Croke Park Classic 2014

 

THE EVENT:

UCF and Penn State, in conjunction with the Gaelic Athletic Association, travelled across the Atlantic Ocean to open the 2014 college football season. The Croke Park Classic was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014, in Dublin, and was aired on ESPN2. The announcement was made during the GAA Leinster Football Finals at Croke Park with members of each institution present, including UCF Vice President and Director of Athletics Todd Stansbury and Head Coach George O’Leary.

 

 

THE BRIEF:

• The Official Pep Rally

• Croke Park Classic Tailgate

• Athletic cheerleaders somersaulting into dangerous positions.

• Competeing Marching Bands

• Parachutist

• Flagbeares & Mascots

• Stirringly haunting accapella rendition of the National Anthems

• The Stands shook with the roar of two Americana Air force F16 fighter jets that flew over the stadium

 

THE RESULT:

The Croke Park Classic was a massive success and was seen by millions of football fans across the states. This was the first time UCF and Penn State had played outside the United States and Penn State took the Dan Rooney Trophy in a competitively fought game. 53,304 fans attended the Croke Park Classic. The game was a thrilling encounter which saw Penn State overcome UCF by 26 points to 24. The game ended in drama with Sam Ficken's field goal in the dying seconds winning Penn State the CPC.

 

“Sport and theartre collide with spectacular result in American Football at CPC. The sparkle & the show are an integral part of the spectacle but there is real steel behind the stardust that was sprinkled on Dublin yesterday”