What was meant to be a marquee football home opener in Fort Worth has become an overseas showcase, and many TCU students are feeling left behind.
In an announcement met with both excitement and frustration, the TCU football program confirmed that its 2026 season opener against the University of North Carolina will take place in Dublin, Ireland, as part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
“This game is a huge opportunity for the Big 12, TCU Football and our entire university to showcase our elite student-athletes and spirited fans on the global stage,” TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr. said.
While it marks a historic opportunity for the program to gain international exposure, the move also means that some TCU fans will miss out on a high-profile home game.
This is not the first time TCU has shifted a major matchup from Amon G. Carter Stadium. The 2013 season opener against LSU and the 2018 matchup with Ohio State were moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, decisions driven by financial incentives that have frustrated students and fans who feel cheated out of true home-field experiences.
“This was supposed to be the game,” Walker Vogel, a junior majoring in management, said. “How can you build a fanbase when the best games keep getting taken away from the people actually on campus?”
Some students also raised concerns about accessibility. While the idea of an international game sounds exciting in theory, many students can’t afford to travel overseas at the start of a semester. For many, this effectively means missing out on one of the most anticipated games of the season.
“This just feels like another example of TCU chasing headlines instead of honoring its own community,” said a senior who has attended every home game since freshman year.
For now, the game in Dublin is set in stone, and the university is expected to offer some form of watch party or on-campus event to engage students. But for many in the Horned Frog fanbase, the decision raises questions about national exposure overshadowing true fans.
