ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) The college football season opener between
Notre Dame and Navy has been moved out of Ireland because of the
cornavirus pandemic.
The Irish and Midshipmen were scheduled to meet in Dublin on Aug.
29, but instead will seek to play at the Naval Academy during the
Labor Day weekend. The decision to move the venue came after
discussions between the Irish government, medical authorities and
the leadership teams at Navy and Notre Dame.
”Our priority must be ensuring the health and safety of all
involved,” Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk said. ”I am
expecting that we will still be able to play Notre Dame as our
season opener, but there is still much to be determined by health
officials and those that govern college football at large.”
Notre Dame and Navy planned to stage the 94th consecutive
installment of the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in the
United States at Aviva Stadium in Ireland. Instead, the schools
will strive to play at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in
Annapolis, Maryland, on Sept. 5 or 6. This will be the first time
the Fighting Irish will play at Navy’s 34,000-seat stadium. The
game is usually played at a larger alternative site when the
Midshipmen host.
”College football is one of the greatest spectacles in world sport
and we had been thoroughly looking forward to welcoming Navy and
Notre Dame here this summer,” said Leo Varadkar, the Prime
Minister of Ireland. ”Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond
our control, that is now not possible. But we hope to see both
universities return to Aviva Stadium in the coming years.”
The Navy-Notre Dame game at Aviva Stadium in 2012 attracted more
than 35,000 fans from the United States. An estimated 40,000 people
were expected to travel overseas this year’s matchup.
”Our student-athletes have had great experiences competing in
Ireland and are very disappointed not to be returning to Dublin in
2020,” Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said. ”The
change of venue has been a very difficult decision for our
colleagues at the Naval Academy, but we are in full support of
their choice. We look forward to going back to Ireland for a game
in the not too distant future.”
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