Wisconsin Badgers to face Pittsburgh in 2027 in Ireland match up

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Irish eyes will be smiling at UW football in just a few years.

For the first time in decades, the University of Wisconsin football team will play a regular season game in another country. The Badgers plan to head across the pond in 2027 for their road game against Pitt, the team announced on Tuesday.

What was going to be a 600-mile trip to Pennsylvania to take on the Panthers will now be a 3,600-mile trek across the Atlantic Ocean to the Emerald Isle for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, in Dublin, Ireland.

“It’s exciting for our student-athletes, their families and our fans who will be able to have such a unique experience,” director of athletics Chris McIntosh said. “Visiting another country and playing a quality opponent will be memorable for all involved and we are looking forward to it!”

The game against Pitt had already been on the schedule as part of a two-game with the ACC team. They will be coming to Madison in 2026 for a home game at Camp Randall.

The Badgers have not played overseas in thirty years. Their only other game outside of the United States came in 1993 when they went to Tokyo to play in that year’s Coca-Cola Bowl. Hopefully, that game is a good sign for how well UW plays on foreign soil, as the team scored a 41-20 victory over Michigan State.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithí de Róiste described his city as the new “International home of College Football” and said the games offer the Irish capital a chance to show off to potential visitors everything it has to offer.

Next season, Georgia Tech and Florida State will play what will be the third showdown of the series.