*Originally published August 26th 2026 https://conalldiggin.substack.com/p/ranking-every-aer-lingus-college
College football is set to kick off in Ireland for the fifth consecutive season, with Dublin once again playing host to the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
Since the series returned in 2022, teams have increasingly embraced the occasion with special uniforms and helmets featuring Irish-inspired details. Tricolours, clovers and A LOT of Celtic knots have featured, with some schools finding more success than others.
So, ahead of this year’s matchup between TCU and North Carolina, it’s time to rank every Ireland-themed helmet and uniform we’ve seen at the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, from worst to best.
7. Iowa State
Coming in in last place are last year’s ALCFC winners, Iowa State.
Simply put, this is just the regular uniform with a tricolour smacked on it. The Cyclones could almost be forgiven, as the helmet and jersey combo was a first for the programme, but they went on and used the same combination but without the flag plastered in for 9 other games last season.
They deserve credit for acknowledging the occasion, especially since only one away team before them has done some change to their uniform. But the design feels more like an addition rather than part of the design, and that puts them in last place.
6. Northwestern
Another, but thankfully final, “just slap a tricolour on the helmet” approach.
This one beats out Iowa State’s attempt for the simple fact that it was a one-time design. The tricolour is integrated really nicely into Northwestern’s iconic N logo with nice Irish and American flags on the back for the occasion too.
Bonus points for this jersey being the first time Northwestern played in all purple for the first time in 16 years. It’s a beautiful jersey but not Ireland-specific, so there’s only so much credit you can give for adding a flag to a helmet.
5. Navy
Take notes, Iowa State.
Navy gives us our first jersey changes as they put a Celtic knot going down the jersey with some complementary gold around the numbers. They definitely benefited from them and Notre Dame sharing manufacturers in Under Armour, but it is a very welcome addition.
Is it in a weird position? Yes.
Does it really fit? No.
But it’s better than sticking a tricolour where it wouldn’t belong.
It’s not groundbreaking, but something is better than nothing and the Midshipmen deserve credit for becoming the first away side to change their kit for the occasion
4. Kansas State
Maybe the easiest uniform to rank in this lineup.
Kansas State kept things simple but took the good parts of what Georgia Tech would later do with the Celtic knot pattern. The addition of a shamrock is also appreciated, particularly when so many Ireland-themed designs reach for the generic four-leaf clover instead.
They didn’t take the bragging rights in Farmageddon in Dublin, but they do take bragging rights on this list.
3. Notre Dame
The other jersey change design should’ve probably put this one higher, but the strength of the second- and first-place finishes pushes the Fighting Irish into the third-place slot.
A change to the uniform was the only way to go here, as they would never alter their iconic golden helmets, not even for Ireland.
The jersey itself is very sleek, with Celtic knots around the sleeves, a really cool shamrock emblem on the upper back and two tricolours, one on the collar and another on the front bumper of the helmet.
It’s not the all-green look Notre Dame wore in 2012, but as an Ireland-specific update to an iconic uniform, it’s a very welcome addition.
2. Georgia Tech
Now we’ve got to the big dogs.
This helmet is simply phenomenal.
Even without a full uniform change, the helmet is maybe one of the best I’ve seen in all of college football, let alone one of the best designs to appear in this game.
Georgia Tech set a bit of a trend by using the Celtic knot on the helmet, but for me, the use of gold for the outline of the Georgia Tech logo is the pièce de résistance.
From what could’ve been a simple Ireland-themed decal, it turns into something gorgeous. Fitting in a bit of Irleand into the existing Georgia Tech identity.
I genuinely thought I wasn’t going to see a better Ireland-themed helmet.
Then TCU came along.
1. TCU
Yes.
Just Yes.
The Clover Frog helmet takes the iconic Horned Frogs design from their 2011 Rose Bowl appearance and replaces the rose with a four-leaf clover.
Usually, I would be turned away by the sight of a generic clover being thrown onto an Ireland-themed uniform.
But this works.
And there’s an added bit of history behind it. The original Rose Bowl helmet was worn when the Horned Frogs beat Wisconsin in 2011. Now, with the extra luck of a four-leaf clover on their heads, TCU will hope for another memorable result on Saturday.