Penn State and University of Central Florida playing at Croke Park last year. Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO

THE GAA HAS revealed that it will not be hosting an American football game in 2016.

Although it had not been officially announced, Boston College and Georgia Tech were set to meet in the latest Croke Park Classic at Headquarters late next year.

A move from the last weekend in August was mooted in order to avoid a repeat of 2014 — when a clash saw the All-Ireland semi-final replayed switched to Limerick.

The42 understands that Enda Kenny had been due to confirm the event during his visit to the US for St Patrick’s Day, and his failure to do so was a sign that there were still stumbling blocks to overcome.

And, in a statement released this evening, the GAA announced that no game would take place, citing financial reasons.

The strength of the dollar against the euro means that the staging of the game at Croke Park was no longer viable for the Association without significant support from government agencies,” it reads.

However, The42 also believes that the shortfall is less than half a million euro and private funding could yet save the Croke Park Classic.

The game would have been the third of its kind in Ireland over the last five years after the Emerald Isle Classic between Notre Dame and Navy at the Aviva Stadium in 2012 and the meeting of Penn State and the University of Central Florida in 2014.