K-State to open 2025 in Ireland

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State Nation is headed to The Emerald Isle as the Wildcats will open the 2025 season against Iowa State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.

“We are thrilled that Kansas State University and our football program have been selected to play Iowa State in the annual Aer Lingus College Football Classic,” Athletics Director Gene Taylor said. “The opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni and fans to visit one of the world’s top travel destinations and to showcase our football program and brand on a global stage was one we could not pass up. We appreciate John Anthony and his staff for making this unbelievable experience possible, and I know our team, coaches and fans are eager to begin preparations for the trip to Dublin.”

This will be just the second time ever that K-State will play a football game outside the United States as the Wildcats played Nebraska in Tokyo, Japan, on December 5, 1992.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be chosen to play in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic,” head coach Chris Klieman said. “Our players and staff are excited to expose our program to a global audience, and the cultural experience will also be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all of Wildcat Nation. We appreciate our administration and the Aer Lingus Classic team for making this tremendous experience possible.”

The game between the Wildcats and Cyclones will be the first ever Big 12 matchup in Ireland, the fourth edition of the Aer Lingus Classic and the 10^th college football game all-time played in Ireland.

K-State’s series with Iowa State has featured two neutral-site matchups with the Wildcats winning both the 2009 and 2010 meetings at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Additionally, the 2025 matchup will mark the first time K-State begins a season with a conference opponent since the inaugural Big 12 matchup when the Wildcats defeated Texas Tech on August 31, 1996.