No. 13 Notre Dame will look to score an Irish-styled victory when it takes on Navy in its 2023 college football season opener on Saturday — in more ways than one.

Marcus Freeman's Fighting Irish team will travel all the way to Ireland to take on the Midshipmen at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. It is the second time in as many seasons that the marquee Week 0 game — the Aer Lingus College Football Classic — will take place on foreign soil. The 2022 season saw the series return after a several-year hiatus as Northwestern beat Nebraska 31-28 in the series' first game back following the COVID-19 pandemic.

It does beg the question, however: Why is Notre Dame traveling all the way to Ireland to take on one of its traditional rivals? Here's everything you need to know about the ongoing Aer Lingus College Football Classic as the Fighting Irish take on Navy in Dublin:

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Notre Dame vs. Navy location

• Location: Aviva Stadium (Dublin)

Notre Dame will take on Navy at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The site is normally host to Ireland's national rugby and soccer teams, and has a listed capacity of 51,711 (48,000 for American football games). It has also hosted several college football games, including 1996 and 2012 meetings between Notre Dame and Navy, both of which the Fighting Irish won.

Why is Notre Dame vs. Navy in Ireland?

Notre Dame will play Navy in Ireland as part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic (named after Ireland's primary airline, Aer Lingus). The series was announced in 2015 and promoted as a return to college football in Ireland after the country had hosted several American football games in previous years.

Georgia Tech beat Boston College in the first game of the series, winning 17-14.

The Fighting Irish in 2018 announced the second game of the series against Navy, to take place 2020. However, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic initially forced the game to be played in Annapolis, Maryland, before the game was canceled outright. The 2023 meeting between the teams is, in a sense, the postponed 2020 meeting between Notre Dame and Midshipmen.

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Aer Lingus officially announced the makeup game on Nov. 5, 2021. Said Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick at the time of the announcement:

"We’re thrilled to be able to provide another opportunity for our team and fans to experience the culture and hospitality of Ireland. This trip overseas continues to strengthen our academic and athletic presence around the globe. Bringing a Notre Dame football home game atmosphere to Ireland has been a goal of ours and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with the Naval Academy to make it happen."

Added Navy AD Chet Gladchuck:

"We are very pleased to be returning to Aviva Stadium in Dublin for the 96th playing of the Navy-Notre Dame game. In 2012, it was one of the greatest airlifts in all of sports with more than 35,000 people coming from the United States to witness the beauty of Ireland and the pageantry that is a Navy-Notre Dame football weekend. We expect just as many people to return in 2023."

What time is the Notre Dame game in Ireland?

• Date: Saturday, Aug. 26

• Time: 2:30 p.m. ET | 7:30 p.m. IST

Notre Dame vs. Navy will kick off at 2:30 p.m. ET in the U.S., whereas it will take place 7:30 p.m. locally (Irish Standard Time) in Dublin.

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History of college football games in Ireland

Saturday's meeting between Notre Dame and Navy isn't the first college football game to take place in Ireland. Nor is it the first game of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.

Ireland has hosted myriad American football games — including those of the college football variety — over the years. The first of those was in 1988, when Boston College defeated Army 38-24 in the so-called Emerald Isle Classic. The series has had several names over the years, including the "Shamrock Classic," "Croke Park Classic" and, currently, the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.

Here's a rundown of all the college football games played in Ireland, including future dates:

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Notre Dame is playing Navy in Ireland in Aer Lingus Classic