Northwestern, Nebraska to Open 2022 Season in Ireland

The pair of Big Ten programs will kick off the 2022 season on Aug. 27 at Dublin's Aviva Stadium.

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern and Nebraska will kick off the 2022 college football season at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. 

The Big Ten matchup will be held on Aug. 27, 2022.

"With our vaccination rollout advancing at pace, we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel, and we can begin to look forward with optimism to welcoming visitors safely back to our shores," Irish prime minister Micheál Martin said in a statement. "When we do, we will have a very special welcome ready for the teams and their supporters when they visit us for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic."

Nebraska was originally slated to open the 2021 season against Illinois in Dublin before the COVID-19 crisis. The '22 game vs. Northwestern will mark the Cornhuskers' first game outside the United States since 1992 when they faced Kansas State in Tokyo. 

"The trip to Ireland provides great exposure for the Nebraska football program and a unique experience for our players and Husker fans," Nebraska coach Scott Frost said. "Our primary focus for the trip will be to play a football game against an outstanding opponent in Northwestern."

"At the same time, this will be a great cultural opportunity for our young men to visit a part of the world that most of them have not seen."

Northwestern won the Big Ten West division in 2020 as it posted a 6–1 record. Nebraska limped to a 3–5 finish, marking the school's fourth straight losing season.