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Northwestern will open 2022 football season in Ireland vs. NebraskaSun-Times staffon May 20, 2021 at 3:43 pm

Northwestern will open the 2022 season against Nebraska in Dublin, Ireland. | Nam Y. Huh/AP

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic will be played Aug. 27, 2022. The matchup was originally supposed to be played Oct. 8, 2022, in Evanston.

Northwestern will open the 2022 football season against Nebraska in Dublin, Ireland, the school announced Thursday morning.

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic will be played Aug. 27, 2022. The matchup was originally supposed to be played Oct. 8, 2022, in Evanston.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our entire University community, from student-athletes to coaches, alumni and fans,” Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald said in a statement. “We are thrilled that our program will get to experience the beautiful Irish culture, while we continue to help grow the game of college football on a global stage. It’s an honor to be included in this once-in-a-lifetime event, and we can’t wait to have the Northwestern faithful join us in one of the world’s most amazing settings.”

The Cornhuskers were scheduled to play Illinois in Dublin this year, but that game was moved to Champaign because of COVID-19 concerns.

“The past year has been a very difficult one for us all in Ireland and in the United States. With our vaccination rollout advancing at pace, we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel, and we can begin to look forward with optimism to welcoming visitors safely back to our shores,” Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said in a statement released by NU. “When we do, we will have a very special welcome ready for the teams and their supporters when they visit us for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.”