Latest news with #AerLingusClassic
USA Today
11 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Bill Belichick speaks to media on UNC's improvements during spring practices
Bill Belichick speaks to media on UNC's improvements during spring practices Bill Belichick likes his players' improvement over UNC's spring football practices. The highly-anticipated, 2025 college football season will begin in just two months, with the North Carolina Tar Heels expected to continue attracting plenty of attention. Hoping to escape a decade-long slump of mediocrity, UNC hired 8-time Super Bowl Champion Bill Belichick to be its next head football coach. Despite his endless success at the professional level, Belichick is a first-time college coach, so the questioning is understandable. Belichick quickly proved he can thrive outside of the NFL, landing North Carolina numerous commitments in the transfer portal. If you have trouble identifying any of the Tar Heels' 2025 starters, that's because they likely played college ball elsewhere last season. With essentially a brand-new team, it's natural to expect growing pains. According to Belichick, though, his players showed improvement across the board during spring practices. "(There was) better communication, better fundamentals, better understanding of what we're trying to do," Belichick said Tuesday at the Kenan Football Center. "Certainly the conditioning was much better. We practiced at a very high level, similar to what we have done in the past with Moses Cabrera, strength coach, and our offensive and defensive systems and so forth. The players were able to respond to that and maintain not only good health, but a high quality performance. So we didn't run out of gas. We were able to sustain the workload of those practices from our offseason training that started back in January." "We're not going to stop," Belichick continued. "We don't think we're there yet. We're definitely not there. We know we've got a long way to go, but I think these guys have a really good future in front of them, individually and collectively, and it's exciting to see the progress they've made." The first college football game of 2025 will be a 12 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, August 23 between Kansas State and Iowa State, when both programs play in Dublin, Ireland's Aer Lingus Classic. The Tar Heels will play their first game Monday, September 1 at 8 p.m. against TCU, making Belichick's first college game a primetime matchup under the Kenan Stadium lights. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
Irish Examiner
21-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Talks 'ongoing' to extend Aviva Stadium sponsorship as deal expires at end of year
Talks are ongoing to extend the multimillion-euro sponsorship deal for the naming rights of Aviva Stadium, with the existing deal due to expire at the end of the year. The home of Irish rugby and soccer on Lansdowne Road in Dublin has been tied into a sponsorship deal with the insurance giant since its reconstruction after a €410m development 15 years ago. The original link-up between Aviva Insurance and the stadium administrators lasted for 10 years, reportedly worth around €40m. That deal was renewed in 2020 for a further five years, but is due to expire at the end of 2025. "Aviva Ireland confirms that discussions are currently ongoing with the various parties involved," an Aviva spokesperson said. "We are unable to comment further until these discussions have concluded. Our current contract expires at the end of the year." Accounts filed by New Stadium DAC - the company that operates Aviva Stadium on behalf of the FAI and IRFU - showed operating profits of €7m in 2024. The stadium is commonly referred to as 'the Aviva' though sponsorship requirements meant the stadium was referred to as the Dublin Arena during the 2011 and 2024 Europa League finals held at the 51,000-seater stadium. Next month, the Republic of Ireland football team will host Senegal at the venue, while the British and Irish Lions will play their first match in Dublin on Friday, June 2025 when Argentina come to Aviva Stadium. US college football sides Kansas State University and Iowa State University will play there in the Aer Lingus Classic gridiron event on August 25, while international music stars Dua Lipa and Lana del Rey will perform there on June 27 and June 30 respectively.
Epoch Times
24-04-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Bill Belichick ‘Excited' About UNC-TCU Game Set for Ireland in 2026
Longtime football coaching great Bill Belichick could coach a game overseas at least one more time. If he coaches North Carolina beyond 2025, he will lead the Tar Heels against TCU in Ireland, a matchup the schools announced on Tuesday. The two teams will meet in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this season, and TCU will be the 'home team' in Dublin, Ireland, next year. 'We're grateful to be selected to participate in the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic,' Belichick said in a Belichick has coached games on foreign turf four times in his 23-year career with the New England Patriots. He went International games have been around for years for both the NFL and college football, and Ireland has become a popular spot for the college gridiron over the past three years because of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Georgia Tech won the last one in 2024, besting Florida State 'We are excited to welcome TCU and North Carolina to Dublin for the 2026 Aer Lingus Classic and offer one-of-a-kind experiences to local and traveling fans,' John Anthony, co-founder of the Aer Lingus Classic and executive vice president of On Location, said in a statement. Related Stories 3/6/2025 2/13/2025 'This compelling matchup promises to deliver another unforgettable start to the college football season in front of a passionate crowd at Aviva Stadium. We are honored that elite universities like TCU and UNC will continue our tradition to deliver 'Much More Than a Game' to their programs and supporters.' According to UNC, 47,998 fans attended the game at Aviva Stadium last year, drawing visitors from 26 countries and generating $146 million in revenue. Irish Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture, and Sport Patrick O'Donovan called the game 'a firm fixture on the Irish sporting calendar' in its fourth-straight year of being played. 'It has huge benefits for Irish tourism, the wider economy, and our sports ecosystem, and indeed creates a great atmosphere in Dublin for visitors and locals alike,' O'Donovan said in a statement. 'We look forward to welcoming the teams and their supporters in August 2026 to Aviva Stadium and to Dublin and beyond, as they take the opportunity of the occasion to explore other parts of Ireland.' Nebraska and Northwestern played in Ireland during the 2022 season in front of 42,699 fans, and Notre Dame-Army drew 49,000 in 2023. Big 12 rivals Iowa State and Kansas State will meet in this year's game. Also from the Big 12, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes looks forward to the opportunity in 2026 for the Aug. 29 game. Originally, the Horned Frogs and Tar Heels were set to play in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sept. 5 that year. 'We will take great pride in representing TCU internationally,' Dykes said in a 'It will be special to take the field in Dublin and for our fans to see us on this type of stage in Ireland. We have enjoyed watching past Aer Lingus College Football Classic games, and it's a true honor for us to now play in it and kick off the 2026 college football season.' Until then, UNC and TCU first meet on Sept. 1 when Belichick will make his Tar Heels debut after a year away from coaching.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UNC to open 2026 football season across the pond
The 2025 UNC football season can't come soon enough, with the Bill Belichick era officially kicking off Monday, Sept. 1 as TCU comes to Kenan Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Horned Frogs, who finished 2024 with a 9-4 record and domination of Louisiana in the New Mexico Bowl, are a great, early-season test to see how legitimate Belichick's Tar Heels are. We aren't expecting North Carolina to be a College Football Playoff contender in Year One, but an improvement from Mack Brown's teams. Advertisement UNC will also play TCU in 2026 – but instead of Forth Worth, the Tar Heels and Horned Frogs are heading across the pond. On Tuesday, North Carolina announced it will face TCU in the 2026 Aer Lingus Classic. According to Kevin Kelley, this game will be played on August 29, 2026. The Horned Frogs were initially scheduled to host UNC on September 5. 2026 will mark the second time in three seasons an ACC team plays in Ireland, with 2024's edition featuring Georgia Tech upsetting then-No. 10 Florida State. The 2025 Aer Lingus classic features Iowa State and Kansas State, while the 2027 edition will showcase Pitt and Wisconsin. Advertisement There's still plenty of uncertainty with the Tar Heels' 2025 roster, but they at least have their starting quarterback in South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez. North Carolina will also carry initial 2024 starter Max Johnson and incoming, 4-star freshman Bryce Baker in its QB room. There's just over four months until UNC plays football – are you ready? Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions. This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC, TCU to open 2026 college football season in Ireland
USA Today
23-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UNC to open 2026 football season across the pond
UNC to open 2026 football season across the pond The UNC football program is heading international to start its 2026 campaign. The 2025 UNC football season can't come soon enough, with the Bill Belichick era officially kicking off Monday, Sept. 1 as TCU comes to Kenan Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Horned Frogs, who finished 2024 with a 9-4 record and domination of Louisiana in the New Mexico Bowl, are a great, early-season test to see how legitimate Belichick's Tar Heels are. We aren't expecting North Carolina to be a College Football Playoff contender in Year One, but an improvement from Mack Brown's teams. UNC will also play TCU in 2026 – but instead of Forth Worth, the Tar Heels and Horned Frogs are heading across the pond. On Tuesday, North Carolina announced it will face TCU in the 2026 Aer Lingus Classic. According to Kevin Kelley, this game will be played on August 29, 2026. The Horned Frogs were initially scheduled to host UNC on September 5. 2026 will mark the second time in three seasons an ACC team plays in Ireland, with 2024's edition featuring Georgia Tech upsetting then-No. 10 Florida State. The 2025 Aer Lingus classic features Iowa State and Kansas State, while the 2027 edition will showcase Pitt and Wisconsin. There's still plenty of uncertainty with the Tar Heels' 2025 roster, but they at least have their starting quarterback in South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez. North Carolina will also carry initial 2024 starter Max Johnson and incoming, 4-star freshman Bryce Baker in its QB room. There's just over four months until UNC plays football – are you ready? Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
