Local economy to score big from US college football game
The month of August sees Ireland welcome back the Aer Lingus College Football Classic for the first US college football game of the 2025 season, known as ‘Week Zero’.
The match between Kansas State University’s ‘Wildcats’ and Iowa State University’s ‘Cyclones’ will take place on Saturday, 23 August, in the Aviva Stadium with kick off at 5pm Irish Time.
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN to an estimated US audience of 4.5 million.
The match between Kansas State University’s ‘Wildcats’ and Iowa State University’s ‘Cyclones’ will take place on Saturday, 23 August
The 2025 game will mark a ‘historic moment’ as the first-ever Big 12 Conference matchup to grace Irish soil.
The fixture is being billed as ‘the most competitive American College Football game ever to be played outside of the US.’
Both teams, ranked within the top 25, enter the season with the goal of winning the Big 12 Championship.
The winner of this season opener is predicted to reach the 2025 College Football Playoffs with the loser facing a difficult uphill task to regroup.
Fans attending will get to experience one of college football’s most famous rivalries, known as ‘Farmageddon’.
Over 24,000 International fans are confirmed to journey to the nation’s capital to include up to 22,000 Americans.
Fans can experience the traditional ‘razzmataz’ ahead of the game with planned tailgating events and pep rallies, including the famous band march from the RDS to the Aviva Stadium.
This year, both universities are travelling with 125 members each from their band and cheer teams, adding to the celebratory atmosphere.
A spectator flyover by an Aer Lingus aircraft is also planned over the Aviva Stadium before the game kicks off.
The Aer Lingus College Football Classic has consistently boosted Ireland’s economy, according to Grant Thornton’s Post Game Economic Impact Reports.
This year’s game is projected to generate over €130 million for the local Irish economy, driven primarily by the travelling US visitors expected to attend the game.
The vast majority of these visitors are scheduled to stay an average of seven nights, visiting an average of three destinations throughout the island showcasing the event’s significant tourism draw.
Combined with the previous three games already hosted in Ireland, delivering an economic boost of €382 million as per Grant Thornton’s reports, these initial four games in the series are now set to contribute over €512 million.
This economic impact underscores the value of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic initiative, enhancing tourism, supporting the local economy, and facilitating the creation of international business and education connections.
This is driven by the increase of US visitors to the games, many of whom participate in the wide range of activity programmes organised around the game.
Commenting on the event, Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, said: “Recent college classic games generated a huge boost for the Irish economy and our tourism sector, and I have no doubt that the K-State V Iowa State event will be another great success.
“Not only will the event generate significant revenue in August, the extensive coverage of the game in the USA will also put Ireland’s vibrant tourism offering in the shop window for those planning a trip in the future”.
The clash between the Wildcats and Cyclones is #MuchMoreThanAGame, it is a weeklong celebration that extends across Dublin City.
On the ground, fans can look forward to a host of events. Drawing on inspiration from College Football tradition, Merrion Square will be home to pep rallies for both teams.
Tailgating pubs for each team, brought to you by Guinness, will be active all week, including The Old Storehouse, Buskers and Ryans of Beggars Bush for K-State fans and Dame Tavern, Stag’s Head and Crowes for Iowa State University fans to name a few.
There will be lots more pubs across the city and near the stadium activated and alive with the spirit of college football – all information is available on the game app.
Other activities include the high school based Global Ireland Football Tournament (GIFT) at Energia Park and numerous cultural experiences and other sporting activities throughout the city.
Additionally, an exciting schedule of community, political, business and academic events are planned in the week leading up to the game.
One such event is the Ireland-US CEO Club, which is set to attract over 450 Irish and US CEOs to this prestigious event.
A full schedule of public events is available through the official Aer Lingus College Football Classic app here.
Charlie McConalogue, Minister of State at the Department of Culture Communications and Sport highlighted that this game has become a key part of the Irish sporting calendar.
“It confirms Ireland’s capabilities to host world class sporting events and strengthens the incredibly deep and valuable relationship between the US and Ireland,” he said.
“Hosting such events helps us to drive participation levels in sport and build a lasting legacy on so many fronts. Importantly, this series also delivers trade, tourism, business, community engagement and economic benefits.
“The series has strongly positioned Ireland as a key overseas home for American football in Europe and I know that all fans especially those supporting Kansas State University and Iowa State University will have a memorable experience in Dublin and further afield.”
Susanne Carberry, chief customer officer, Aer Lingus, added: “The Aer Lingus College Football Classic is a special event that celebrates sport, tradition, and transatlantic connection.
“It unites College Football fans from the US, Ireland, and Europe, offering them a unique opportunity to experience the thrill of pre-match tailgates, marching bands, and the first ever Big 12 matchup on Irish soil.”
Last month, Aer Lingus College Football Classic announced its partnership with Guinness ahead of the highly anticipated 2025 and 2026 games.
At the time of the announcement, Ross Bissett, commercial director for On-Trade IOI, Diageo Ireland, said: “Guinness has always been about bringing people together, fostering connection, and celebrating moments that matter.
“This partnership is a natural fit, and we are so excited for fans to experience our game week build-up in pubs and venues across the country.”
Final release of tickets for the 2025 Aer Lingus College Football Classic are now on sale here.
