Union Jack Classic: Arizona State Sun Devils bring college football to Wembley in 2026 - here's why it's a big deal

Tens of thousands of fans in the stands. Players and coaches signing contracts worth millions. Games nationally televised and weekends dedicated to coverage... College football is a big deal.

Before Tom Brady was winning Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and then Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he was playing in front of 110,000 fans - for the University of Michigan.

Before Patrick Mahomes won three championships in his first four years as an NFL starter, he was a Texas Tech 'Red Raider', starring in front of 55,000 fans and throwing for over 400 yards per game in his college career.

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On top of the massive viewership, right now nine college coaches earn over $10 million annually, and 2021's NIL (name, image and likeness) ruling has meant that some players are earning close to $5 million a year - as 18-to-23-year-olds!

College football is coming to Wembley in 2026 in the form of the 'Union Jack Classic' as the Arizona State Sun Devils face off against the Kansas Jayhawks. In September, Sky Sports visited Arizona to see what the college football experience is all about...

After a roughly 10-hour journey from London, we arrived to a 35-degree evening heat (considered quite chilly for the time of year) before heading to a hotel in the 'college town' of Tempe. There, the three men behind the Union Jack Classic - Brian Dubiski, Thomas Hensey, and Rob Yowell - beamed about the year ahead and a project that has been years in the making.

Why Arizona State? Because the Sun Devils represent all the things Dubiski, Hensey and Yowell want to showcase across the border next year. ASU is a massive university, with one of the highest enrolment rates in the country (over 160,000 students in 2025). They lead the nation in 'innovation,' according to the US News rankings. The football team, founded in 1897, has great tradition. Their fans are incredibly passionate. If any college team can make waves internationally, it is ASU.

The next morning, we toured the outstanding Mountain America Stadium, a 54,000-seater nestled between mountains. On gamedays, 12,000 of those seats are allocated to students in a section known as 'The Inferno'. The requirements? "Wear gold! Cheer loud! Bring the heat!"

If 54,000 feels like a big crowd, it is - it would rank as the seventh-biggest in the Premier League - but on the scale of college football, it falls in the 50s. Eight colleges have stadiums with over 100,000 capacity, and seeing them full and lively on gamedays provides some idea of the scale of support.

On our tour of the facilities, you could see how much has been invested. There are over 100 players on the roster, but they have everything they need to thrive. A huge cafeteria with multiple stations that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner for all student athletes. State-of-the-art gym equipment. A games room set up with pool, table tennis, a golf simulator, PlayStations and Xboxes. A huge meeting room (more of a meeting hall) for the whole team along with multiple smaller ones for each position group and their coach.

Then there is the Sun Devils Hall of Fame, a showcase of why those facilities are so important. Some names with their images and achievements in that room? NFL legend Terrell Suggs, the NBA's James Harden, golfers Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson, and swimmer Leon Marchand, who scooped up four golds at last year's Olympics.

Sport is a massive part of ASU's tradition, and they compete in 26 of them at varsity level, with great success. Their teams have won 165 national championships across those sports, and Marchand's Olympic medals are just some of the 60 won by former Sun Devils. As one of our tour guides told us: "When you buy a ticket for an NFL game, you support a business. When you buy a ticket for college sports, you fund a scholarship." Since former students tend to be those who come back and support the team, the cycle of success continues.

The final part of the tour included a discussion with ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham, the 35-year-old local who was born in Phoenix, studied at Arizona State, coached high school football within the state, then eventually became head man in 2023 after assistant coach stints at Memphis, Auburn, Florida State and Oregon.

Not only does DIllingham want the Sun Devils to rise to become one of college football's top teams, but he wants to "create memories" with his players on the international trip. Almost all of his students have never travelled abroad, and he expects the Union Jack Classic to both tempt new recruits to commit to the school, and convince existing players to stay rather than leave for the NFL or transfer to another college. The pull of an international trip is that strong.

The day was rounded off with a Q&A with a group of journalism students and a visit to a local bar, quite fittingly called 'Cold Beers and Cheeseburgers'. In another example of just how big Sun Devils football is in that town, the menu offered up 'Sam Leavitt's QB 10 Wrap' and 'Jordyn Tyson's Touchdown Sandwich', a nod to two of ASU's biggest stars.

I would love to tell you about the tailgate experience on gameday. However, after the glorious weather of the previous day, we were met with the worst storm in Arizona in years. Every aspect of the tailgate was cancelled and there were questions about if - and when - the game, which pitted ASU against 24th-ranked Texas Christian University, would go ahead.

We were, however, promised that the famous 'Sun Devil Walk' (where the team along with the mascot Sparky, the Spirit Squad and the team's marching band, walk to the game together) will take place ahead of next year's game at Wembley.

Thankfully, with little time to spare, the skies cleared, the gates opened and fans flocked in for a Friday night 'blackout' game against their Big-12 rivals. Rather than wearing the usual gold, 'The Inferno' was rocking with students all in black as AC/DC's Thunderstruck appropriately accompanied the team's arrival on the field, and the game did not disappoint.

Despite being down 17-0 midway through the second quarter - while some fans were still battling through the weather delays to arrive - Dillingham's team fought back to win 27-24 in an electric atmosphere. Leavitt and Tyson shone, and the Sun Devils crowd made a huge difference.

Tyson, who managed eight catches, 126 yards and two outstanding touchdowns, is projected to be a top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and a star in the professional game. He is set to be one of the next athletic stars to graduate from ASU. Leavitt, meanwhile, has yet to make the decision. Will he be in London next year? Either way, the team is packed with talent and Dillingham hopes they will only be better by then boosted by new recruits.

ASU moved up to 21st in the official college football rankings after that win and, six games later, are currently ranked 20th and still in contention for the Big-12 title.

When they head to Wembley in 2026, they will bring tradition, success, and perhaps one of the top teams in college football.

Tickets are now on sale for the inaugural Union Jack Classic at Wembley Stadium on September 19, 2026. Click here to buy tickets and here to view hospitality packages.