Nebraska to open 2022 football season against Northwestern in Ireland | KLIN

The Battle of NUs is going international.

Just a season after Nebraska’s football season opener with Illinois in Ireland was called off due to health and safety concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Huskers have re-planned the trip with Northwestern as the opponent.

“We are excited to reschedule the trip to Ireland for our football program,” Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos said. “The young men in our program have been looking forward to this trip and we are happy to provide them this memorable experience. I know our great Husker fan base will be excited as well and the opportunity to travel to Ireland to see their team compete on an international stage will truly be special.

“I also want to thank Irish American Events for being a great partner throughout this process the past couple years. We were pleased Northwestern was willing to move a home game to Ireland and look forward to a great season opener in Ireland in 2022.”

The original date of the game was at Northwestern on October 8, but will now be moved to August 7 at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, marking the second consecutive seasons that the Huskers will open on Week Zero. This will also be Nebraska’s first game outside the United States since taking on Kansas State in the 1992 Coca-Cola Bowl in Tokyo, Japan.

“The trip to Ireland provides great exposure for the Nebraska football program and a unique experience for our players and Husker fans,” Nebraska Head 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 great cultural opportunity for our young men to visit a part of the world that most of them have not seen.”

The winner of the game in Ireland earns the Keough-Naughton trophy that bears the names of two powerhouses of Irish America, Don Keough and Martin Naughton.

“The announcement of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic for August 2022 is really good news,” said Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s Executive Vice President – North America & Australia. “As we get ready to restart international tourism to the island of Ireland, the game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Nebraska Huskers will deliver a very welcome boost for tourism from the United States, with about 23,000 people expected to travel here from the US and Europe.

Tickets are available now through a a hospitality package at CollegeFootballIreland.com. The package includes a $250 deposit.

After Northwestern to open the 2022 season, Nebraska returns to Lincoln for three consecutive home non-conference games: North Dakota (September 3), Georgia Southern (September 10), and Oklahoma (September 17).