University of North Carolina Athletics
2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic Set For Noon On ESPN
May 12, 2026 | Football
For the fifth consecutive year, the Aer Lingus College Football Classic will kick off the college football season, as the 2026 edition is set for Saturday, Aug. 29, at noon ET (5 p.m. local time) on ESPN with Carolina taking on TCU from Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
The contest will mark the first time the Tar Heels have played an international game in program history. The 2026 matchup against the Horned Frogs will be the fifth all-time meeting in the series and the first time the teams have met in consecutive seasons. UNC has won three of the four previous meetings between the programs.
Individual game tickets can be purchased at http://www.tarheels2ireland.com/. Tar Heel fans who have already purchased an official hotel or hospitality package have game tickets included in their packages, and do not need to purchase tickets during this sale.
Travel and hospitality packages, which include game tickets in UNC sections, are also still available. All-inclusive travel packages include premium game tickets (in-stadium hospitality available as an optional upgrade), luxury hotel accommodations, exclusive Tar Heels Welcome Experience and more. Game day hospitality packages include premium in-stadium hospitality with food and drinks and premium game tickets.
The Aer Lingus College Football Classic aims to bring American college football to Ireland each year to promote Irish-American relations and collaboration, and 2026 will mark the fifth consecutive season that college football begins its season with a game in Dublin.
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The contest will mark the first time the Tar Heels have played an international game in program history. The 2026 matchup against the Horned Frogs will be the fifth all-time meeting in the series and the first time the teams have met in consecutive seasons. UNC has won three of the four previous meetings between the programs.
Individual game tickets can be purchased at http://www.tarheels2ireland.com/. Tar Heel fans who have already purchased an official hotel or hospitality package have game tickets included in their packages, and do not need to purchase tickets during this sale.
Travel and hospitality packages, which include game tickets in UNC sections, are also still available. All-inclusive travel packages include premium game tickets (in-stadium hospitality available as an optional upgrade), luxury hotel accommodations, exclusive Tar Heels Welcome Experience and more. Game day hospitality packages include premium in-stadium hospitality with food and drinks and premium game tickets.
The Aer Lingus College Football Classic aims to bring American college football to Ireland each year to promote Irish-American relations and collaboration, and 2026 will mark the fifth consecutive season that college football begins its season with a game in Dublin.
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