College Football Classic event will not take place in Aviva Stadium in 2021

Georgia Tech kicks off during the Aer Lingus College Football Classic match against Boston College Eagles at the Aviva Stadium in 2016. Picture: Cody Glenn/Sportsfile

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic game, due to take place at the Aviva Stadium between Illinois and Nebraska, will not take place in Ireland, organisers have announced.

While talks are undergoing for Dublin to host a college football game in 2022, the postponement will leave a €70m-sized hole in the Irish economy, is has been claimed.

"The games attract on average 25,000 American visitors to the country, staying on average seven nights and the Illinois / Nebraska game alone was set to be worth an estimated €70m to the Irish economy," Padraic O'Kane Director of Irish American Events Ltd said.

"Irish hoteliers will feel that considerable blow today as 105,000 bed nights booked for the game have been released across the country for the second year in a row. We are determined to start the series at the Aviva Stadium in 2022.”

O'Kane added that they were at "advanced stage of negotiations" with teams to come to Ireland for the 2022 and 2023 College Football Classics.

The last NCAA game to be played in Dublin saw Georgia Tech defeat Boston College in 2016.

The clash between Illinois and Nebraska will now instead take place at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.