The Surprising Connection Between TCU, Fort Worth and Two Cities Named Dublin

TCU's season opener in the 2026 Aer Lingus Classic is more than an international football game. The Horned Frogs' trip to Ireland reveals fascinating ties linking Fort Worth, Dublin, Texas, golf legend Ben Hogan, Dr Pepper, and the Irish capital.

No. 25: Aer Lingus (17.6 billion ASMs) 636694942357147053-2018-Airlines-of-Europe-JDL-11.jpg | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The eagerly awaited debut of the 2026 TCU football team will take place on Saturday, August 29, against the University of North Carolina in the city of Dublin.

No, not Dublin, Texas.

More Than One Dublin Has Deep Ties to TCU

Instead, Dublin, Ireland, of all places.

Dublin, Texas, is located on the rolling grassy plains in Erath County, about 90 miles from the Horned Frogs’ home of Fort Worth, Texas. Dublin and its neighbor, Stephenville, boast football and golfing connections to TCU and Fort Worth.

Dublin Ireland, on the other hand, is about 4,500 miles from Fort Worth and, until recently, was more closely connected to several other universities in the United States than TCU, particularly the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

Why the Horned Frogs Are Playing in Ireland

So, why is TCU headed to Dublin, Ireland? Because the Frogs and the Tar Heels are the featured teams of the 2026 Aer Lingus Classic, which will be played in the Irish capital at 5 pm (Irish Standard Time) (11 am Central), on Saturday, August 29. 

“We are extremely honored that TCU was invited to participate in the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic,” said TCU Director of Athletics Mike Buddie. “This is more than just a football game. It’s an opportunity to advance TCU’s brand globally while having our student-athletes experience a unique educational opportunity and memory of a lifetime. We thank Aer Lingus and Irish American Events for our selection and know our fans will travel very well, turning Dublin (Ireland) into a sea of purple.”

The Aer Lingus Classic Has Become a College Tradition

Jul 8, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; TCU defensive end Paul Oyewale speaks with reporters about TCU’s game in Dublin, Ireland, during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026 game will be the sixth Aer Lingus College Football Classic played in Dublin and the fifth consecutive edition since the event resumed in 2022. The inaugural game was played on September 3, 2016, when Georgia Tech defeated Boston College 17-14. Since the series resumed in 2022, the Classic has become one of college football's premier international showcases. Previous winners include:

• 2022: Northwestern defeated Nebraska, 31-28

• 2023: Notre Dame defeated Navy, 42-3

• 2024:  Georgia Tech defeated Florida State, 24-21

• 2025: Iowa State defeated Kansas State, 24-21

Notre Dame also has a long history of playing in Dublin, including a 50-10 victory over Navy in the 2012 Emerald Classic.

In their historic Week 0 contest in Dublin, Ireland, the Horned Frogs will be facing the Tar Heels for the second consecutive season and the fifth overall time. In the two teams’ 2025 Labor Day season-opener, TCU pummeled UNC 48-14 before a mostly stunned and highly disappointed sellout crowd of 50,500 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It was the Frogs’ first-ever win over the Tar Heels, improving their series record to 1-3.

The Tar Heels went 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the ACC in 2025. Last season, TCU went 9-4 overall, 5-4 in the Big 12. The Frogs defeated USC, 30-27, in overtime in the 2025 Alamo Bowl. 

Ben Hogan's Legacy Connects Dublin and Fort Worth

On the other hand, a pleasant country drive from Fort Worth will get you to the Lone Star State’s city of Dublin, which, ironically, is named for Dublin, Ireland. In fact, Dublin, Texas, was designated the “Irish Capital of Texas” in 2005 by Texas Governor Rick Perry following a proclamation by the Texas House of Representatives. Fittingly, the Shamrock is the city's logo.

Dublin, Texas, was the boyhood home of legendary professional golfer Ben Hogan. He lived in Dublin until 1921, when he and his family relocated to Fort Worth, where he made his home. He died in Fort Worth in 1997 at the age of 84. TCU alum and legendary sportswriter Dan Jenkins was one of Hogan’s pallbearers.

Jul 19, 1964; Columbus, OH, USA; FILE PHOTO; Ben Hogan in action during the 1964 PGA Championship at Columbus Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY NETWORK | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hogan won 64 professional golf tournaments recognized as PGA Tour events. He won nine major championships, including two Masters Tournaments, two PGA Championships, and four US Opens.  

Hogan won the inaugural Colonial National Invitation, held at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth in 1946. He won the final professional tournament of his career at the Colonial National Invitation in May 1959. Colonial is known as “Hogan’s Alley” because Hogan won the Colonial tournament a record five times (1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, and 1959). 

Colonial’s clubhouse features the “Hogan Room” of memorabilia and trophies. A seven-foot bronze statue of Hogan overlooks the golf course.

Dublin, Texas, is home to the impressive Ben Hogan Museum. It is the world’s only stand-alone, public museum that tells the story of Hogan’s courage and determination, which not only made him a champion and an icon of golf but also a role model of hard work and focus.

TCU’s men’s golf team hosts each year at Colonial Country Club the nation's top tournament in men's college golf: the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational presented by Charles Schwab.

Recently, TCU and Colonial unveiled the new TCU Golf Training Center at the club. The $4.3-million facility is exclusive to the Frogs’ men’s and women’s golf teams.

Stephenville right tackle Creece Brister (75) blocks a Sweetwater defender during Friday's Big Country Game of the Week at Tarleton Memorial Stadium on Aug. 27, 2021. The Jackets pulled away in the second half for a 51-13 win. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Stephenville, which is about 15 miles from Dublin, is the hometown of Creece Brister. He is a redshirt freshman offensive lineman for the Horned Frogs.

The 2026 Aer Lingus Classic will mark the first time Brister and TCU have played a regular-season football game outside of the United States. 

From Dr Pepper to Guinness, Two Dublins Share Rich Histories

Aer Lingus, Ireland's national airline, was founded in 1936 and now operates as part of International Airlines Group. The airline has served as the title sponsor of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic since the event's return in 2022.

TCU and North Carolina will meet at Aviva Stadium, home to the Irish national rugby union team and the Republic of Ireland national soccer team. The Modern stadium has a capacity of 51,711 and regularly hosts some of Ireland's biggest sporting events.

The Horned Frogs' Week 0 opener will mark the first regular-season football game played outside the United States in program history, giving TCU an opportunity to showcase its brand on an international stage.

Sports are cherished in Dublin and throughout Ireland. Dublin is home to five League of Ireland association football (soccer) clubs and the Irish Rugby Football Union. Rugby has been played in Dublin since 1872. Dublin also has men’s and women’s cricket teams and two baseball clubs that compete in the Irish Baseball League. 

Sep 29, 2025; Dublin, Ireland; A general overall aerial view of Aviva Stadium aka Dublin Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

More people play soccer in Ireland than any other sport, but Gaelic games are Ireland’s national sports and the country’s most-watched. Gaelic games are unique to Ireland and officially include Gaelic Football, Ladies Gaelic Football, hurling, camogie, handball, and rounders.

Gaelic Football is a form of football (soccer) played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. Hurling is a stick-and-ball sport that resembles lacrosse. Camogie is the women’s version of hurling. Rounders is a bat-and-ball game similar to softball and baseball.

Dublin, Ireland, also is known for its many pubs, including The Brazen Head, which is the city’s oldest pub, dating to 1198. The most popular drinks in the lively pubs are Guinness Draught, Irish whiskey, and Irish cider. Guinness Draught, which is a dark Irish stout, has been brewed at St. James's Gate in Dublin since 1759, when Arthur Guinness signed a famous 9,000-year lease for the site.

Conversely, Dublin, Texas, is recognized as the birthplace of bottled Dr Pepper, as it is the former home of the world’s oldest independent Dr. Pepper bottling plant (established in 1891), which was famous for many years as the only U.S. source for Dr Pepper made with real cane sugar, instead of high-fructose corn syrup. Dr Pepper Snapple split ties with the Dublin Bottling Company in 2012, after 120 years of service. The renamed Dublin Bottling Works is an independent company that today uses pure cane sugar to make 20 craft soda flavors.

Why the 2026 Opener Is Bigger Than Football

No doubt, many devout and curious TCU fans will make the trip to Dublin, Ireland, to support their beloved Horned Frogs in the Aer Lingus Classic. But because ESPN is televising the game, even without going to Ireland, TCU fans in Dublin, Texas, or wherever they may be, can still watch the TCU-North Carolina game while enjoying a pint of Guinness or a bottle of cane-sugar soda.