Illini2Ireland.com | CollegeFootballIreland.com

CHAMPAIGN, IL – The Fighting Illini will pack up and head to Ireland when opening the 2021 season against Big Ten-foe Nebraska as part of the Aer Lingus College Football Series in Dublin. The University of Illinois, the University of Nebraska and Irish American Events Limited are partnering to take an American Football game to Aviva Stadium in Dublin for a Week Zero game on Aug. 28, 2021.

"The University of Illinois, our football program, our alumni and fans, and the entire Fighting Illini family are in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience on the Emerald Isle," UI Director of Athletics Josh Whitman said. "When first approached about this game almost two years ago, we had immediate interest. This game will provide an incredible educational opportunity for our football student-athletes who, because of their schedule, generally do not receive the same international experiences as many of our other student-athletes. For our fans, I hope they will journey with us across the Atlantic for a wonderful trip and a major football game, all set against the beauty of Ireland."

Speaking about the announcement, An Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar T.D. said, "It's great to see new teams getting involved in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. 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."

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Paul Mc Auliffe said, "It is a privilege to be here at the University of Illinois for the announcement of the teams for the 2021 Aer Lingus College Football Classic. I welcome the news that both the University of Illinois and University of Nebraska teams and fans will travel to Dublin in 2021 and I look forward to seeing the colour and energy that they will bring to the city of Dublin. Dublin and Ireland are ready to welcome you! This fixture is an important date in our calendar and showcases Dublin as a destination for hosting major international sporting events."

Illinois and Nebraska will participate in the 2021 Aer Lingus College Football Series in Dublin, Ireland. (L-R) Bill Byrne, Aer Lingus EVP North America and Director of Global Sales, Illinois Head Coach Lovie Smith , Paul Mc Auliffe, Lord Mayor of Dublin and Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman met Sunday night to discuss plans for the trip two years from now. Lovie Smith is holding the Waterford Crystal trophy that will go to the winner of the game.

The Illinois-Nebraska game is the second in a series of games in the Aer Lingus College Football Series and will be the first Fighting Illini game played outside the United States.

"Irish American Events was formed in 2015 with a goal to establish Ireland as the European headquarters of college football," said John Anthony, of Irish American Events Limited. "Today as we announce the Fighting Illini versus Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2021, we are thrilled to have these programs pursue this tremendous opportunity for their student-athletes, fans, and universities. The 2021 Aer Lingus Classic will be the second game in an annual five-game series, as they will proceed Notre Dame and Navy visiting Ireland along with ESPN College GameDay in 2020. This is the first time in history that there will be consecutive years of American college football games in Ireland. We are honored that these universities recognize that the Aer Lingus College Football Classic is much more than a game and Irish American Events is thrilled to promote and operate this prestigious series."

The teams will travel to Dublin earlier that week to practice and acclimate to the different time zone, as well as enjoy various cultural experiences. Television assignment and game time has yet to be determined.

The original date for this game at Memorial Stadium in Champaign was Nov. 13, 2021, and with the change, will give Illinois two bye weeks that season.

There are several direct connections between the University of Illinois and Ireland.

The University of Illinois Marching Illini band is the first American marching band to perform in the St. Patrick's Day Parade and has made trips to Dublin seven times, including the most recent visit in 2018. The Marching Illini are scheduled to return again in 2022.

The University of Illinois currently has eight institutional agreements in Ireland with the following universities and institutions:

Cork Institute of Technology (Erasmus plus through Department of Geography)

Guinness Enterprise Center (agreement through the iSchool)

University College Dublin (Student exchange agreement through College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Science (ACES), Grainger College of Engineering)

National University of Ireland, Galway (Student exchange agreement through Illinois Abroad and Global Exchange)

Quinn School of Business, University College Dublin (Study abroad agreement through Gies College of Business Study Abroad)

University College Cork, National University of Ireland (Study abroad agreement through Illinois Abroad and Global Exchange)

Cork Institute of Technology (Study abroad agreement through Illinois Abroad and Global Exchange)

Dublin City University (Study abroad agreement through the College of Media)

Ticket and Travel Packages

Official travel and hospitality packages are now available for the ultimate experience which include exclusive game tickets. Choose from a variety of destinations including Dublin, Galway and County Kerry, courtesy of Anthony Travel. All travel packages include hotel accommodations, Fighting Illini welcome party, excursions and much more. There are a variety of experiences to choose from including must-see attractions, adventure, culinary and golf outings, and much more, courtesy of Anthony Travel. Learn more and secure your exclusive premium game tickets with a low deposit of $250 per person by visiting Illini2Ireland.com.



Organizers and Sponsors

The game will be organized by Irish American Events Ltd., which is a joint venture between Anthony Travel and Corporate.ie, which have been involved in college football games in Ireland previously. The other key partners who will drive the game in both Ireland and America are Failte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and Dublin City Council. Further details can be found on collegefootballireland.com.