Decision on August’s College Football game in Dublin to be made in June

Organisers of August’s College Football season opening game between Notre Dame and Navy in Dublin will make a final decision on the fixture in mid-June.

The game at the Aviva stadium on Saturday, August 29th falls three days before the present restrictions on crowds at outdoor events of 5,000, with over 35,000 American visitors expected in Ireland for the event, which is worth over €50 million to the Irish economy.

In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, College Football Classic Series outlined that the event does not fall under the restrictions as it does not require a licence but that “public health and safety advice will remain paramount”.

The game is the first of a five-game series, with the 2021 staging set to see teams from the University of Nebraska and the University of Illinois compete.

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This year’s event received a considerable boost when it was confirmed that ESPN’s hugely popular College GameDay would broadcast the pre-game show live from Dublin.

With no other game scheduled for that date, the game was being billed as Week Zero of the College Football season, with huge TV viewership numbers expected.

Today’s statement reads:

“The event organisers of the 2020 College Football Classic: Navy vs. Notre Dame are working closely with their Irish and American partners, including the Irish government, the US Naval Academy, the University of Notre Dame and the governing body of collegiate sport to monitor the situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The recent Irish government announcement on ‘licences for gatherings over 5,000’ does not apply to this fixture as the game does not require a licence. However, the universities and the governing body of collegiate sport in the United States are currently working towards options and solutions on how to manage the upcoming sporting season.

“ Public health and safety advice will remain paramount, so during this crucial time event organisers of the College Football Classic Series have asked for support to allow the universities and the NCAA to finalise their recommendations with an expected announcement in mid-June. At that time, the event organisers will in turn be in a position to update on the specifics of the Navy vs. Notre Dame scheduled for 29 August 2020 at the Aviva Stadium.

“The five-game series is estimated to bring an economic boost of €250 million to Ireland over the coming years and event organisers are confident they, together with their partners and stakeholders, can ensure the future of the series over the coming years.”