FRISCO —  Last year’s Aer Lingus College Football Classic was advertised as a potential Big 12 championship game between two ranked teams. A blockbuster curtain-raiser for the conference. 

Instead, fans watched a blunder-filled showdown in Ireland between No. 22 Iowa State and No. 17 Kansas State in Week 0. Neither team looked ready to begin the college football season, and both programs finished 5-4 in conference, far below the expectations set in preseason. 

TCU aims to avoid that fate in 2026.

“Neither team probably had the kind of season they thought they were going to, coming into the game and especially right after the game,” TCU head coach Sonny Dykes said. “You could tell it took a toll on both teams.”

TCU handled the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill last year, defeating Bill Belichick’s team 48-14. Dykes praised UNC for the direction it’s taking by hiring Bobby Petrino as its next offensive coordinator. He was the previous offensive coordinator at Arkansas.  

Traveling across the pond to begin the new season means a shortened fall camp for the Horned Frogs. To compensate for that time away, they have a bye week during Week 1, giving the program a chance to reset regardless of the outcome. 

Both the Cyclones and Wildcats played four straight weeks to start the 2025 season before a bye.

“We’ll have an opportunity to get our players back, get readjusted and then try to hit the ground running as we start getting ready for our opponent in Week 2,” Dykes said. “But it’s challenging any time that you break your routine, have an eight-hour flight. There’s some challenges associated with that.” 

Some TCU players have bucket list items they want to experience in Ireland. Senior defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh wants to see castle ruins that remain along the Irish countryside.

“I hope they have medieval swords, or something,” Din-Mbuh said. “I don’t know if it’s really like that, but I’m hoping it’s like this.”

With winning at the forefront of their minds, the Horned Frogs are readying for a trip that’ll require a balance of exploration, curiosity and focus. Defensive end Markis Deal is hoping to immerse himself in the Irish cuisine, while prioritizing the task at hand. 

“Obviously, it’s going to be different flying out there and experiencing a new culture,” Deal said. “It’s going to be fun just being out there and being in that, but we gotta treat it like another game.”