Iowa State football heads straight into a rivalry right in Week 0 of the 2025 college football season, as the No. 21-ranked Cyclones kick off their season against No. 20 Kansas State on Saturday.
But the rivalry matchup won’t be held on American soil.
Instead, the “Farmageddon” rivalry will take place in a stadium nearly 4,000 miles away, on an entirely different continent — one that has built quite a history with college football over the years.
Coming off an 11-3 campaign in 2024, which included losing the Big 12 title game to Arizona State to miss out on the College Football Playoff, Iowa State will take on Kansas State in Dublin at Aviva Stadium, as part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
The Cyclones and Wildcats’ showdown in Dublin is the first Big 12 Conference matchup to be played in Ireland, and the first time both teams will open the season against each other. Here’s what you need to know about why the Cyclones and Wildcats are playing in Dublin, including a brief history of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic:
Iowa State vs Kansas State location
The Week 0 college football game between Iowa State and Kansas State will be held at Aviva Stadium, which has a capacity of 47,000 seats in Dublin. Noted by an Iowa State news release in 2024, Aviva Stadium is the second-largest stadium in Ireland behind Choke Park (82,300), which is located just 10 minutes north of the stadium.
Why is Iowa State vs Kansas State in Ireland?
It’s not just because Iowa State and Kansas State randomly decided to pick up the Farmageddon rivalry and take it well across the ocean. There’s a business decision behind it.
Saturday’s contest between Iowa State and Kansas State is part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, a special college football game played in Ireland. It is the fourth consecutive season, and the fifth season overall, that the Aer Lingus College Football Classic will be played.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for the Big 12 Conference to play one of its classic rivalries on a global stage while showcasing our University and its football program,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said in the 2024 statement.
“We are honored that Aer Lingus selected the Cyclones to participate in this prestigious game, which will afford a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our student-athletes to experience international travel while also helping to grow the game of college football outside of the United States.”
As the Aer Lingus College Football Classic has shown in the past, there are numerous benefits for both universities and their programs to play the first college football game of the season in Ireland. It not only provides a unique experience for both fan bases, but also increases both programs and universities’ exposure to a global audience.
“We are thrilled to welcome Iowa State and Kansas State to Dublin for the 2025 Aer Lingus Classic,” said John Anthony, co-founder of the Aer Lingus Classic in a 2024 statement. “Kicking off the season with this classic Big 12 Conference rivalry game will bring a heightened level of excitement to another expected sell-out out Aviva Stadium.
“This matchup was selected because of the high-quality play from both teams, as well as the passionate fan bases that follow them. We look forward to providing the experience of a lifetime to the student-athletes and their loyal fans who travel to Ireland. Special thanks to Coach Campbell and Jamie Pollard for embracing this special opportunity for all of Iowa State University.”
What time is the Iowa State vs Kansas State game in Ireland?
The Iowa State vs. Kansas State football game in Ireland will kick off at 11 a.m. CT from Aviva Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 23.
Aer Lingus College Football Classic history
After debuting in 2016 with Georgia Tech and Boston College, the Aer Lingus College Football Classic returned six years later in 2022, when Northwestern won a nail-biter against Nebraska.
The Aer Lingus College Football Classic has since been played in Week 0 of the college football schedule. Last year’s Aer Lingus College Football Classic featured Aidan Birr hitting a 44-yard field goal as time expired to give Georgia Tech a 24-21 win over No. 10 Florida State.
The history of college football in Dublin (and Ireland), however, goes well beyond the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, as the first college football game played in Ireland was in 1988 between Boston College and Army. Two additional games were played in Ireland, in 1989 and 1996, before the sport returned to the country in 2012 (Notre Dame beat Navy 50-10).
Here’s a look at past scores from the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Ireland, along with a look at future games of the series:
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Why is Iowa State-KSU in Ireland? Game part of Aer Lingus College Football Classic
Reporting by John Leuzzi, USA TODAY NETWORK / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
