College football's overseas legacy resurfaces with 2026 games in Dublin and London
The 2026 season will feature two international matchups in Dublin and London, echoing a century-old tradition of overseas college football games that helped shape the sport.
College football returns to the international stage in 2026 with TCU facing North Carolina in Dublin on Aug. 29 and Arizona State taking on Kansas at London's Wembley on Sept. 19. The schedule builds on a legacy that began with the 1874 Harvard versus McGill game in Montreal, where rugby-style rules were adopted and later formed the basis of modern American football. Subsequent milestones include the Bacardi Bowl series in Havana (1907-1946), the 1985 Australia Bowl in Melbourne, the 1988 Emerald Isle Classic in Dublin, and the 1993 Coca-Cola Classic in Tokyo, each proving that college contests could attract sizable crowds and retain competitive significance abroad. Together, these historic outings paved the way for contemporary overseas week-zero games, underscoring the sport's enduring global appeal.
Why it matters
It shows how early overseas contests helped spread college football worldwide, leading to today's international games.
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