The Northwestern Wildcats prepare for a ‘business trip’ in the West opener against Nebraska in Ireland.

CHICAGO (CBS) — Northwestern football opens the season in three weeks against Nebraska.

The two will meet in Ireland on Aug. 27, a week before the start of college football.

For many of the Wildcat players, it will be their first time out of the country, so they want to enjoy the trip, but focus on beating the Nebraska team that crushed the Cats last year.

“It’s crazy to say this is going into my fourth year of college football. I feel it. When you come down to it, I think it’s a business trip,” quarterback Ryan Hilinski said.

“What I did was raise their hands for someone who had never been out of the country. There were a lot of hands. So, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To play on the international level, to be in the first game in college. I think it’s something our guys will always remember about the year,” head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “They remember especially if we play well and lose.”

“I’m looking forward to the experience. I’ve heard a lot about the food and the weather. It’s going to be fun,” defensive back Cameron Mitchell said. “But you know, it’s a business trip. We’re going to take some revenge against Nebraska.”

This is another game extended by the pandemic. It was originally supposed to be the Illini and Nebraska in Dublin last year, but that game ended up being played in Champaign.