Notre Dame, Navy to Return to Ireland

(photo courtesy of the University of Notre Dame)

The University of Notre Dame is planning to once again take its rivalry with Navy overseas. The two teams, who have met every year since 1927, will face off at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland in 2020.

This will be the third time the two teams have faced each other in the Irish capital, according to Notre Dame. The university says the Navy-Notre Dame rivalry is the longest intersectional rivalry in college football.

Notre Dame Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick announced plans for the game Thursday alongside Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk and Prime Minister of Ireland Leo Varadkar.

"The University of Notre Dame, our football program, our alumni and fans had such a wonderful experience in 2012," said Jack Swarbrick, director of athletics for Notre Dame. "The people of Ireland were incredibly welcoming and made our time on the Emerald Isle unforgettable. It wasn’t long after our return from that trip that Navy initiated conversations with the hopes of bringing this matchup back to Dublin. Chet and his staff at Navy deserve a ton of credit for making this a reality."

Varadkar says more than 35,000 fans traveled to Ireland when the two teams squared off in Dublin in 2012. Known as the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, the game is one of five that are part of the American Football Series that Varadkar says will bring a $250 million economic impact to the country.

Notre Dame and Navy will meet each other next on Saturday in San Diego. You can learn more about the university’s last trip to Ireland in the video below, courtesy of Notre Dame.