Fans touchdown in Dublin for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic as excitement builds across city

The countdown is now on for the 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic (ALCFC) between Georgia Tech and Florida State University, as over 25,000 US fans begin to touchdown this week in Dublin ahead of the big sell-out game. The game itself will kick off at 5 pm in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday 24th August, marking the opening fixture or Week Zero of the 2024 College Football season.

The game is a sell-out with over 47,000 tickets sold. All attendees are encouraged to make their way to their seats by 4.30 pm, to soak up the excitement and razzmatazz that the pre-game spectacle will bring.

As title sponsor of the game Aer Lingus will be transporting both teams, their delegations and equipment to Dublin this week on special charter flights ahead of the game.

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic is #MuchMoreThanAGame; it’s a celebration of football, business links and culture. There are events taking place across Dublin from Wednesday, 21^st August to Sunday 25^th August, offering a diverse range of entertainment options for fans and locals alike. Smithfield Square is also set to be renamed ‘Seminoles Square’ for the weekend, which will host the Florida State University fans ahead of the game.

Although tickets for this year’s game are fully sold out, fans can still get involved in the fun as there are plenty of other events taking place across the city. The Global Ireland Football Tournament 2024 (GIFT), a tripleheader of games are taking place in Energia Park, Donnybrook, on Friday 23^rd August, headed by top US high school squads from Florida, New Hampshire and Texas as well as a matchup between the U19 Irish Wolfhounds and Team GB.

There are a series of events such as pep rallies, medical summits, business, sporting, networking, community and academic events also planned around Dublin throughout the week. A full schedule of activities for the week along with tickets for purchase to the high school football games (GIFT) are available through the Official Game Week App.

TG4 has also confirmed that the station will broadcast the 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic, marking the first time the match will be broadcast live on free-to-air television in Ireland, while Sky Sports will cover the game in the UK.

Below is a highlight of the key events and pep rallies taking place on the run-up to Game Day.

Thursday 22^nd August

• Global Ireland Football Tournament (G.I.F.T.) High School Pep Rally & Parade at Merrion Square at 4pm.
• AIMS – American Irish Medial Summit, a collaboration between medical professionals, leaders and innovators from the United States and Ireland.
• com, who have been covering Florida State Sports since the mid- 90’s, will be broadcasting live from Bulmers Live @ Leopardstown Race Festival from 6pm

Friday 23^rd August

• The G.I.F.T. games will commence on the eve of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. With the first game kicking off at 12 noon.
• American Football Clinics: Georgia Tech will be coaching Ballyboden St Enda’s GAA from 2-3 pm and Florida State will be coaching at Kilmacud Crokes GAA from 4.45-6.15 pm
• FSU Rugby match V Trinity 6-8pm in College Park, Trinity College Dublin.
• Georgia Tech Helluva Block Party (Pep Rally) at Merrion Square from 3 pm.
• FSU Pep Rally at Smithfield Square (renamed ‘Seminoles Square’) from 3.30 pm.
• Nat Coombs Podcast Live Show & Meet & Greet at Teeling Whiskey Distillery in Dublin at 5.30 pm.
• Warchant Live Broadcast at the Old Store House (Budweiser Tailgating Pub) from 6 pm.
• FSU Radio – Inside Seminole Football at the Temple Bar Inn (Budweiser Tailgating Pub) from 8 pm.
• Football Bromance Live Event at Buskers on the Ball (Budweiser Tailgating Pub) from 6 pm.

Saturday 24^th August – Game Day

• DCC Smithfield Fleadh, Smithfield Square from 12 pm.
• As part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, official beer partner Budweiser will be transforming your favourite pubs into the perfect tailgate experience with specific pubs dedicated to Georgia Tech, Florida State as well as The Aer Lingus College Football Classic in general.
• Check out the Official Game App for all of the tailgating pubs in the ‘Pubs’ section.

Sunday 25^th August

• The Ultimate Irish Experience at Kildare Village – Enjoy an exclusive Irish experience in Kildare Village with more than 100 boutiques along with a host of activities. Complimentary transport available for attendees. Head over to the Official Game App for more details.

For all attendees looking for information on getting to and from Aviva Stadium, including details on walking routes, public transportation, and parking, please download the Official Game Week App.