Navy, Notre Dame won't play season opener in Ireland
Navy and Notre Dame will not open their 2020 schedules with an Aug. 29 matchup in Dublin due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the programs announced Tuesday.
The 94th game of the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in the U.S. will instead be held for the first time at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, with Labor Day weekend the targeted date.
"We are obviously disappointed not to be traveling to Ireland this August," said Naval Academy athletic director Chet Gladchuk. "But, as expected, our priority must be ensuring the health and safety of all involved. I am expecting that we will still be able to play Notre Dame as our season opener, but there is still much to be determined by health officials and those that govern college football at large.
"Once we have a definitive plan in place, we will announce the specifics pertaining to the game."
The game was expected to draw around 40,000 people from the United States. In 2012, 35,000 Americans traveled to watch a contest between Navy and Notre Dame.
"I realize many are disappointed and were looking forward to the spectacle of this event and a visit to the Emerald Isle, but I do know there is a complete understanding of why it's in our best interests to make every effort to relocate the game," Gladchuk added.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said he hopes the two programs will return to the country "in the coming years."
Notre Dame has dominated Navy in the series, owning a 79-13-1 record.