Tens of thousands of fans in the stands. Players and coaches signing big contracts. Games nationally televised with weekends dedicated to coverage — college football is huge.
Before Tom Brady won Super Bowls, he played in front of 110,000 fans for Michigan. Before Patrick Mahomes’ early NFL success, he starred at Texas Tech in front of 55,000 fans. Tonight’s college stars and future pros are forged in that atmosphere.
College football is coming to Wembley in 2026 as the Union Jack Classic, when the Arizona State Sun Devils will face the Kansas Jayhawks. In September, Sky Sports visited Arizona to see the college football experience firsthand and why ASU was chosen to showcase the sport in London.
After a roughly 10-hour journey from London we arrived in Tempe to warm evening weather and met the three men behind the Union Jack Classic — Brian Dubiski, Thomas Hensey and Rob Yowell — who have spent years developing the project.
Why Arizona State? The Sun Devils embody what the organisers want to present. ASU is a massive university (over 160,000 students in 2025), ranked highly for innovation, with a long football tradition (founded 1897) and passionate fans. If any college team can make waves internationally, ASU fits the bill.
We toured Mountain America Stadium, a 54,000-seater tucked between mountains. On gamedays about 12,000 seats are for students in the “Inferno” section with a simple brief: wear gold, cheer loudly, bring the heat. A 54,000 crowd is huge by many standards (it would rank around the top Premier League attendances) but is mid-sized in college football terms — several schools have stadiums over 100,000.
ASU’s facilities underline the investment in sport: a roster of over 100 players, a huge cafeteria serving all athletes, top-tier gym equipment, recreation spaces (pool, table tennis, simulators, consoles), and expansive meeting halls for the whole team and position groups. The Sun Devils Hall of Fame highlights why that support matters — alumni include NFL pass-rusher Terrell Suggs, NBA star James Harden, golfers Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson, and Olympic swimmer Leon Marchand.
Sport is central to ASU: they compete in 26 varsity sports, have won 165 national championships and produced around 60 Olympic medals among former athletes. As one guide put it, buying a college sports ticket often funds scholarships and helps sustain the program as alumni return to support their teams.
We spoke with head coach Kenny Dillingham, a 35-year-old Phoenix native who played and studied locally, coached in the region and beyond, and became ASU head coach in 2023. Dillingham not only wants the Sun Devils to rise among the country’s best, he hopes the Wembley trip creates memories for players — many of whom have never travelled abroad — and serves as a recruiting and retention tool. An international trip can sway recruits and convince current players to stay rather than transfer or enter the NFL early.
A planned tailgate was cancelled by what organisers described as the worst storm in Arizona in years, which also delayed the game against 24th-ranked TCU. However, organisers assured us the iconic “Sun Devil Walk” — where the team, mascot Sparky, the Spirit Squad and the marching band walk to the stadium together — will be part of the Wembley event.
When the skies cleared, Mountain America Stadium filled for a Friday night blackout game (students donned black rather than the usual gold) and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” blared as the team arrived. ASU overcame a 17-0 deficit to win 27-24 in an electric atmosphere. Quarterback Sam Leavitt and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson starred: Tyson caught eight passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns and is projected as a potential top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Leavitt’s future was undecided at the time of the visit, but Dillingham expects the team to be stronger in 2026 with incoming recruits.
Following the win they rose to 21st in the official rankings and later sat at 20th while remaining in Big-12 title contention. When ASU heads to Wembley in 2026 they will bring tradition, success and the potential to be one of the nation’s top teams.
Tickets for the inaugural Union Jack Classic at Wembley Stadium on September 19, 2026, are now on sale.