Notre Dame and the Navy will officially announce at halftime on Saturday that their 2012 contest will take place September 1 at the new state-of-the-art Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.



The two teams, who meet for the 84th consecutive year today at the New Meadowland Stadium in New Jersey, are anticipating their fans and supporters will begin planning their Irish trips to watch the exciting matchup between the rival schools.



Anthony Travel, the official travel group for both schools advises anyone hoping to attend the Irish game to visit www.EmeraldIsleClassic.com to book their trips.



"Being able to offer our alumni and supporters the chance to travel with us to Ireland to witness the game of a lifetime in such a unique and beautiful setting is something we are thrilled to be able to do again," Chet Gladchuk, Navy's Athletic Director, told the press.



Irish tourism experts are already anticipating the number of American tourists traveling to Ireland for the game will hit a record high. In 1996, when the first game between the two teams took place in Dublin, it drew more than 40,000 spectators, with an estimated 10,000 fans traveling from the United States to catch the game.



"The University of Notre Dame and its football program enjoy unparalleled loyalty from alumni and supporters," Jack Swarbrick, Notre Dame's Director of Athletics told the press. "Thousands of our fans joined us in 1996 for the first Notre Dame/Navy matchup in Ireland, and we are confident that they will continue to support our team by coming along for another extraordinary experience in 2012."



Fans can begin booking their travel arrangements on October 23, 2010, when the best packages will become available. The 2012 game will be held in Dublin's new Aviva Stadium, a brand new four level facility with all of its 50,000 seats under cover.