Down's Charlie Smyth is the pathfinder with the New Orleans Saints and former Buffalo Bills coach believes more will follow
Down's Charlie Smyth is the pathfinder with the New Orleans Saints and former Buffalo Bills coach believes more will follow14 July 2026; Pictured is American Football Broadcaster and Olympic hopeful Phoebe Schecter as the Aer Lingus College Football Classic returns to Dublin this summer taking centre stage at Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 29 August 2026.
The matchup will see the TCU Horned Frogs face the UNC Tar Heels in what promises to be another unforgettable chapter for the event. Now entering its fifth consecutive year as the NCAA's prestigious Week 0 opener, the Aer Lingus College Football Classic has firmly established Dublin as the European home of college football, welcoming world-class teams, passionate travelling fans and an incredible atmosphere to the city each year.
This will also be the only NCAA game or NFL game played in Ireland in 2026. TCU arrives in Dublin following a strong season, capped by victory in the 2025 Alamo Bowl, while UNC begins an exciting new era under legendary head coach Bill Belichick. Both programmes boast rich sporting traditions and have produced some of the biggest names in American football and beyond, setting the stage for an unmissable opening weekend to the college football season.
Tickets go on sale now via the link - www. Ticketmaster.ie/collegefootball. #MuchMoreThanAGame #TouchdownDublin #TouchdownIreland. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile *** NO REPRODUCTION FEE ***Former NFL coach Phoebe Schecter reckons American Football scouts could follow Aussie Rules recruiters by checking out the GAA market in search of the next Charlie Smyth.
The New Orleans place kicker started his sporting career with Down’s Gaelic footballers before the Saints discovered him through the NFL’s international player pathway programme. Smyth then landed two last-gasp kicks to win matches for the Saints last season - one from 56 yards, the next from 47 yards - bagging a fresh three-year deal in the process.
And Schecter - who is also a gamechanger after becoming the first British woman to coach at a NFL franchise - is convinced there will be more Irish talent headhunted in the future.
“And right across the NFL, conversations will be ongoing. ‘Can we get someone who can kick 60-yard field goals? ’ Because if you can find that player, that person who can kick, your gameplan can change.
“And I have no doubt there is. “I have seen Gaelic football and hurling. They are two incredible sports. Skills are transferable from those sports to football.
Rugby is the same.
“To be able to kick the ball huge distances, that is an incredible skill and it can be so useful in a football context. “So, I would imagine scouts would be interested in getting players to come through the College system, too - not just the International Pathway Programme.
” American Football Broadcaster Phoebe Schecter was at the Aviva Stadium yesterday to promote the Aer Lingus College Football Classic whichreturns to Dublin on Click here to sign up to our sport newsletter, bringing you the top stories and biggest headlines from Ireland and beyond
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