North Carolina and TCU to open 2026 college football season in Ireland
The first game of Bill Belichick's second season at North Carolina will come in Ireland.
North Carolina and TCU announced Tuesday that they would open the 2026 season against each other in Ireland. It's the second game of a series between the two schools that begins on Labor Day when the Tar Heels host the Horned Frogs on Sept. 1.
'We're grateful to be selected to participate in the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic,' Belichick said in a statement. 'It's a tremendous opportunity for our program and we're excited to represent the university and our fans on an international stage.'
The 2026 matchup between the teams will take place on Saturday, Aug. 29.
It will be the 11th college football game in Ireland and the fifth straight season opener in the country. After a six-year break, Aviva Stadium hosted Northwestern's win over Nebraska in 2022. Notre Dame beat Navy 42-3 in 2023 and Georgia Tech upset Florida State in 2024. That game was a sign of things to come in a miserable season for the Seminoles.
The 2025 Ireland game features Big 12 rivals Iowa State and Kansas State. After UNC and TCU play each other in 2026, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin will match up in 2027.
It's the first trip to Ireland for both TCU and North Carolina. UNC is the fifth ACC school to play in Ireland, though Pitt was not a member of the ACC when it beat Rutgers in December of 1989.
'We will take great pride in representing TCU internationally,' TCU coach Sonny Dykes said in a statement. 'With a good number of our players not having traveled overseas, I am most happy for them to have this opportunity and very much appreciate Aer Lingus and Irish American Events making it possible for them as well as all of TCU to share in this experience.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Arizona Wildcats head to College World Series after Super Regional comeback
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Baseball mitts and navy caps were strewn about the infield at Boshamer Stadium. Players jumped for joy and embraced one another. The Arizona Wildcats had pulled off a miracle. And now they're headed to Omaha. Advertisement With its season on the brink of expiration, Arizona rallied past No. 5 national seed North Carolina in highly improbable fashion Sunday. Down by two runs in the eighth inning, the Wildcats dug deep and defeated the Tar Heels 4-3 in the third and deciding game of their Super Regional series. Arizona's Casey Hintz shows off the championship trophy after the Wildcats defeated North Carolina in Game 3 of their NCAA Super Regional series on Sunday, June 8, 2025, at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. Arizona will be making its 19th appearance in the College World Series, its first since 2021 and its first under UA alum Chip Hale, who won the CWS as a player in 1986. The Wildcats will be seeking their fifth national championship. They will open CWS play Friday or Saturday against Coastal Carolina, which defeated Arizona in the CWS final in 2016. Junior shortstop Mason White — a Salpointe Catholic High School graduate whose father and grandfather played for the UA — delivered the winning hit in the top of the eighth, lining a two-RBI single to center field with the bases loaded and one out. Advertisement After the game, White — a lifelong UA fan — barely could comprehend what had just transpired. 'This is just unbelievable,' White said. 'It's almost like a dream. I just can't believe it.' White was Hale's first recruit when he took over the program in July 2021. Hale has guided his alma mater to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Leading the Wildcats to the College World Series for the first time conjured a range of emotions for the 60-year-old coach — empathy for North Carolina, relief for himself and joy for Arizona's players and supporters. 'I'm just so happy for these kids,' Hale said. 'I'm happy ... for these families. They have grinded so hard, spent so much money coming here and raising these kids, putting them in travel baseball and high school baseball. Advertisement 'And now they get a payoff to go to Omaha. We're going to go there, put our best foot forward and try to win our fifth national championship.' It didn't look promising for the longest time Sunday. Arizona got a badly needed quality start from freshman right-hander Smith Bailey, but the Wildcats couldn't solve his counterpart, freshman righty Ryan Lynch. Lynch pounded the zone with a mid-90s fastball and a sharp slider, landing first-pitch strikes against 19 of the 26 batters he faced. After compiling 10 runs Saturday and 26 hits in the first two games of the series, the Wildcats managed just one run on two hits against Lynch entering the eighth inning. Sophomore Andrew Cain — another Tucson-area product, via Ironwood Ridge High — had one of those two hits. He led off the eighth with a single. Advertisement Then came one of two critical North Carolina errors. Tommy Splaine hit a grounder to second base that had all the makings of a 4-6-3 double play. But UNC's Jackson Van De Brake — whose three-run homer off Bailey in the third inning had given the Tar Heels a 3-1 lead — booted the ball. Cain and Splaine were safe. 'The way this game was going, we just needed a crack,' White said. 'Chip said it before it happened. 'They gave us a crack. That's what this team was looking for. It happened, and we took advantage of it.' Lynch's velocity was diminishing by that point, so UNC coach Scott Forbes summoned another freshman right-hander, Walker McDuffie, to face No. 9 hitter Easton Breyfogle. Advertisement Hale called for a sacrifice bunt. Breyfogle dropped the ball down the third base line. UNC's Gavin Gallaher charged it and fired to first base. The ball, Breyfogle and hulking first baseman Hunter Stokely arrived at the bag at the same time. Breyfogle collided with Stokely's left arm. The ball bounded past the first baseman. Cain scored, Splaine advanced to third and Breyfogle — who was safe — lay injured on the ground. Breyfogle had to leave the game after experiencing concussion-like symptoms. TJ Adams pinch-ran for him. Brendan Summerhill walked to load the bases. Aaron Walton then popped out, setting the stage for White. Advertisement UNC brought in senior righty Aidan Haugh. The Tar Heels shifted their infield to the right side. White swatted the third pitch he saw through the vacated shortstop hole, scoring Splaine and Adams. 'I was just trying to put the ball in play — specifically in the air just to get the guy in, tie the game,' White said. 'They'd been shifting me the whole weekend. So I knew: Just stay middle of the field, and it'll find a hole.' Suddenly ahead 4-3, Arizona turned to junior right-hander Casey Hintz for the bottom of the eighth. Hintz had allowed a go-ahead home run Saturday, and he got himself into trouble Sunday by issuing a pair of walks. But Hintz induced an inning-ending groundout to send the game to the ninth. Closer Tony Pluta had thrown a season-high 52 pitches Saturday but was willing to go again with a trip to Omaha on the line. He retired the side 1-2-3, ending the game by striking out No. 9 hitter Carter French with a changeup. Advertisement Pluta set the UA record with his 14th save of the season. Arizona improved to 38-0 when leading after the eighth inning. After the final out was recorded, Pluta looked skyward. He flung his glove to the grass. The celebration was on. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Wildcats head to College World Series, downs North Carolina
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Panthers' Bryce Young and Dave Canales in a better place after some tense moments in 2024
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As he walked out to the football field at Johnson C. Smith University for his football camp on a sunny Saturday morning, Bryce Young spotted his head coach standing on the sideline. Young dapped Dave Canales, and the Carolina Panthers quarterback and second-year coach talked for a few minutes before Young's introductory remarks to more than 300 campers. Canales wasn't the only member of the organization who showed up to support Young. However, Canales' presence was significant, coming nine months after he made the difficult decision to bench Young following a tough two-game start to the 2024 season. Advertisement 'It's about this love and respect factor, that we've grown with each other through hard times,' Canales said. 'Bryce, during the season, showed me his leadership. Showed me that even when we were a struggling team, even when I took him out, he stayed in the center of it. And he continued to lead. And for him to have the respect to say, 'Look, I don't agree with your decision, Coach.' But working together to continue to grow this thing means so much.' Returning to the lineup after Andy Dalton injured his thumb in a car accident, Young ended the season on an upswing. Playing with confidence, Young looked much closer to the Heisman Trophy winner whom the Panthers drafted first overall in 2023 than the inconsistent, uncertain QB from his rookie season and early last year. Not sure if I've ever seen a head coach come out for a player's vibe around the Panthers this year. — Joe Person (@josephperson) June 7, 2025 Despite Young's resurgence, Canales initially refrained from naming him the full-time starter. He didn't want to disrespect Dalton or put undue pressure on Young, who eventually left Canales no choice. After Young's virtuoso, five-touchdown performance in a 44-38 season-ending win at Atlanta, Canales said the Panthers had their 'guy' at quarterback. That declaration — along with taking another first-round receiver in the draft — put Young in a comfortable spot heading into his third season. But Young doesn't want to get too comfortable. 'I appreciate the support. I'm grateful for the staff and for the team, obviously, just believing in me and us going (forward) together. We all have the goal to win,' Young said during an interview before his camp. 'So it's good, and now it's on us to put the work in in the offseason. Make sure we're going the right direction, working on things, getting to where we need to be for the start of the year. After minicamp, it'll be on us individually to make sure we're right, and then go into training camp and into the season.' Advertisement Young will go into the season knowing he now has the backing of a coach who sat him down after just two games — lopsided losses to the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers in which Young threw three interceptions and no touchdowns and finished with two of the worst passer ratings of his career (the 32.8 rating versus the Saints is his lowest). Canales, the longtime Seattle Seahawks assistant who had served as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator for one year, had been hired in part because of his role in reviving the careers of quarterbacks Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield. But he also had the team to think about, and risked losing the locker room if he stuck with a struggling QB. So Canales made the switch before a Week 3 trip to Las Vegas, knowing it would leave a mark on Young and damage their relationship. 'I struggled with that a lot because you see historically what can happen when you have a quarterback (who) comes in and you go through some challenges. Some guys don't have the resilience to be able to battle through the emotional strain, as well as the football strain combined,' Canales said Saturday. 'I was nervous about that and I struggled with that. That decision was not taken lightly. That risk brought out the best in Bryce.' Trade speculation immediately followed the benching, although Canales said at the time the Panthers were not considering moving Young. The benching did not sit well with Young or anyone in his camp. But Canales praised his handling of the situation. 'During that time while we were still kind of repairing our relationship, we made it about football because that's what we could control today,' Canales said. 'How can we grow our processes? How can we have conversations about what we're doing offensively? And then just attack the football part. To have that part, that commonality, that mutual respect, I was impressed with how he kept coming back to work and just attacking it.' Advertisement In addition to Canales, three of Young's teammates came to the camp: receiver Xavier Legette and offensive linemen Taylor Moton and Austin Corbett. Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, special teams coordinator Tracy Smith, assistant coach Daren Bates and game management coordinator George Li also were there. Team photo. — Joe Person (@josephperson) June 7, 2025 Canales brought two of his daughters, Beatrice and Amaya, who wore headbands and football gloves. Craig Young, Bryce's father, appreciated that Canales didn't just make a token appearance but engaged with campers while watching the drills. Craig Young also praised how general manager Dan Morgan has continued to add pieces around Bryce, whose lobbying efforts had at least some role in the team's decision to take Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan over a defensive player with the eighth pick. 'I'm super excited with the job that the staff — and specifically coach Canales and Dan — are doing with surrounding him with great weapons, with a great scheme, great protection,' Craig Young said. 'I just feel like he has a level of comfort now. And with most things, when there's familiarity and comfort — and then you're building off of previous success — that's usually a recipe for growth.' For the second consecutive year, Young's camp featured a unique mental health component. Halfway through the morning, campers gathered around Young, his parents, his aunt, a counselor and a therapist who led everyone through a series of breathing exercises. Craig Young, a marriage and family therapist, had earlier spoken with parents about youth mental health, the focus of the Young 9 Foundation, which the quarterback leads. 'It's our second (camp) in Charlotte. It means a lot,' he said. 'We just want it to be a day for the kids to have fun, enjoy themselves with football but also be able to have conversations about mental health. … To have some tools that can help them, whether it be in sports or in life.' Young interacted with the campers, who ranged in age from 6 to 14. He handed the ball off at a running back station, threw short passes during a receiving drill and dapped and spoke to the young players throughout the day. It was a fun, relaxed vibe, not unlike what seems to be surrounding the organization with Young entering Year 3 as the clear starter after some tense moments between the coach and quarterback last year. Advertisement 'All that weight is just gone. We saw it at the end of the year when Bryce was just being Bryce. … He just gets to go be that without thinking about it. To have that just gone makes him play at an extremely high level effortlessly,' said Corbett, the veteran center. 'It's a testament to Dave being able to do his job, put aside the personal side and understand there is gonna be that little fracture going through that relationship. But it's the ability to mend it, and a genuine, authentic love for the game, love for Bryce as a person that allows that move to be (made) and come back strong.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mike Krzyzewski Sends Strong Message After Duke Basketball Announcement
Mike Krzyzewski Sends Strong Message After Duke Basketball Announcement originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Duke Blue Devils continue to be known as one of the top teams in college basketball, despite coaching changes. Advertisement Mike Krzyzewski served as the head coach of the college basketball program before Jon Scheyer took over three years ago. While Scheyer has since led Duke to the Elite Eight and Final Four, Krzyzewski created an unmatched legacy with the Blue Devils. Krzyzewski was also surrounded by one of the best staffs in the country, featuring Executive Director of Sports Performance William Stephens. Stephens played a large role in the strength and conditioning department for Duke, helping Krzyzewski prepare his team for multiple title runs. After the most recent college basketball season, Stephens officially retired from Duke. Advertisement Krzyzewski sent a message to Stephens after Duke posted the announcement, seemingly supporting his decision and thanking him for the success he helped bring to the Blue Devils. "Will, congratulations on an amazing career," Krzyzewski said. "Thank you for sharing that career with my career. You've made my career a [expletive] of a lot better and by the way you've made every young man that's been in our program under your tutelage better. Not just in strength and athlete ability, they became better people." Aside from being an incredible asset as the Executive Director of Sports Performance, Krzyzewski also explained that Will Stephens was a great man outside of the white lines. "As good as you do with all the strength and conditioning, to me, the most important thing about you is you're a good man," Krzyzewski said. "You're a good man and the guys, when they're in your presence, they become better… I love you and respect you and I'm so glad that God's been good to me. We've been able to become such close friends." Advertisement View the original article to see embedded media. Will Stephens spent 27 seasons at Duke. According to the Blue Devils' most recent announcement on his retirement, Stephens helped bring three national titles and four Final Four appearances, working alongside Mike Krzyzewski and Jon Scheyer. Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike KrzyzewskiRobert Deutsch-Imagn Images Mike Krzyzewski served as the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils from 1980 to 2022. During his time at Duke, Krzyzewski led the Blue Devils to five national titles, 13 Final Four appearances, 14 ACC regular season titles and 15 ACC Tournament titles. Related: Mike Krzyzewski Names Best Player in Duke Basketball History Without Hesitation Related: Duke Blue Devils Suffer Major Coaching Loss on Saturday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
