Looks like US College Football could be headed back to Dublin

Following on from last year’s Notre Dame/Navy clash at Aviva, another game could be lined up for next year, but expect some controversy because of the school involved; Penn State.

Last September’s Notre Dame/Navy College Football game at Aviva was a success no matter what way you look at it. The game sold out, it brought lots of American visitors – and their precious dollars – to Dublin and it set up Notre Dame for an unbeaten season and a place in their All-Ireland final, the BCS Bowl. They got hammered there by Alabama but still.

Anyway, it is no surprise then to hear talk of another school plotting to incorporate Dublin into their schedule. And it seems like the most newsworthy college programme, for all the wrong reasons sadly, might be the ones headed our way.

Speaking at the weekend, according to Yahoo, Penn State coach Bill O'Brien said: "We are definitely looking into playing in Ireland, no question about it. We're working on an opponent and we're working with the Big Ten on that. So that's something that's definitely in the works."

If this does come to pass, expect the build-up to be dominated by one thing and one person; paedophilia and Jerry Sandusky.

Last summer Sandusky, a former defensive coach on the team, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on 45 counts of sexual abuse. A report called the Freeh Report last summer said that legendary former head coach Joe Paterno knew of the abuse and allowed Sandusky to retire quietly by 'concealing' his crimes. The report also claimed that the school’s president and others failed to act to defend children.

Just this week a report by the Paterno family tried to absolve the coach of responsibility and claims he passed on the, then, allegations to his superiors.

The governing body of the game stripped the college of many of its wins, some scholarships and the college is banned from post-season play for the next three years. With that in mind, the Dublin trip could be seen as part of the rebuilding of the school’s image and a chance for their many, many fans to replace the post-season feeling with a trip to Ireland.

It is certainly one to watch with interest.