Wembley welcomes 'rabid' college football fans — SkimNews
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- Arizona State beat Kansas 24-17 in Saturday's inaugural Union Jack Classic at Wembley, drawing 46,523 fans — roughly 13,500 below the 60,000 attendance organizers had planned for.
- UJC organizers have signed an exclusive multi-year deal with Wembley, and Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said an announcement on next year's London game will come "within the next month or two."
- About 15,000 fans travelled from the US — 9,000 for ASU and 6,000 for Kansas — while ticket buyers came from 35 countries; the organizers partnered with the British American Football Association, BUCS, and the Jacksonville Jaguars, training more than 1,050 British coaches and referees this year.
- Both Big 12 teams brought 105 players each, 90% of whom had never held a passport before the trip; the conference has also played two games in Dublin in the past 13 months, and Yormark confirmed other international markets are being explored.
- The Wembley tailgate opened seven hours before kickoff with Kansas City rapper Tech N9ne performing and Fox Sports broadcasting live from Wembley Way, though BBC noted fewer marching band members and cheerleaders than a typical US college game — and a quieter crowd than ASU's average 54,000 home attendance last season.
Why it matters: The 46,523 attendance fell about 23% short of the 60,000 target, signaling London college football is still finding its audience — but Big 12 has locked in a multi-year Wembley deal, played two Dublin games in 13 months, and will name its 2026 London opponent within two months, betting that the international appetite grows with each matchup.
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