Months of rumors were confirmed on Sunday with the announcement that the Nittany Lion football team will travel to Dublin, Ireland next fall to open the 2014 season in the Croke Park Classic. Penn State will meet Central Florida on Aug. 30 at Croke Park, the iconic home of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The matchup marks the Lions’ first ever international game.
Tour packages, presented by the Alumni Association and the Nittany Lion Club, are available now at psu.crokeparkclassic.com.
Ireland has played host to seven American college football games, most recently last year’s matchup of Navy and Notre Dame. That game was played at the newer Aviva Stadium, but Croke Park—the ground has been used to host sporting events since the 1880s—might feel more at home for Penn State fans used to classic venues. Built up over the years and renovated in 2004, Croke has been packed to capacity (a little more than 82,000) for everything from rugby matches to U2 concerts. Capacity for Penn State-UCF will be 69,000.
The Nittany Lions’ 2014 game against Temple, originally scheduled for Aug. 30, has been moved to Nov. 15.
Entry filed under: Alumni Association. Tags: Central Florida, Croke Park Classic, Dublin, Ireland.
I fail to understand why this effort ($$$$) is important and how it helps the football program or the University (and I’m Irish). Someone please explain why this is a “Big Deal”.
Not to speak for Bill O’Brien or anyone in the athletic administration, but it seems that, with no possibility of a bowl game for the next three years, the motivation is to give players and fans an “event” game in a unique destination.
Already made a down payment.
Thanks for your response, however, we have season tickets and unlike Thomas, I will not be going to Ireland.