New York GAA chairman Seán Price has raised the possibility of the Exiles facing the Tailteann Cup winners, with a review of their involvement early in the inter-county football season looming.
Administrators in the Big Apple are considering all options to maintain their championship link with home teams.
This year All-Ireland finalists Galway travelled to New York to kickstart the 2025 campaign and in 2026 Mark Dowd will bring his Roscommon squad stateside for a provincial quarter-final.
But a review of the arrangement between Connacht GAA and the Exiles will take place after next year's championship and it is felt to be under big threat.
The expense of Connacht teams travelling to New York to play the annual first game of the championship has been estimated at €250,000.
New York GAA, however, are determined to maintain their participation in the early stages, at least, of the championship.
And in the past few weeks GAA president Jarlath Burns has echoed their call to stay involved.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, New York chairman Seán Price says they will be going all out to keep a presence in the Senior Football Championship and are considering options – including potential openers with the All-Ireland or Tailteann Cup winners.
"Jarlath was out here in March and marched up Fifth Avenue in the parade and he sees what we're trying to do. We're trying to keep it alive," Price said.
"The first page in the official guide is centred on preservation and promotion and this fixture is absolutely crucial to us in terms of Gaelic games and our culture.
"New York is a hotbed of immigration for the Irish and has been for 200 years, maybe even longer. So, I applaud Jarlath's thinking on this."
In 2023, New York beat Leitrim after extra-time and penalties.
Aside from that, results have gone the way of visiting Connacht teams since the venture started in 1999 when Mayo were the first county to face the Exiles in the Connacht SFC.
A subsequent annual grant of €50,000 from the Connacht Council has been made available each year to travelling teams, and Price says that for any similar arrangement to continue, New York GAA will play a role in helping counties who travel to play.
"Anything will be explored. Is it possible it could be the Tailteann winners that we might face? That would definitely give us a better focus. I don't know - the structure and fit would have to be looked at. I mean we're very happy with the current arrangement and we feel it's a good fit for us.
"So we would look at the financial side of it. Nobody sends home more teams to play games than us, from Feile to junior to senior in both codes and we know all about the travel and the hotels and the buses.
"We'd love to explore ideas with visiting teams because if they're spending €250,000 to come out here that's way too much money. That's definitely not sustainable and we could help them save €50,000 to €70,000. So that's one avenue we could explore."
Price also added that teams coming out could be assisted by New York GAA in their own fundraising ventures.
"We're open to all options," he concluded. " We just want to keep going.
"We want to try and do it right. And we want to stay involved."
Price admits the prospect of facing the All-Ireland champions would be a glamour fixture on the surface but nonetheless a very challenging task for the New York players.
"Is it ideal? I suppose it isn't. It feels good and sounds good, but it would be tough on players here to motivate them.
"The other side is to take Kerry as current champions and wouldn't it be great to see David and Paudie Clifford, Seanie O’Shea and everybody else in action? Imagine what that would do for the young kids of New York GAA?
"Another thing I would say is that if counties feel they’re spending too much money and maybe don't want to come out, we have to try and think of something to help and also keep us alive here.
"We've a development going on (Gaelic Park) and that annual game is a big economic driver for us. We had Galway this year with a crowd of 6,300 between everybody that was in the ground.
"That's a massive day for the Irish, and it brings the diaspora together."
