The expansion of the NFL’s Global Market’s Program will see every team play internationally over the next few seasons. The league has divvied up countries around the globe for each team to market to. Naturally, one of the markets that the Steelers—owned by the Rooney family—have rights to is the Republic of Ireland. Their efforts to introduce football to the region are already underway, but they wish to take it to the next level with a regular-season game hosted on the island.
“It’s been a goal from the start, being able to pursue an opportunity to play a live game in front of the Irish fans,” Dan Rooney said in an interview with BBC during a recent Steelers youth football camp in Belfast. “We are working with the NFL on that and we’re looking forward to seeing what’s coming.”
Back in May, one of the NFL UK execs discussed a feasibility study, and named Dublin as one of cities being examined. The Steelers played a preseason game at Croke Park, Ireland’s biggest stadium, back in 1997, but the regular season is a whole different can of worms. Especially in this day and age of high production value and all of the logistics that go into that. Croke Park has plenty of capacity, able to accommodate 82,000-plus people compared to Acrisure Stadium’s 68,400.
The last time the Steelers played internationally in the regular season was back in 2013 when the Minnesota Vikings and the Steelers flew across the pond to play in London. With the Steelers also having marketing rights to Mexico, a game could come south of the border prior to a possible game in Ireland, but the NFL is ramping up the international efforts and both could conceivably happen over the next half decade. One Steelers insider thinks Mexico could happen as soon as 2025.
But Ireland would hold a certain significance for the Steelers and the Rooneys, with their heritage coming from the island. The late Dan M. Rooney even served as the United States’ ambassador to Ireland from 2009-2012.
It sounds like it is only a matter of time before the NFL gives the green light and there is no doubt that the Steelers will be involved in the inaugural game there. Could the eventual opponent be the New York Jets, who are expanding their marketing rights to cover Ireland as well?