Notre Dame Prep has announced that its team will participate in the Global Ireland Football Tournament (GIFT) 2023, which is produced by Global Football as part of the University Notre Dame-United States Naval Academy Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
Notre Dame Prep, which was established in 2002, is a coed college preparatory high school in the Diocese of Phoenix, reports Global Football.
The school is led by President Jill Platt and has 925 full-time students. Nicknamed the "Saints," they compete in the Arizona Interscholastic Association at the 5A schools level and wear purple and gold uniforms.
“Going to Ireland is an outstanding opportunity for our entire community,” says NDP head coach George Prelock.
“Not only is it going to be great to compete overseas against another high school, but it’s also going to be a fantastic educational experience to learn about Ireland and meet the people who live there. We will create great memories with our students and their families.
"I hope the people in Ireland will see us for who we are as a faith-based community that is reverent, respectful, and responsible. I hope when they meet us they say those are a great group of kids and a dang good football team!”
Next year will mark Notre Dame Prep's second time at the event. They played in the inaugural showcase staged in 2012, the last time the University of Notre Dame's Fighting Irish and the US Naval Academy traveled to Ireland, reports Global Football.
“It is an honor to welcome Notre Dame Prep of Arizona back to Dublin again as I vividly recall their team and supporters who were so excited to experience Irish culture firsthand, and returned home with lifelong memories,” says Patrick Steenberge, president and founder of Global Football.
“They played a determined Father Judge School team from Philadelphia in 2012, were able to earn a victory at historic Park Tailteann in Navan. Matchups for next year’s GIFT games will be announced shortly as all participating teams are still playing, finishing their seasons in their state playoffs and/or conference championships.”
The GIFT will be played on Friday, August 25, 2023 as a warm-up event to the Notre Dame-Navy game scheduled for Saturday, August 26.
GIFT games will be played in Energia Stadium, a few kilometers away from Aviva Stadium where the ND-Navy game will be held and broadcast on NBC.
GIFT games will be streamed worldwide from Dublin.
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