“Something We’ll Be Proud of Forever”
May 20, 2024 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Although the 2025 Aer Lingus College Football Classic between Kansas State and Iowa State was 463 days away, the premier Week Zero college football game and world-class experience in Dublin, Ireland, seemed closer as K-State Athletics Director Gene Taylor and head coach Chris Klieman were joined by Aer Lingus Classic Co-Founder John Anthony and Consulate General of Ireland Robert Hull at a news conference Friday at the Vanier Family Football Complex.
Excitement continues to build as K-State Nation is headed to The Emerald Isle to face Big 12 Conference rival Iowa State on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at Aviva Stadium.
"I can't tell you how excited we are to be a part of this game," Taylor said. "I've seen the games over there. I've seen the national exposure that game brings to the programs that play in it. Then to play an opponent like Iowa State where both fan bases travel really, really well, and they both love their programs, I think our representation in Ireland is going to be phenomenal."
The game between K-State and Iowa State will be the first ever Big 12 matchup in Ireland, the fourth edition of the Aer Lingus Classic, and the 10th college football game all-time played in Ireland.
K-State comes off a 9-4 season and finished ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 Poll. The Wildcats are projected to enter the 2024 season in the top 25 again.
K-State is the only current Big 12 program and one of 11 FBS programs to win at least eight games in each of the past three seasons.
"Why K-State?" Anthony said. "Simply put, it's a combination of football quality and fan quantity. You're playing really high-quality football, and we've noticed that, and that's what we want, and your fans are so loyal, rabid and strong that they follow you everywhere you go.
"That's the formula we're looking for."
This will mark K-State's second international game in history and its first since playing Nebraska in the 1992 Tokyo Bowl in Japan. But never before in K-State's 128-year history of football have we seen a 4,123-mile journey to a 47,000-capacity stadium nestled in a downtown venue thriving with popular spots for gatherers and fans.
The attendance at Aviva Stadium for the 2023 Aer Lingus Classic between Notre Dame and Navy was a sellout at 49,000, including 39,176 Americans — a world record for the largest number of Americans to travel internationally for a single sporting event. The stadium also hosted college football games in 2012, 2016 and 2022.
On September 1, 2012, the stadium hosted a college football game between Notre Dame and Navy. Georgia Tech and Boston College played there on September 3, 2016. Nebraska played Northwestern there in 2022. Notre Dame played Navy again on August 25, 2023.
The stadium will host the "Week Zero" season opener between Georgia Tech and Florida State on August 24.
"It's hard to contain our excitement," Anthony said. "We're so thrilled to have K-State in this game. We've had our eyes on you for many years. So now here it is, a reality, and special thanks to Coach. Anyone who's worked with football coaches, you understand how their thinking might go on these things, but at the end of a thorough conversation he quickly saw the value for his team to have a transformational experience.
"Thank you very much for accepting this invitation."
Anthony added: "Our tagline for the Aer Lingus Classic is 'Much More Than a Game.'"
A place known as Dominium Hiberniae, some 248 years old, is known as Ireland today, and is lush with parks, groves, and long stony beaches in Dublin. The place rings with Celtic ballads, brims with Irish Stew, and is ripe with rolling green hills. There's the Dublin Castle, Kilmainham Gaol and the Little Museum of Dublin. There's the National Gallery of Ireland, the Long Room Library, and St. Patrick's Cathedral.
"We can assure you that you'll have a fantastic, world-class experience in Ireland," Hull said. "The island of Ireland is a truly wonderful place to visit. Our scenery is stunning, our people are friendly and welcoming, our countryside is green, and our rugged coastline will take your breath away.
"The good news is it's never been easier to get to Ireland. There are direct flights at 18 different gateway destinations. We really look forward in 2025 to extending a very warm welcome to K-State and to all your fans."
Aviva Stadium, which features Perennial Ryegrass, is home to the Irish rugby union team and the Republic of Ireland football team. It's the oldest rugby union ground in the world. The stadium occupies the site of the former Lansdowne Road Stadium, which was founded in 1872 and demolished in 2007. Aviva Stadium, which was inaugurated on May 15, 2010, is located beside Lansdowne Road railway station.
It's a bowl-shaped structure located in central Dublin in the Ballsbridge area, about 2 kilometers from the city centre. Four tiers on three sides. General access on the lower and upper tiers, premium tickets on the second tier and corporate boxes on the third tier of the bowl.
The stadium is deep into the south side of Dublin, within walking distance of the city centre and O'Connell Bridge and is located in an area with good transport links. Buses arrive from Pembroke Road and Charlotte Quay; Subways from Charlemont and Point Village. The Dublin Area Rapid Transit zips in from Lansdowne Road directly to the stadium.
"I think about 120 kids, and it's just an opportunity for these guys to experience something that not a lot of college kids are going to be able to do, especially college football players, and have that opportunity to put Kansas State on that kind of a stage, and the fact that it is a conference game and it starts us off — it's been a long time since I've been a part of a conference opener to open a season," Klieman said. "And then to have it as a Week Zero (game). Everybody in the world is going to be watching that football game, and what a stage for the Big 12 and what a stage for K-State football."
K-State is famous for traveling well to destinations. It boasted the three largest crowds in the history of college football to cross the state line to watch their team play, and that record began with 45,000 fans that attended the Cotton Bowl.
"That week in Dublin will be unlike anything you've seen and more than you've seen at the Alamo Bowl or some of these great places," Anthony said. "It's like a bowl game but even cooler than a bowl game. To see the purple in Dublin when you take over that city is going to be one of the cooler things you've ever been a part of and something we'll be proud of forever."
Although the 2025 Aer Lingus College Football Classic between Kansas State and Iowa State was 463 days away, the premier Week Zero college football game and world-class experience in Dublin, Ireland, seemed closer as K-State Athletics Director Gene Taylor and head coach Chris Klieman were joined by Aer Lingus Classic Co-Founder John Anthony and Consulate General of Ireland Robert Hull at a news conference Friday at the Vanier Family Football Complex.
Excitement continues to build as K-State Nation is headed to The Emerald Isle to face Big 12 Conference rival Iowa State on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at Aviva Stadium.
"I can't tell you how excited we are to be a part of this game," Taylor said. "I've seen the games over there. I've seen the national exposure that game brings to the programs that play in it. Then to play an opponent like Iowa State where both fan bases travel really, really well, and they both love their programs, I think our representation in Ireland is going to be phenomenal."
The game between K-State and Iowa State will be the first ever Big 12 matchup in Ireland, the fourth edition of the Aer Lingus Classic, and the 10th college football game all-time played in Ireland.
K-State comes off a 9-4 season and finished ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 Poll. The Wildcats are projected to enter the 2024 season in the top 25 again.
K-State is the only current Big 12 program and one of 11 FBS programs to win at least eight games in each of the past three seasons.
"Why K-State?" Anthony said. "Simply put, it's a combination of football quality and fan quantity. You're playing really high-quality football, and we've noticed that, and that's what we want, and your fans are so loyal, rabid and strong that they follow you everywhere you go.
"That's the formula we're looking for."
This will mark K-State's second international game in history and its first since playing Nebraska in the 1992 Tokyo Bowl in Japan. But never before in K-State's 128-year history of football have we seen a 4,123-mile journey to a 47,000-capacity stadium nestled in a downtown venue thriving with popular spots for gatherers and fans.
The attendance at Aviva Stadium for the 2023 Aer Lingus Classic between Notre Dame and Navy was a sellout at 49,000, including 39,176 Americans — a world record for the largest number of Americans to travel internationally for a single sporting event. The stadium also hosted college football games in 2012, 2016 and 2022.
On September 1, 2012, the stadium hosted a college football game between Notre Dame and Navy. Georgia Tech and Boston College played there on September 3, 2016. Nebraska played Northwestern there in 2022. Notre Dame played Navy again on August 25, 2023.
The stadium will host the "Week Zero" season opener between Georgia Tech and Florida State on August 24.
"It's hard to contain our excitement," Anthony said. "We're so thrilled to have K-State in this game. We've had our eyes on you for many years. So now here it is, a reality, and special thanks to Coach. Anyone who's worked with football coaches, you understand how their thinking might go on these things, but at the end of a thorough conversation he quickly saw the value for his team to have a transformational experience.
"Thank you very much for accepting this invitation."
Anthony added: "Our tagline for the Aer Lingus Classic is 'Much More Than a Game.'"
A place known as Dominium Hiberniae, some 248 years old, is known as Ireland today, and is lush with parks, groves, and long stony beaches in Dublin. The place rings with Celtic ballads, brims with Irish Stew, and is ripe with rolling green hills. There's the Dublin Castle, Kilmainham Gaol and the Little Museum of Dublin. There's the National Gallery of Ireland, the Long Room Library, and St. Patrick's Cathedral.
"We can assure you that you'll have a fantastic, world-class experience in Ireland," Hull said. "The island of Ireland is a truly wonderful place to visit. Our scenery is stunning, our people are friendly and welcoming, our countryside is green, and our rugged coastline will take your breath away.
"The good news is it's never been easier to get to Ireland. There are direct flights at 18 different gateway destinations. We really look forward in 2025 to extending a very warm welcome to K-State and to all your fans."
Aviva Stadium, which features Perennial Ryegrass, is home to the Irish rugby union team and the Republic of Ireland football team. It's the oldest rugby union ground in the world. The stadium occupies the site of the former Lansdowne Road Stadium, which was founded in 1872 and demolished in 2007. Aviva Stadium, which was inaugurated on May 15, 2010, is located beside Lansdowne Road railway station.
It's a bowl-shaped structure located in central Dublin in the Ballsbridge area, about 2 kilometers from the city centre. Four tiers on three sides. General access on the lower and upper tiers, premium tickets on the second tier and corporate boxes on the third tier of the bowl.
The stadium is deep into the south side of Dublin, within walking distance of the city centre and O'Connell Bridge and is located in an area with good transport links. Buses arrive from Pembroke Road and Charlotte Quay; Subways from Charlemont and Point Village. The Dublin Area Rapid Transit zips in from Lansdowne Road directly to the stadium.
"I think about 120 kids, and it's just an opportunity for these guys to experience something that not a lot of college kids are going to be able to do, especially college football players, and have that opportunity to put Kansas State on that kind of a stage, and the fact that it is a conference game and it starts us off — it's been a long time since I've been a part of a conference opener to open a season," Klieman said. "And then to have it as a Week Zero (game). Everybody in the world is going to be watching that football game, and what a stage for the Big 12 and what a stage for K-State football."
K-State is famous for traveling well to destinations. It boasted the three largest crowds in the history of college football to cross the state line to watch their team play, and that record began with 45,000 fans that attended the Cotton Bowl.
"That week in Dublin will be unlike anything you've seen and more than you've seen at the Alamo Bowl or some of these great places," Anthony said. "It's like a bowl game but even cooler than a bowl game. To see the purple in Dublin when you take over that city is going to be one of the cooler things you've ever been a part of and something we'll be proud of forever."
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