Boston College Athletics
Eagles Host Georgia Tech in Ireland in 2016
June 04, 2015 | Football
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Chestnut Hill, Mass. -- Boston College will host Georgia Tech in Dublin's Aviva Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 3 in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic to open the 2016 season. The game will be televised on ESPN2. It will be the third time in six years an American college football game will take place in Ireland and the second BC will play on the Emerald Isle.
The announcement was made in Dublin at a press conference attended by Prime Minister Enda Kenny. Boston College, the home team in the matchup, will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. in the Yawkey Athletics Center featuring William V. Campbell Director of Athletics Brad Bates, head football coach Steve Addazio and the Mayor of Boston, Martin J. Walsh. It will be streamed live on bceagles.com.
Aer Lingus was also announced as title sponsors for the game that will see the Eagles kick off the 2016-17 season against the Ramblin' Wreck. Tourism Ireland, Failte Ireland and Dublin City Council are also supporting the game.
Fans can purchase travel packages, which include tickets to the Eagles' season, opener by visiting BC2Ireland.com.
Boston College will be making its second visit to Ireland. In 1988, the Eagles defeated Army, 38-24, in front of 45,000 fans in the old Lansdowne Road Stadium in the Emerald Isle Classic. It was the first American football game played in Europe. In 2013, members of the 1988 team, including head coach Jack Bicknell reunited for the silver anniversary of the game and were honored on the field at Alumni Stadium during the BC-Army game.
The 2016 opener will be the first meeting between the Eagles and Yellow Jackets since Oct. 20, 2012, when Georgia Tech beat BC, 37-17, Atlanta. The Ramblin' Wreck hold a 6-2 series advantage as the Eagles earned wins in 1998 and 2007. The contest in Ireland will be the first in the series on neutral territory.
The tilt in Dublin is being organized by Irish American Events Ltd., a joint venture between Corporate.ie and Anthony Travel, who have been involved in the recent college football games in Ireland.
The 2016 Aer Lingus Football Classic is also part of the ACC Worldwide initiative that seeks to further the conference's member institutions internationally through promotion, marketing and athletic competition.
Football Bowl Division Games in Ireland
| 1988 | Lansdowne Road Stadium | Dublin | Boston College 38 | Army 24 |
| 1989 | Lansdowne Road Stadium | Dublin | Pittsburgh 46 | Rutgers 29 |
| 1996 | Croke Park | Dublin | Notre Dame 54 | Navy 27 |
| 2012 | Aviva Stadium | Dublin | Notre Dame 50 | Navy 10 |
| 2014 | Croke Park | Dublin | Penn State 26 | UCF 24 |
BC Head Football Coach Steve Addazio
"I know the young men on our team will remember this experience for a lifetime, and I'm so excited for them. They will get to explore a new country, be immersed in a new culture, and then play the first game on the opening Saturday of the college football season. It's great that we will get to share this experience with our conference friends from Georgia Tech. In BC and Georgia Tech, you have two outstanding academic institutions with great football traditions, and we are grateful for the opportunity to showcase our programs in Ireland."
BC William V. Campbell Director of Athletics Brad Bates
"The great people of Ireland have played a key role in the history of the city of Boston and Boston College. This event will offer a once-in-a-generation experience for our student-athletes, students, faculty, staff and university community and citizens of Boston. We are grateful to the Irish government and tourism officials, Aer Lingus and Anthony Travel representatives who have worked tirelessly to make this game possible."
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh
"During my time in Ireland, I saw firsthand how sports play an incredible role in bridging communities. I am thrilled that Boston College will have the opportunity to host Georgia Tech in Dublin next year, and look forward to rooting for my home team and alma mater."
Ireland Prime Minister Enda Kenny
"This is great news for Irish tourism and the economy; in 2012 and again last year, we witnessed a huge surge of US visitors to our shores for the Emerald Isle Classic and the Croke Park Classic and I have no doubt, particularly given Boston College's close links with this country, we will see another spectacular success in 2016. Sports tourism and events like this College Football game have become increasingly important as we build and develop our tourism industry and I want to thank Boston College President Fr. William Leahy for his support in making this game a reality."
Aer Lingus Chief Executive Stephen Kavanagh
"We are very proud to partner with Boston College and Georgia Tech for the Football Classic in 2016. Aer Lingus operates three daily services from Boston connecting to Ireland and beyond and we are delighted to support our local team. 2016 is a very special year for Aer Lingus as we will celebrate our 80th anniversary. We look forward to offering guests a warm welcome on board our flights, and we wish the organizers all the best in their preparations for what's promised to be a great sporting event."
Alison Metcalfe, Executive Vice President, North America Tourism Ireland
"This game will provide a further, very welcome boost for tourism next year, with approximately 20,000 people expected to travel from the United States to enjoy the game. It will undoubtedly be another great U.S. college football game for Dublin, and will provide great opportunities for fans to experience other unique vacation experiences throughout the island of Ireland. Tourism Ireland in the US is working closely with Anthony Travel, the official travel company for both colleges, and other travel partners, to ensure the game is a sellout. The Aer Lingus College Football Classic will be another great opportunity to showcase Dublin and Ireland, and the many attractions that the island of Ireland offers as a vacation destination."
ACC Worldwide
The Atlantic Coast Conference, which for over six decades has established itself as one of the strongest and most competitive intercollegiate conferences in the nation, is comprised of 15 universities that stand among the world's most renowned in higher education. Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest each have global reach with their brands, student populations and academic missions. ACC Worldwide seeks to further the conference's member institutions internationally through promotion, marketing and athletic competition. For more information visit: www.theacc.com/page/acc-worldwide.
