CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – College football is set to return on Saturday, August 24, and two Atlantic Coast Conference teams will be featured in the premier matchup of the opening weekend. Georgia Tech and No. 10 Florida State will square off in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland, beginning at noon ET on ESPN.
Georgia Tech will be playing in its second Aer Lingus College Football Classic when it meets the Seminoles in Dublin. The Yellow Jackets previously defeated ACC-rival Boston College, 17-14, in the first-ever Aer Lingus College Football Classic on September 3, 2016.
After winning the ACC Championship in 2023, Florida State has been selected by the media as the favorites to repeat as league champions in 2024. The Seminoles will be playing their first-ever international contest, while also matching the earliest Florida State has ever played its season opener. The Seminoles begin the 2024 season ranked inside the Associated Press top 10 for the 17th consecutive poll.
Georgia Tech and Florida State will square off at Aviva Stadium, which typically plays host to the Irish Rugby Union Team and the Republic of Ireland soccer team. Previously, Aviva Stadium has hosted the 2011 and 2023 UEFA Europa League finals and also the 2011 Nations Cup. With a capacity of 51,711, the stadium has also hosted concerts for the likes of Billy Joel, AC/DC, The Eagles, Madonna and Taylor Swift. Notre Dame and Navy set the football attendance record for Aviva Stadium at 49,000 in 2023.
No conference has played in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic more than the ACC. Since it’s inception in 2016 and becoming an annual event in 2022, the ACC has sent four teams to compete in Ireland, while the Big Ten has seen two teams play internationally and the American Athletic Conference and FBS Independents have each played once in Dublin.
- Sept. 3, 2016 – Georgia Tech 17, Boston College 14
- August 27, 2022 – Northwestern 31, Nebraska 28
- August 26, 2023 – Notre Dame 42, Navy 3
- August 24, 2024 – Georgia Tech vs. No. 10 Florida State
Boston College played in the first-ever college football game in Ireland, defeating Army, 38-24, on November 19, 1988. One year later, the 24th-ranked Pitt Panthers defeated Rutgers by a score of 46-29.
Pitt is scheduled to return to Ireland on August…
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