American football is back and it is bigger than ever as Ireland is set to welcome another delegation of travelling players and fans next summer. The Dublin High School Football Showcase returns in 2020 to illustrate what makes American football such an entertaining sport, and aims to pick up a few new supporters along the way.
The event, organised by Global Football, will see a selection of high school teams playing against each other in venues across the city. In previous years, matches have taken place in Parnell Park, Donnybrook Stadium and the UCD Bowl. An estimated 35,000 fans are expected to travel from the United States alongside the teams.
“College football is one of the greatest spectacles in world sport”
The teams will also be brought on a number of tours and trips during their time in Dublin, hoping to get a taste of Irish culture during their brief time outside of the US. There will also be a parade through the city, complete with marching bands and cheerleaders, as the teams and their supporters make their way to a traditional American pep rally.
The Showcase will be held in association with the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, and all high school players will be invited to attend the clash between Notre Dame and Navy on August 29th 2020, in the Aviva Stadium. A similar fixture took place in 2016 between Georgia Tech and Boston College, with Georgia taking the victory by the narrowest of margins.
The Classic is one of five matches due to take place before the end of 2024. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced the event in September 2018 and is slated to add approximately €250 million to the Irish economy. Speaking at the announcement, Varadkar showed his delight at the sport’s growth in Ireland in recent years, “College football is one of the greatest spectacles in world sport […]Major games such as this one showcase Ireland as a location for international events and tournaments and put our world-leading hospitality and tourism sector front and centre”.
Individual tickets for both the Showcase and the Classic are set to go on sale in early 2020.