Notre Dame-Navy Planning to Start 2020 Season in Annapolis
Notre Dame will not open the 2020 season in Ireland due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Irish will now plan to open the season against Navy in Annapolis (Md.) at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, which will be the first time Notre Dame will play in Annapolis.
This will be the 94th-consecutive game in the intersectional rivalry and will likely be played Labor Day weekend on ESPN or ABC.
"Our student-athletes have had great experiences competing in Ireland and are very disappointed not to be returning to Dublin in 2020," said Jack Swarbrick said in a statement. "The change of venue has been a very difficult decision for our colleagues at the Naval Academy, but we are in full support of their choice. We are also grateful for everything our partners in Ireland have done to make this a smooth transition. We look forward to going back to Ireland for a game in the not too distant future."
"We are obviously disappointed not to be traveling to Ireland this August," said Naval Academy Director of Athletics 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 decision to move the game from Ireland wasn't made lightly as the Irish government, medical authorities and administrative staffs from both schools worked in unison to make the final decision.
"College football is one of the greatest spectacles in world sport and we had been thoroughly looking forward to welcoming Navy and Notre Dame here this summer for the first game of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic Series," said Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar.
"Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, that is now not possible, but we hope to see both universities return to Aviva Stadium in the coming years. I want to personally thank both Chet Gladchuk and Jack Swarbrick for their efforts to bring the game to Ireland and we hope to welcome both teams back in the near future"
According to Notre Dame's release, both programs will work closely with event organizers to plan for a return to Ireland in the coming years and information on ticket refunds will be forthcoming.