Autumn sunlight poured through the Jamal Powell Strength Room’s towering paned windows as Texas Christian University leaders recently welcomed a delegation of Irish government officials to the Mike & Brenda Harrison Football Performance Center. Upstairs, a pair of massive monitors glowed with a dark green crest bearing a shamrock: “Aer Lingus College Football Classic | Ireland 2026.” University and Irish delegations met to hear leaders discuss a simple idea with global implications: sports diplomacy.
Brian Estridge, TCU’s director of broadcasting and moderator of the on-campus panel, said the university “is on the forefront of that” with next year’s overseas matchup against North Carolina. “Yeah, that’s a football game, but this is much more than a game.”
Beyond the Oct. 3 discussion, next year’s season opener reflects a broader trend of American football serving as a diplomatic and economic lever in Ireland. On Sept. 28, the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers faced off in the first National Football League game played on the Emerald Isle. TCU and the University of North Carolina matchup at Aviva Stadium will mark the nation’s 11th Division I college football game and the sixth Aer Lingus Classic. Tickets have sold out each of the past three years.
Kansas and Arizona State will, meanwhile, suit up for a Big 12 clash in the inaugural Union Jack Classic at London’s Wembley Stadium during Week 3 of the 2026 campaign.
For Stephen Kavanagh, co-chair of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic and former Aer Lingus CEO, it’s no wonder football serves as such a communal bridge — it’s one of the few things that can reliably get Americans across the Atlantic.
“It was one of the easiest business decisions I ever made to sponsor this particular initiative,” Kavanagh said. “I’d spent a lot of time in the U.S. and was very conscious that the U.S. has provided generations of Irish people with opportunities. And in recent years, Ireland has stood on its own feet and created its own opportunities for its young people.”
Kavanagh highlighted that the Aer Lingus Classic is worth more than a tourism boon — bringing in approximately €150 million to the city of Dublin annually — it acts as a catalyst for educational opportunities, ongoing business and cultural exchange. “This is about relationships,” he said.
A Global Stage for TCU
Chancellor Daniel Pullin said that the game aligns with TCU’s mission of preparing ethical and responsible citizens for a global community. He noted that over 40 percent of TCU students study abroad at some point in their academic career, and as part of the university’s Strategic Plan, TCU aims to raise that figure to well over 50 percent so more Horned Frogs can see the world.
The Dublin trip will give students global exposure alongside study abroad opportunities, ensuring they benefit academically and professionally. As Pullin explained, “Everything that we’re learning in the classroom and teaching our students is best applied when we’re not on campus, when we see a world bigger than just the beautiful 300 acres that we call home every day.” He added that while discussions will touch on football and economic development, he’s “really thinking about it first from a student perspective.”
Pullin, too, framed the trip within TCU’s broader ambition. “It’s very consistent with our goal of setting the standard for what the future of higher education looks like,” he said, adding that the university views the Aer Lingus Classic as another way to expand its global footprint.
He counts these efforts as helping to position TCU as a destination for international students and strengthening economic development partnerships at home. “Any which way you look at it, this is the right initiative,” he said, “the right effort at the right time at a university that’s on the move.”
U.S. fans, both undergraduates and alumni, have proven eager to attend. The Athletic estimates 22,000 Americans attended Iowa State vs. Kansas State in the most recent matchup, and 58,000 Texans traveled to Ireland in 2024, according to Neale Richmond, Ireland’s minister of state, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
“Usually, the team that wins the game goes on to have a pretty good season,” Richmond added.
Georgia Tech, which stunned Florida State in Dublin last year with a walk-off field goal, earned just its second bowl appearance in six seasons, breaking the AP Top 25 for the first time in nearly a decade. The Yellow Jackets have won their first five games this year and currently reside in the top 20 of the polls. TCU, 10-7 in neutral-site games since 2010 and 13-11 this century, has won 10 of 12 games dating back to its road win over Utah last October. Since reaching the College Football Playoff national championship game in 2023, TCU has consistently been in the national conversation, with the Irish delegation cheering on the Frogs from Amon G. Carter Stadium during a 35-21 win over Colorado in Week 6.
Football Meets Culture
Giving up a home game in college football could be considered a “big deal,” but as Mike Buddie, director of intercollegiate athletics, said, that’s “a pretty myopic view of how we educate young people.”
Buddie said his early conversations with John Anthony, co-founder of the Aer Lingus Classic, had little to do with football and focused instead on the experience the team and coaching staff could expect.
“What I loved was when John walked into the room with the team and said, ‘How many of you have passports?’” Buddie remembered, “I thought 90 percent of the guys would raise their hands, and it was less than half.”
For many players, the journey will double as a first passport stamp and an immersion in Ireland’s rich history and culture. Between practices and game prep, the Horned Frogs will have the chance to explore historic landmarks such as Malahide Castle, a sprawling estate with four botanical walled gardens and a famed ghost, and Trinity College’s Old Library, home to the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells. Fans can wander Dublin’s bridges, enjoy Temple Bar’s traditional music, or swap stories over seaside fish and chips.
Buddie cited a favorite saying from a former colleague: “Leaders make memories.” Indications are that the Horned Frogs will find that, along with a kind host on the other side of the Atlantic.
“In the Irish language, our greeting for ‘Welcome’ is ‘Cead Mile Fáilte,’ which is ‘a hundred thousand welcomes,’” Kavanagh said. “We are open, and we enjoy meeting and building new friendships. We’re also open to being directed, so you will have your traditional pep rallies, you will have tailgates, you will have what you expect on game day at TCU.”
Buddie said he was fortunate to be at this past August’s Aer Lingus Classic and saw the hometown response for himself. He said that just before kickoff, a group of about eight middle- to late-age men came, each hoisting a Guinness, and sat in the row in front of him.
“They announced the starting lineup and the quarterback’s name. So, they started chanting the quarterback’s name. And then when the other team came out, they started chanting their quarterback’s name. They were leaning over, asking, ‘What’s a quarterback?’” Buddie said. “They were engaged in every play. They had so much fun. And we experienced that everywhere we went.”
“We’re definitely ready for a purple invasion,” Richmond said. “We welcome it.”
TCU-Ireland ticket and tour packages are now available at Frogs2Ireland.com.