Iowa State will get its football season underway before just about anyone else in 2025.
Iowa State and Kansas State are slated to kick off the 2025 college football season on Saturday, Aug. 23, a week before the vast majority of teams play their first game. The Big 12 Conference rivals will take the field in Dublin, Ireland, for the annual Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
Here’s what to know about the game, tips for making the trip to Dublin and more coverage.
When is the Iowa State vs. Kansas State football game in Ireland?
When: 11 a.m. CDT (5 p.m. in Ireland) Saturday, Aug. 23
Where: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
TV: ESPN
KCCI partners with ISU’s Greenlee School on coverage of Aer Lingus College Football Classic
KCCI is partnering with Iowa State University’s Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication on coverage of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic this month.
KCCI sports director Scott Reister, anchor Stacey Horst and photojournalist Dylan Coon will be in Dublin, Ireland, for the matchup between No. 22 Iowa State and No. 17 Kansas State, as will a group of student journalists and faculty from ISU.
The students’ stories will be distributed across KCCI’s platforms.
‘It’s a flipping castle!’: Scott Reister visits Dublin Castle
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Iowa State opens with ranked opponent for first time since 2002
It shouldn’t take long for Iowa State to reveal the direction its season will take.
The No. 22 Cyclones open Saturday against No. 17 Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland, and two weeks later play the annual Cy-Hawk Game against Iowa at home.
The game on the Emerald Isle will be Iowa State’s first opener against a Top 25 team since 2002, and it will be only the seventh time in 23 years the Cyclones won’t open against an opponent from the second-tier Football Championship Subdivision.
Views from Greenlee School students’ trip from Dublin to Galway
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Travel with ISU journalism students heading to Ireland
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KCCI crew shows off lunch orders at Beshoffs in Howth
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Cyclones fans bound for Ireland
The excitement was palpable at the Des Moines airport on Tuesday, where fans gathered to embark on what many described as a once-in-a-lifetime trip. “It’s really cool to see something like that happen, and against Kansas State, Farmageddon. Farmageddon in Dublin — that’s phenomenal,” said Wyatt Teeter, a Cyclone fan from Ankeny.
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Live look from Dublin, Ireland
This image shows the scene outside The Temple Bar Pharmacy in Dublin, Ireland. It will update every 60 seconds on this page.
History of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic
Iowa State and Kansas State will play in the 11th college football game in Ireland and the fourth as part of an ongoing annual series, which was revived in 2022 after five years off.
Neither ISU nor K-State has played in the series before. One current Big 12 team, Central Florida, played in the 2014 edition of the series against Penn State. UCF was a member of the American Athletic Conference at that time.
- 1988: Boston College 38, Army 24
- 1989: Pittsburgh 46, Rutgers 29
- 1991: Holy Cross 24, Fordham 19
- 1996: Notre Dame 54, Navy 27
- 2012: Notre Dame 50, Navy 10
- 2014: Penn State 26, UCF 24
- 2016: Georgia Tech 17, Boston College 14
- 2022: Northwestern 31, Nebraska 28
- 2023: Notre Dame 42, Navy 3
- 2024: Georgia Tech 24, Florida State 21
Future games:
- 2026: North Carolina vs. TCU
- 2027: Pittsburgh vs. Wisconsin
Tickets for Iowa State vs. Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland
Tickets are available for the game through Ticketmaster. VIP packages are also available.
As of Aug. 19, two tickets together were listed as low as €65.95 apiece (equivalent to $77.05).
An athletic department spokesperson says over 10,000 Iowa State fans are expected to be in attendance through tickets and packages sold through the university and through On Location, a live events experience agency.
Travel packages, plane tickets for Iowa State vs. Kansas State in Ireland
While most of the travel packages have already been filled, there are still hotel rooms available through a package from College Football Ireland. You can find more information about various options here.
Additionally, Iowa State has created its own website dedicated to the trip. The website lists information about hospitality packages, destinations, game info and more.
Things to do in Dublin
Many fans are planning to head overseas several days in advance. If you’re planning your trip, check out this guide to Dublin, courtesy of the College Football Ireland group.
Iowa Gov. Reynolds will attend game in Ireland
Gov. Kim Reynolds is scheduled to attend the Aer Lingus College Football Classic between Iowa State and Kansas State Saturday, KCRG reports.
Reynolds will be in Ireland from Thursday through Saturday. She is attending a variety of events while abroad, including the One Health and Ag Tech Summit, where she will speak. Along with attending the game, Reynolds will also go to the ISU Aer Lingus College Football Classic pep rally.
ISU students compare transportation choices in Iowa vs. Ireland
Take a walk around Dublin, Ireland, with Iowa State junior Jayla Poindexter
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Pop-Tarts mascots join the trip to Ireland
Couldn’t get enough of the Pop-Tarts Bowl craziness last year? You’re in luck.
Two giant Pop-Tarts mascots will be in attendance for the game. Iowa State and Kansas State are the two previous winners of the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
Farmageddon series history
Iowa State owns a narrow 54-50-4 all-time lead in the series, which has now been played annually for more than 100 years.
The Cyclones have won two in a row and four of the last five, including a dramatic season finale last year that saw ISU clinch a berth in the Big 12 title game.
The series is 5-4 in favor of Iowa State under coach Matt Campbell.
Iowa State in Ireland: Greenlee journalism students try hurling, handball, Gaelic football
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- Saturday, Aug. 23: Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland (11 a.m. CT; ESPN)
- Saturday, Aug. 30: South Dakota (2:30 p.m. on FOX)
- Saturday, Sept. 6: Iowa (11 a.m. on FOX)
- Saturday, Sept. 13: At Arkansas State (3 p.m. on ESPN2)
- Saturday, Sept. 27: Arizona
- Saturday, Oct. 4: At Cincinnati
- Saturday, Oct. 11: At Colorado
- Saturday, Oct. 25: BYU
- Saturday, Nov. 1: Arizona State
- Saturday, Nov. 8: At TCU
- Saturday, Nov. 22: Kansas
- Saturday, Nov. 29: At Oklahoma State
Home games in bold.
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KCCI’s ‘Big College Kickoff’ show returns for second season
KCCI’s “Big College Kickoff” is returning for a second season, and you can watch it live on Very Local at 10:30 a.m. every Saturday from Aug. 23 through Nov. 29.
KCCI sports’ Jeff Dubrof will host, with Shannon Ehrhardt live from Iowa City or Ames each week.
The following special episodes of “Big College Kickoff” will air on KCCI Channel 8:
- 6:30-7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, on the eve of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Ireland
- 6:30-7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, on the eve of the Cy-Hawk rivalry game in Ames
Very Local is a streaming channel that offers 24/7 access to KCCI news, weather, original series and more. Download the Very Local App for free on your Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or smartphone.
