After announcing their entry into Australia, the NFL proceeded to issue a statement regarding their plans in Ireland. The NFL has continued their venture into the European market, having hosted multiple games in Germany and the league will hold a game in Madrid next season.
Despite already playing three games annually in London, the NFL has their sights on one of college football’s strongest international strongholds. Dublin has been hosting college football games since 1988 and having hosted games in three of the past four years.
In one of those matchups, Nebraska took on Northwestern in the college football season opener. Playing at Aviva Stadium in Dublin in front of a crowd of 42,000-plus, Northwester won, 31-28.
If the NFL goes back there, college football may look to do the same. Considering they would want to send a power five conference matchup overseas; the SEC is automatically out. Everyone knows they would never give up a home game.
The Big 12 would also likely be out. The conference does not have the connections to Europe that East Coast universities do. So that would leave the Big Ten and ACC. It makes sense as the conference played the 2024 regular-season opener at Aviva Stadium with Georgia Tech upsetting No. 10 Florida State, 24-21.
The Big Ten has already explored the region, have several teams located on the East Coast and they have already come out and said they are exploring ways to bring Big Ten football closer to fans. Included in that discussion was potentially moving the conference championship away from Indianapolis so these discussions are happening.
While UCLA shouldn’t worry about being sent to Ireland as it wouldn’t make logistical sense. If the Big Ten and the ACC come to an agreement to have one team from each conference play each other in the season-opener to kick off the season, UCLA could be thrown into a rotation they wouldn’t be able to escape.
The ACC may want to agree. They need more conference prestige, their game in Ireland drew almost 48,000 fans, and they have popular characters like North Carolina’s Bill Belichick and Boston College’s Bill O’Brien.
The Big Ten gets to market their brand and universities in Europe and they don’t have to eat the full weight of the costs.
Wild concept indeed, but never doubt the lengths humans will pursue for the almighty dollar.
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