The 2020 College Football Classic between Navy and Notre Dame, scheduled for August 29th at the Aviva Stadium, is off due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Aer Lingus sponsored game to open the new season was due to attract an estimated 40,000 American supporters to Dublin, and the loss of the showpiece will herald a negative impact on the Irish economy in the region of €80 million, according to the Steering Committee of the game series.

This year's fixture will now take place at at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, USA.

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic series will now begin on August 28th 2011, when the University of Illinois play the University of Nebraska at the Aviva Stadium.

Ticket holders for Navy v Notre Dame will be contacted by their ticket provider over the coming days.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said:

“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 for the first game of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic Series. 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.”

“I want to personally thank both the Navy Athletics Director, Chet Gladchuk, and the Notre Dame Athletics Director, Jack Swarbrick, for their efforts to bring the game to Ireland and we hope to welcome both teams back in the near future.”

“Longer term, the Aer Lingus College Football Classic five-game series, now due to begin in 2021 with Illinois vs Nebraska at Aviva Stadium, will provide a significant economic boost for the Irish tourism and hospitality sector.”