Tánaiste welcomes Aer Lingus College Football Classic 2025 to Dublin

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Harris TD, today welcomes supporters from Kansas State University and Iowa State University to Dublin for the 2025 Aer Lingus College Football Classic game in the Aviva Stadium.

This is the fourth edition of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic series and the 10th NCAA-sanctioned college football game to be played in Ireland. It will see the Kansas State Wildcats meet the Iowa State Cyclones, the first ever Big 12 conference game to be played in Ireland. This will be Iowa State University’s first international football game, and the second time ever that Kansas State University will play a game outside the United States.

The game will bring over 24,000 international visitors to Dublin this weekend, and will be broadcast to millions of fans worldwide on ESPN. The economic impact of the game is considerable, and enhances tourism, supports the local economy and facilitates connections between businesses and universities.

Speaking ahead of the game, the Tánaiste said: “I am delighted to welcome Kansas State University and Iowa State University, the players, bands, staff and their many supporters to Dublin this weekend for the opening game of the 2025 US college football season.

“However, this is much more than a game. It is also a celebration of culture and connections, bringing people together, first and foremost to enjoy a great sporting occasion, but also to deepen political and business links between Ireland and the US, at both national and state level.

“I hope the 24,000 supporters expected to visit Dublin from the US this weekend will enjoy meeting friends, old and new, and experiencing Irish culture and our world famous hospitality. I wish the Wildcats and the Cyclones the very best of luck and I promise to be a fair and neutral observer of the coin toss!”

Note to Editors

• The Aer Lingus College Football Classic five-game series is a successful and proactive public-private collaboration to host five US College Football games annually in Dublin between 2022 and 2026.
• The 2025 game will see over 24,000 international visitors travel to Dublin this weekend, mostly from the US, and will bring an estimated €130million to the Irish economy.
• Ireland has deep cultural and economic ties with Kansas and Iowa, with 11.3% of Kansas’ population and over 13% of Iowa’s population claiming Irish heritage.