Illinois and Nebraska to meet in Dublin in 2021

Illinois will take on Nebraska in College Football Classic

Nebraska fans light up the stadium with cell phones during their game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers against Northern Illinois last month. Photograph:  Steven Branscombe/Getty Images
Nebraska fans light up the stadium with cell phones during their game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers against Northern Illinois last month. Photograph: Steven Branscombe/Getty Images

The University of Illinois will face off against the University of Nebraska in the 2021 Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, organisers confirmed on Monday.

The match will take place at the Aviva Stadium in August 2021 with some 25,000 fans expected to travel to Dublin for the game.

Next year’s College Football Classic, the first in a five-year run of games in Ireland, will see Notre Dame take on Navy while Boston College, Georgia Tech, Penn State and UCF have previously featured in Dublin in recent years.

"It's great to see new teams getting involved in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic," Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said on Monday.

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“Ten of thousands of fans are expected to make the journey for each game in the series over the next five years, bringing with them a huge boost for the economy.

“Illinois and Nebraska players and fans can look forward to the best of Irish hospitality. The series will showcase Ireland as a location for international events and tournaments and put our world-leading tourism sector front and centre.

“The 2020 game between Notre Dame and Navy is fast approaching and now sports fans have another great occasion to plan for in 2021.”