College football is back, and there's no better way to kick off the 2023 season than with a game across the Atlantic Ocean and into the land of the Irish.
No. 13 Notre Dame and Navy will begin the Week 0 slate Saturday when they play at Aviva Stadium in Dublin in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. One of the longest played rivalries on the East Coast, this year's meeting between the Fighting Irish and Midshipmen will be the 96th time they face off, and third time they will take their game to Ireland. It will also be the second consecutive year the college football season begins in Ireland after Northwestern beat Nebraska in Dublin in 2022.
Here's what to know for the 2023 Aer Lingus College Football Classic:
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The game kicks off Week 0 on Saturday, Aug. 26. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. in Ireland).
The game will air on NBC, and it can also be streamed on Peacock.
Notre Dame and Navy first played in 1927 and have met every year since then, with the exception of the 2020 COVID-19 shortened season. It's a series dominated by the Fighting Irish, as the team leads the series 79-13-1. Notre Dame has won the past five meetings.
The two teams have taken their series all over the country, playing as West as San Diego and East as New Jersey. They've played in Dublin twice, in 1996 and 2012, both of which were Notre Dame wins (54–27 in 1996, 50–10 in 2012.)
Expectations are high for Notre Dame once again, especially as the Fighting Irish finished last season winning six of their last seven games, including a Gator Bowl win against South Carolina. All eyes will be on quarterback Sam Hartman, as the Wake Forest transfer was one of the most highly sought transfers. He was the No. 1 quarterback and No. 7 player overall in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports.
It'll be a new look at the helm for Navy, as former defensive coordinator Brian Newberry is the head coach after Ken Niumatalolo and the Midshipmen parted ways after 15 seasons. The offense will still have its triple option attack, but it won't exactly be the same style the team has been known for, as there will be more passing plays than past years. The team will hope success will be back soon, as it hasn't reached a bowl game since going 11-2 in 2019.
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