingus is to be the title sponsor of this game and the entire series in a commitment which echoes their significant expansion on US routes.

Each fixture will be announced a full two years in advance and detailed negotiations, backed up by the commitment of the kind of money needed to bring such events over from the US are already underway.

Interview

Sport for Business will have an interview next week with Padraic O’Kane, one of the two leading forces behind the College Football Classic alongside John Anthony in the US.

The previous Navy vs Notre Dame fixture in the Aviva Stadium in 2012 was a huge success with 35,000 fans travelling from the US; resulting in one of the largest economic and tourism boosts for the country in recent memory.

At the time it was credited as producing the Merrion Hotels’ best ever weekend and the highest selling day outside of Christmas Eve at Brown Thomas.

The two teams will play their annual head-to-head game in San Diego this coming Saturday October 28th.

“College football is one of the greatest spectacles in world sport and to bring it back to Ireland for a five-game series is wonderful news for Irish tourism and for sports fans,” said An Taoiseach Varadkar while also revealing that the match ball he was given when Minister for Tourism and Sport has followed him and has pride of place in his office at Government Buildings.

“Over 35,000 fans travelled to Ireland when Notre Dame and Navy last met in Dublin in 2012 and we will warmly welcome them and many others back for the Aer Lingus College Football Classics.”

“Major games such as this one showcase Ireland as a location for international events and tournaments and put our world-leading hospitality and tourism sector front and centre.”

The Aer Lingus College Football Series, starting in 2020, will have a huge economic impact in Ireland, particularly in the tourism industry.

In 2012, Dublin Chamber of Commerce estimated that the Notre Dame-Navy game generated €60 million for Dublin and an estimated €100 million in total for Ireland. The value of the five-game series is estimated now to be worth a conservative €250 million in direct value never mind the immense goodwill and business connections that it will bring in its wake.

The games will be organised by Irish American Events Ltd which is a joint venture between Corporate.ie and Anthony Travel who have been involved in College Football games in Ireland previously.

“These games will provide a further, very welcome boost for tourism in Ireland and showcase top-level college football to a wider fan base,” said Neil Naughton, Chairman of the Game Steering Committee they have established and who admitted that Game Day 2020 would be a clash with his own 30th wedding anniversary.

“Tourism Ireland in the US is working closely with Anthony Travel, the official travel company for both colleges, and other travel partners and we will be using these great sporting events to showcase the fantastic Aviva Stadium, Dublin and the world-class attractions that the island of Ireland offers as a destination.”

“I welcome the announcement that College Football is returning to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin in 2020 for a five-game programme,” said Nial Ring, Lord Mayor of Dublin and representing Dublin City Council who are one of the partners of the event.

“Sporting events like the American College Football Series strengthen our ties with other great sporting nations and they showcase Dublin as a destination for hosting major international sporting events.”

Building a big enough collaboration to afford the major investment needed is a complex operation but the group which Kane and Anthony have pulled together are in it for the long haul.

Sponsor

“Aer Lingus is delighted to once again support College Football coming to Ireland, this time as title sponsor of the series,” said CEO Stephen Kavanagh.

“We have no doubt that this exciting event will strengthen the important ties, both in sports and in tourism, between Ireland and the US. The US is a key market for the airline and one which we know very well.”

“We currently have direct flights to Ireland from 15 North American destinations and this is set to increase in the coming years – a high-profile partnership with College Football provides Aer Lingus with a unique opportunity to promote ourselves to this key strategic US audience.”

Other partners include Tourism Ireland, Dublin Town, Glen Dimplex and Waterford Crystal.

This is a major event for Ireland and we will be covering it through a series of regular features. This will kick off next week with interviews with Padraic Kane and Elizabeth ‘Dolly’ Duffy, Executive Director, Notre Dame Alumni Association and Associate Vice President for University Relations.

We are excited already and there are just 673 days to go until the 5 PM start time.

Image Credit: Billy Stickland, Inpho.ie