The Emerald Isle Classic was the first NCAA-sanctioned American college football game played on the European continent. The game was played at Lansdowne Road in Dublin, Ireland in the years 1988 and 1989. In 2012, the game will return to Aviva Stadium in Dublin as Navy faces off against Notre Dame. It also marks the largest ever contingent of traveling fans for a stand-alone sporting event outside the U.S., with over 33,000 making the trip to Ireland. The game and surrounding events are set to provide an economic benefit to Ireland of up to €100 million.
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