The Pitt Panthers and the Wisconsin Badgers will open the 2027 season in Ireland, both schools announced on Tuesday.
The game, dubbed the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, will be played at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday, August 28, 2027, which is Week Zero that season. Pitt will be the designated home team for the contest.
“This is an absolutely tremendous opportunity for our football program, not only athletically but also culturally,” Pitt Director of Athletics Heather Lyke said. “Visiting a new continent will be a life-changing experience for our student-athletes. The trip to Ireland will be something that members of our program—student-athletes, coaches, staff and also our tremendous donors and fans—will always remember. Pitt football will have this memorable international exposure along with the benefit of a national Week Zero television audience.”
Pitt was originally scheduled to host Wisconsin at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Sept., 11, 2027. The game, now moved to Ireland, is the second of a home-and-home series that begins at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisc., on Sept. 19, 2026.
“What an honor it is for our Panthers to receive an invitation to play in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin,” said Pat Narduzzi, Pitt’s Chris Bickell ’97 Head Football Coach. “As a coach, you want the young men in your program to have impactful personal experiences, on and off the field. I am grateful our team will have the opportunity to play in this special game against a great opponent like Wisconsin.”
Pitt’s last football game played outside the United States was on Dec. 2, 1989 in the Emerald Isle Classic at Landsdowne Road Stadium in Dublin. The Panthers defeated Rutgers in that contest, 46-29.
“It’s exciting for our student-athletes, their families and our fans who will be able to have such a unique experience,” Wisconsin director of athletics Chris McIntosh said. “We talk all the time about the opportunities available to the student-athletes at Wisconsin and this is another example. Visiting another country and playing a quality opponent will be memorable for all involved and we are looking forward to it!”
Wisconsin has only played outside the U.S. once previously. The Badgers defeated Michigan State 41-20 in the 1993 Coca-Cola Bowl in Tokyo, Japan.
“We look forward to welcoming two respected universities in the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Wisconsin and their notable football programs to Dublin in 2027,” said Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. “We anticipate an exciting week of leisure, business, academic and sporting events leading up to the game in line with our ‘Much More Than A Game’ ethos.”
Pitt-Wisconsin will be the sixth college football game played at Aviva Stadium following Notre Dame-Navy (2012 and 2023), Georgia Tech-Boston College (2016), Northwestern-Nebraska (2022), and Florida State-Georgia Tech (2024).
“We look forward to welcoming two respected universities in the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Wisconsin and their notable football programs to Dublin in 2027,” said Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. “We anticipate an exciting week of leisure, business, academic and sporting events leading up to the game in line with our ‘Much More Than A Game’ ethos.”
“Dublin is now the International home of College Football and we are proud to welcome Pitt and Wisconsin to the Emerald Isle in 2027,” said Daithí de Róiste, The Lord Mayor of Dublin. “These games are a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase all that Dublin City has to offer. There are strong, historic links with Pittsburgh and Ireland and this game will seek to further strengthen them.”
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