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Notre Dame-Navy game moved from Ireland
By: Mike Stiles - Wednesday, June 3, 2020


(UNDATED) – Notre Dame football will not open the season against Navy in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 29 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the teams will face each other at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, most likely on Labor Day weekend, Notre Dame announced Tuesday morning. The decision to move the game to Navy for the first time in the 94-year history of the series was made after "extensive consultation" with the Irish government, medical authorities and the administrative staffs at both schools, according to the release. The 94th consecutive game of the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in the country will be televised nationally by ESPN or ABC. There is still no definitive timetable for the return of college athletics, although the NCAA has allowed football players across the country to begin to return to voluntary workouts this month. Talks to cancel the season opener in Ireland began last week, but it took several days of meetings for it to become official because of the immense planning involved. Plane tickets had already been purchased and hotel rooms booked. It's the first official change to the college football game schedule because of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the release, both programs will continue to work closely with the event organizers to plan for a return to Ireland in the coming years. Information on ticket refunds will be forthcoming. In 2012, the last time the storied rivals played in Ireland, more than 35,000 fans traveled from the United States to see the game at Aviva Stadium.



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