Where is TCU vs North Carolina being played? What to know of Aer Lingus Classic
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TCU and North Carolina have the honors of kicking off the 2026 college football season with the first game of Week 0. The game is the latest of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
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Both teams will start new quarterbacks in 2026, with the Horned Frogs replacing Indiana transfer Josh Hoover with Harvard transfer Jaden Craig, who’s making the move up to FBS from the FCS ranks. The Tar Heels, meanwhile, will start Wisconsin transfer Billy Edwards, who won a close competition over Texas A&M transfer Miles O’Neill.
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Second-year coach Bill Belichick is hoping the wheels don’t fall off in Year 2 at the helm, especially after leading a 4-8 record in his first season of college football. It won’t help that UNC is without general manager Michael Lombardi and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, Belichick’s son, for the time being.
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Conversely, TCU is coming off back-to-back 9-4 finishes, and is hoping it can make another run to Big 12 contention like it did in 2022 when it reached the national championship game.
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Here’s everything to know of TCU vs. North Carolina in Week 0, which won’t be played remotely close to either school’s home stadiums.
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Where is TCU vs North Carolina being played?
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TCU and North Carolina are going international for their Week 0 matchup and first game of the 2026 college football season. The two Power Four opponents will face off at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, as part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
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It’s the second game of a home-and-home series with the two schools, after TCU demolished North Carolina 48-14 on the road in Belichick’s debut last season. Of course, the second game of the series won’t be played in Fort Worth.
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What is the Aer Lingus College Football Classic?
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The Aer Lingus College Football Classic revived in 2022, the first game of which saw Northwestern defeated Nebraska, and has since been the first game of the season in Dublin.
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The game is played during Week 0, before most college football teams kick off their season in Week 1. Next year’s game has also already been announced, with Wisconsin and Pittsburgh facing off to start the 2027 season.
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Here’s a look at the most recent Aer Lingus College Football Classic games:
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- 2022: Northwestern 31, Nebraska 28
- 2023: Notre Dame 42, Navy 3
- 2024: Georgia Tech 24, Florida State 21
- 2025: Iowa State 24, Kansas State 21
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When is TCU vs North Carolina?
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TCU vs. North Carolina is set for a noon ET start time on Saturday, Aug. 29, from Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
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- Date: Saturday, Aug. 29
- Time: Noon ET
- Location: Aviva Stadium (Dublin)
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where is TCU vs North Carolina being played? What to know of Aer Lingus Classic
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