The 2024 college football season opened on Saturday with Week 0 action highlighted by Georgia Tech hitting a walk-off field goal to beat Florida State 24-21 in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. It was a “beautiful summer’s day” in Dublin, and the streets were “thronging with fans in the garnet and gold of Florida State and the navy and gold of Georgia Tech.” FSU fans “greatly outnumbered” those for GT. The pre-match festivities saw “plenty of American patriotism sprinkled with Irish flavour” (IRISH NEWS, 8/24).
Aer Lingus College Football Classic co-founder & Dir Padraic O’Kane estimated that about 25,000 Americans "travelled to Dublin specifically for the occasion" and that 47,500 people attended the sold-out game. O’Kane said, “It’s not just the 25,000 people that are in town with a huge economic benefit in Ireland -- we’re also on mainstream TV for nine hours in the US, and that can’t be bad for Ireland. The sport of American football is hugely growing here, both in participation and viewing.” Future matchups at Aviva Stadium include Iowa State-Kansas State in 2025 and Pitt-Wisconsin in 2027 (IRISH TIMES, 8/24).
Nick Saban made his debut on “College GameDay” on Saturday, with the show taking place in Dublin, and social media reaction appeared to be positive.
- The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel: “Saban is extremely good at his new job.”
- Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd: “You get what you pay for. Saban has a big presence and a good hair game today.”
- ACC Network’s Wes Durham: “Not even through his first full show...really like what Nick Saban brings to the table.”
- The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand: “Saban has started strong is in his College GameDay debut.”
