College football is a deeply American tradition, but in recent years the season has often begun on a completely different continent.

This year, Florida State and Georgia Tech will have the honor of playing their season-opening games in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday.

What happens in Ireland sometimes stays in Ireland. Northwestern won its season opener against Nebraska in Dublin two years ago, and it was the only win the 1-11 Wildcats picked up all year. After an undefeated regular season, however, Florida State hopes a win against the Yellow Jackets will be the first of many.

Georgia Tech, on the other hand, made great strides in coach Brent Key’s first full season and will be looking to begin its attempt at a second consecutive winning season with an international upset.

Here’s everything you need to know about why Florida State and Georgia Tech are playing in Dublin, plus a complete history of the games in Ireland.

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Why is the Florida State vs. Georgia Tech game in Dublin?

While the NFL or NBA host international games to promote their respective leagues worldwide, it was actually Ireland that came up with the idea of ​​hosting American college football games in the 1980s. The Emerald Isle Classic was first played in 1988 between Boston College and Army, with the aim of selecting schools that would attract a lot of interest from Irish-Americans.

Between 1989 and 2012, five more matches were played under various names, including the Shamrock Classic and the Croke Park Classic. In 2016, college football returned to Ireland under the name Aer Lingus College Football Classic, and in 2022 the event resumed as an annual competition.

The Irish connections were evident last year when Notre Dame and Navy faced off in Dublin, but the idea of ​​playing in Ireland has started to attract non-traditional programs. Florida State and Georgia Tech, just like Northwestern and Nebraska two years ago, may not have overly obvious ties to the country, but international games in “Week 0,” when most programs aren’t playing, puts each program in the spotlight.

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Where is the Florida State vs. Georgia Tech game being played?

Florida State and Georgia Tech will play at Aviva Stadium, which hosted games in 2012 and 2016 before becoming the annual home of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic starting in 2022.

The Aviva Stadium, which traditionally hosts the Irish men’s football and rugby union teams, is also scheduled to host college football matches in 2025 and 2027.

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College football games in Ireland