Saturday, August 29
Dublin, Ireland
11:00 a.m.
TCU
vs
North Carolina
Game Week: Aer Lingus College Football Classic vs. North Carolina
8/24/2026 12:58:00 PM | Football
Frogs prep to head to Emerald Isle
TCU goes across the pond for the first time in program history to face North Carolina in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin on Saturday, August 29, at 11 a.m. CT.
GAME DAY DETAILS
TCU (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. North Carolina (0-0, 0-0 ACC)
Saturday, August 29 – 11 a.m. CT / 5 p.m. IST
Aviva Stadium – Dublin, Ireland
How to Track the Game:
📺 Television » ESPN
(Mike Monaco, Jordan Rodgers, Dana Boyle)
📻 Radio Tuning » KZPS 92.5 FM and Sirius XM 83 / Spanish KTNO 620 AM
📻 Radio Streaming » The Varsity Network app
📊 Live Stats » StatBroadcast
GAME DAY PRIMER
What to Wear?
» PURPLE
Game Day Central
» Read
2026 Media Guide
» Read
Weekly Game Notes
» Read
GAME WEEK TIMELINE (IST)
TCU Bars Throughout the Week
Hero Pub, Ryans Beggers Bush, Fitzsimon's Temple Bar
Thursday
4:45 p.m. – Pep Rally at Fitzsimon's Temple Bar
Friday
3 p.m. – TCU Pep Rally at Merrion Square
8 p.m. - Band and Spirit Performing at Guinness Storefront
10 p.m. – Pep Rally at Fitzsimon's Temple Bar
Saturday
11:15 - Band and Spirit Performing at Fitzsimon's Temple Bar
3 p.m. – Band and Spirit March to Aviva Stadium from InterContinental Hotel
5 p.m. - Kickoff
NOTING THE GAME
NOTING THE HORNED FROGS
GAME DAY DETAILS
Saturday, August 29 – 11 a.m. CT / 5 p.m. IST
Aviva Stadium – Dublin, Ireland
How to Track the Game:
📺 Television » ESPN
(Mike Monaco, Jordan Rodgers, Dana Boyle)
📻 Radio Tuning » KZPS 92.5 FM and Sirius XM 83 / Spanish KTNO 620 AM
📻 Radio Streaming » The Varsity Network app
📊 Live Stats » StatBroadcast
GAME DAY PRIMER
» PURPLE
Game Day Central
» Read
2026 Media Guide
» Read
Weekly Game Notes
» Read
GAME WEEK TIMELINE (IST)
Hero Pub, Ryans Beggers Bush, Fitzsimon's Temple Bar
Thursday
4:45 p.m. – Pep Rally at Fitzsimon's Temple Bar
Friday
3 p.m. – TCU Pep Rally at Merrion Square
8 p.m. - Band and Spirit Performing at Guinness Storefront
10 p.m. – Pep Rally at Fitzsimon's Temple Bar
Saturday
11:15 - Band and Spirit Performing at Fitzsimon's Temple Bar
3 p.m. – Band and Spirit March to Aviva Stadium from InterContinental Hotel
5 p.m. - Kickoff
NOTING THE GAME
- TCU will play the program's first-ever international game to open the 2026 season in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin in a rematch of the 2025 opener against North Carolina.
- Since 2015, TCU is 13-6 against non-conference Power 4/5 foes. In addition, the Horned Frogs are 6-1 against ACC teams since 2009, the second-most wins among all FBS programs in that time frame (min. 5 games) behind Georgia (20-3).
- Kicking off in Week Zero for just the second time in program history, the August 29 date is the second-earliest game ever for the Frogs (Aug. 25, 2001 vs. Nebraska).
- TCU has scored at least 28 points in 30 straight non-conference regular season games, the second-longest streak by an FBS team in the last 45 seasons.
NOTING THE HORNED FROGS
- TCU is entering its fifth season under the direction of head coach Sonny Dykes in 2026. The 2022 National Coach of the Year led TCU to 36 wins in his first four seasons, the most by a TCU head coach since Francis Schmidt won 37 from 1929-32.
- Dykes has also led programs at SMU (2018-21), Cal (2013-16), and Louisiana Tech (2010-12). In all four stops, Dykes has guided the program to the postseason, making him one of four active head coaches to take four different schools to a bowl game, joining Butch Jones, Lane Kiffin, and Rich Rodriguez.
- Dykes is also one of eight active head coaches to have appeared in the CFP National Championship game, along with Kirby Smart, Dabo Swinney, Ryan Day, Marcus Freeman, Kalen DeBoer, Mario Cristobal, and Curt Cignetti. Dykes and Cignetti are the only two coaches in CFP history to take over a losing program and direct them to the CFP in their first season.
- For the first time in three seasons, TCU has a new starting quarterback directing the offense as Harvard transfer Jaden Craig takes the reins. As the Crimson's signal caller, Craig became the most accomplished quarterback in program history, finishing his career as the all-time leader in passing yards (6,074) and touchdown passes (52) along with setting single-season records for passing completions (208), touchdown passes (25) and passing yards (2,869) in 2025.
- The Horned Frogs also have a new offensive play caller in Gordon Sammis. For the past two seasons, Sammis ran the offense at UConn, helping the Huskies post consecutive nine-win seasons for the first time in program history while producing one of the nation's most efficient and explosive offenses. During that span, UConn achieved the program's first-ever 3,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard receiver and 1,000-yard rusher in the same season.
- Conversely, the defense returns a host of familiar names. Along with defensive coordinator Andy Avalos, now in year three, Jamel Johnson enjoyed a breakout campaign as a junior, totaling 96 tackles (second on the team) while posting five interceptions. The interception figure for Johnson ranked first the Big 12 and seventh in the country, while his near triple-digit tackle number was the ninth most in the conference. Up front, Markis Deal, Ansel Din-Mbuh and Paul Oyewale bring a combined 89 games played and 43 starts into the year.
Players Mentioned
QB
/ Football
DT
/ Football
DT
/ Football
S
/ Football
EDGE
/ FootballWednesday, August 19
Tuesday, August 18
Saturday, August 15
Friday, August 07
