Notre Dame And Navy Will Play In Dublin Ireland In 2020

A few days ago, we got word that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Navy Midshipmen would head back to Dublin Ireland to play a game in 2020, and now it’s all but official.

Horrible music aside, the video comes on the heels of an announcement made by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar:

“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.

“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.”

”I look forward to the first game of the series with the return of Notre Dame vs Navy in August 2020; I have no doubt it will be a hugely popular occasion.”

Neither Navy or Notre Dame has officially released their announcement, but it should come at any time.

This matchup was originally scheduled to be played on Sept. 5, 2020 at MetLife Stadium, but now the game, The Aer Lingus College Football Classic, will be played on Aug. 29, 2020. That will allow a little more rest time for the Irish before they welcome the Arkansas Razorbacks to South Bend two weeks later on Sept. 12.

Notre Dame played Navy in Dublin in 2012, and smoked the Midshipmen 50-10. The following week Notre Dame hosted the Purdue Boilermakers inside Notre Dame Stadium, and struggled quite a bit for a last minute 20-17 win. The Irish would go on to play in the BCS Championship Game that season.

This game in Dublin will once again be played inside Aviva Stadium. The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Nial Ring said: “I welcome the announcement that College Football is returning to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin in 2020 for a five-game programme.”

Here’s the entire 2020 schedule:

• Saturday, Aug. 29: vs. Navy (Dublin, Ireland) (Noon Eastern kick)
• Saturday, Sept. 12 vs. Arkansas
• Saturday, Sept. 19 vs. Western Michigan Broncos
• Saturday, Sept. 26 vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte)
• Saturday, Oct. 3 vs. Wisconsin Badgers (Lambeau Field, Green Bay)
• Saturday, Oct. 10 vs. Stanford Cardinal
• Saturday, Oct. 17 at Pittsburgh Panthers (Heinz Field)
• Saturday, Oct. 24 Bye week
• Saturday, Oct. 31 vs. Duke Blue Devils
• Saturday, Nov. 7 vs. Clemson Tigers
• Saturday, Nov. 14 at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
• Saturday, Nov. 21 vs. Louisville Cardinals
• Saturday, Nov. 28 at USC Trojans

Total: 6 home games, 3 netural site games, 3 away games