American Football Ireland College

Irish International American Football

From the first ever touring American Football teams in Ireland in the 1940s to the big NCAA College Games from the 1980s onwards to the matches played by Irish American Football teams – both club and country – against North American teams and European teams there is plenty to savour in the history of International American Football in Ireland and Irish teams overseas.

American College Football Classic in Ireland (1988-Present)

The first ever American Football games played in Ireland were in the 1940s, when teams of US Servicemen returning from WW2 played matches in Ravenhill (Home of Ulster Rugby) and Croke Park (Home of the GAA) in aid of the Irish Red Cross. Further matches were played in the 1950s & 1960s by US Air Force Personnel stationed at US Air Bases in Britain & Germany during the Cold War. There were also during the late 1980s and up until the mid-1990s high-profile pre-season matches between NCAA College teams and one NFL match between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears. 2012 also saw the return of the high-profile NCAA games to Ireland, featuring both NCAA Division I Regular Season Matches, and also the Global Ireland Football Tournament, a series of 6 Regular Season NCAA Division III and High School matches played at a variety of venues across Ireland.

American High School & Academy Games in Ireland (1942-Present)

The first ever American Football games played in Ireland were in the 1940s, when teams of US Servicemen returning from WW2 played matches in Ravenhill (Home of Ulster Rugby) and Croke Park (Home of the GAA) in aid of the Irish Red Cross. Further matches were played in the 1950s & 1960s by US Air Force Personnel stationed at US Air Bases in Britain & Germany during the Cold War. There were also during the late 1980s and up until the mid-1990s high-profile pre-season matches between NCAA College teams and one NFL match between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears. 2012 also saw the return of the high-profile NCAA games to Ireland, featuring both NCAA Division I Regular Season Matches, and also the Global Ireland Football Tournament, a series of 6 Regular Season NCAA Division III and High School matches played at a variety of venues across Ireland.

USA College Football

Irish Players have played College Football since the 19th Century. Below you will find a list of links to Irish Connections with the NCAA and NAIA stateside. Division 1 Football Bowl Series and Division 1 Football Championship Series, were known as Division 1A and Division 1AA respectively. This was before the separation of the Big 5 Conferences in the FBS into the College Football Playoff.

Particular attention shall be given by Eirball to Notre Dame Fighting Irish (the big Irish Catholic university in South Bend, Indiana) and San Jose State Spartans (as Dublin is twinned with San Jose) as well as any Irish-born Football players in the NCAA FBS.

Featured Image Credit

Featured Image Credit: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – CIRCA 1998: a postage stamp printed in USA showing an image of four players of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, circa 1998. Picture Credit: ©mmphotos2017/123RF.COM Image ID:  156057748 [Internet] Available from: https://www.123rf.com/photo_156057748_united-states-of-america-circa-1998-a-postage-stamp-printed-in-usa-showing-an-image-of-four-players-.html?vti=llmbgfd2qyd1ypd3d6-1-6 [Accessed 7 January 2022]

Irish-born College Football Players & Coaches

NCAA College Football

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is the biggest of USA’s College Sports Assiociations, taking in all major American Sports, as well as Athletics, Soccer and numerous other sports. The NCAA Football Program is divided into four Divisions – In order of Merit they are: FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision), FCS (Football Championship Subdivision), Division II and Division III.

NCAA College Football Teams

NCAA Football D1 FBS CFP (Power 5)

NCAA Football D1 FBS (Group of 5)

US Armed Forces Football

United States Armed Forces in Europe Leagues

Among the earliest verifiable American Football Leagues or Associations in Europe are the American Expeditionary Force Football League of WWI which was played in France at the conclusion of the War. There was a European Theater of Operations Football Championship (WWII) in Northern Ireland in 1942, which spread to England and Wales in 1943-1944. Following WWII, the United States found itself almost immediately in a War with Communist Russia, and American Football Leagues were set up in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain & Greece (The United States Air Force in Europe – USAFE – Football League & United States ARmy EURope Football League – USAREUR) which ran right to the end of the Cold War.  One USAREUR League, the Northern Italian League, became the genesis of a National League in Italy featuring Homegrown teams.

ETO Teams in Ireland (1942-1944)

Cold War in Europe (USAFE and USAREUR)

After World War II and as the Cold War set in, the United States Air Force in Europe set up a Football Championship with three Conferences: United Kingdom, Continental (France and Germany) and Mediteranean (Italy, Spain and Greece) Sports Conferences. There was also a smaller USAREUR (United States Army in Europe) Football League. The USAFE Championship wound down in 1993 due to the end of the Cold War.

World War I & II (AEF and ETO)

The American Expeditionary Force (France WWI) and European Theater of Operations (Britain and Northern Ireland WWII) United States Army and Navy Units played Football Leagues during World War I and II in France, Britain, Northern Ireland, and North Africa.

US Forces in Japan

US Armed Forces Teams with Irish Connections