AMES — Iowa State will play its first-ever football game outside of the United States when it opens the 2025 season against Kansas State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, August 23, 2025, at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
“We are extremely grateful for this opportunity presented to us by Aer Lingus to provide the young men in our football program an unrivaled educational, cultural and athletic experience,” said Jamie Pollard, Iowa State’s Director of Athletics. “Iowa State fans enjoy a tremendous reputation for following the Cyclones wherever they play, and we look forward to seeing them travel with us to The Emerald Isle for the 2025 season-opener.”
The Cyclones and Wildcats will meet for the 108th time on November 30, 2024, in Ames to close the 2024 regular season. Both teams will then play on Week Zero of the 2025 campaign with the sixth college football game ever played at Dublin’s 48,000-seat Aviva Stadium, the first in Ireland to feature Big 12 Conference institutions and the first-ever meeting between the longtime rivals in a season-opener.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for the Big 12 Conference to play one of its classic rivalries on a global stage while showcasing our University and its football program,” said ISU head coach Matt Campbell. “We are honored that Aer Lingus selected the Cyclones to participate in this prestigious game, which will afford a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our student-athletes to experience international travel while also helping to grow the game of college football outside of the United States.”
It will mark the first time since 1997, the Big 12’s second season, that Iowa State has opened its football season with a league contest and the earliest date ever that the Cyclones have kicked off the season.
The Aer Lingus College Football Classic aims to bring American college football to Ireland annually to promote Ireland as a travel destination, and 2025 will be the fourth-consecutive season that college football begins its season with a game in Dublin. Florida State and Georgia Tech will kick off the 2024 campaign in Ireland with an excess of 21,000 U.S. fans traveling overseas for game week. ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot will be on hand for the Aer Lingus Classic, broadcasting live from Dublin on Saturday, August 24.
“We are thrilled to welcome Iowa State and Kansas State to Dublin for the 2025 Aer Lingus Classic,” said John Anthony, Co-Founder of the Aer Lingus Classic and Executive VP, Collegiate of On Location. “Kicking off the season with this classic Big 12 Conference rivalry game will bring a heightened level of excitement to another expected sell out Aviva Stadium.
“This matchup was selected because of the high-quality play from both teams, as well as the passionate fan bases that follow them,” he added. “We look forward to providing the experience of a lifetime to the student-athletes and their loyal fans who travel to Ireland. Special thanks to Coach Campbell and Jamie Pollard for embracing this special opportunity for all of Iowa State University.”
Aviva Stadium, which opened in 2010, was built on the site where historic Lansdowne Stadium once stood. Previous college football games played in Aviva Stadium include a pair of Notre Dame-Navy games (2012 and 2023), a Georgia Tech-Boston College game in 2016 and the 2022 Nebraska-Northwestern game. All-told, the ISU-KSU football game will be the 10th played on Irish soil.
“I welcome the news that Kansas State University and Iowa State University have been chosen to play the fourth match in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic series”, said Catherine Martin, Ireland’s Minister for Tourism. “This event is now a firm fixture in the Irish sporting calendar and provides a huge boost to tourism and hospitality in Ireland and indeed creates a great atmosphere in Dublin for visitors and locals alike. We look forward to welcoming the teams and supporters to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and beyond, as they go on to explore other parts of Ireland, in August 2025.”
As title sponsor, Aer Lingus is responsible for transporting the teams and their delegations to Dublin on dedicated chartered flights. Aer Lingus, the Irish flag carrier, operates from 17 North America destinations direct to Ireland as well as offer seamless connections to Europe for U.S. travelers via its hub at Dublin airport.
“The Aer Lingus College Football Classic provides us with a unique opportunity to drive awareness of the Aer Lingus brand in our key North American market,” said Susanne Carberry, Aer Lingus Chief Customer Officer. “We have a proud history of connecting the U.S. and Ireland – flying to 17 destinations in North America this summer – and we are committed to growing this transatlantic network so we can continue connecting North America to Ireland and Europe through our Dublin hub.
“The Aer Lingus Classic draws substantial numbers of American visitors and gives the opportunity to showcase Ireland as a destination through this exciting event,” Carberry said. “We look forward to welcoming both the Kansas State and Iowa State teams to Ireland for the game in 2025.”
