For the first time in its history, Northwestern will play a football game outside of the United States.

And for a program with a head coach named Pat Fitzgerald, Ireland seems like a logical destination.

The Wildcats will open their 2022 season against Nebraska in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland on Aug. 27, 2022. The "Week Zero" game will be played at Aviva Stadium in the Irish capital city.

"This is an incredible opportunity for our entire University community, from student-athletes to coaches, alumni and fans," said Fitzgerald in a statement. "We are thrilled that our program will get to experience the beautiful Irish culture, while we continue to help grow the game of college football on a global stage.

"It's an honor to be included in this once-in-a-lifetime event, and we can't wait to have the Northwestern faithful join us in one of the world's most amazing settings."

Northwestern, which is giving up a home game, will be designated as the home team. The Wildcats and Huskers will play for the Keough-Naughton Trophy on the home field of Ireland's rugby and soccer teams.

Northwestern and Nebraska will travel to Dublin a few days before the game to practice and acclimate to the time zone, which is six hours ahead of Chicago's. Players and coaches will also take part in a variety of cultural experiences.

At this time, tickets to the game are available through travel or hospitality packages on a first-come-first-served basis at Cats2Ireland.com.