The Arizona State Sun Devils and Kansas Jayhawks will meet in the inaugural Union Jack Classic in London, England, in 2026, the Big 12 Conference officially announced Wednesday. Arizona State and Kansas will square off at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
“I’m thrilled that Big 12 football will be heading to London for the first-ever college football game at Wembley Stadium,” said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. “I’ve often said my goal is for the Big 12 to be the most globally relevant conference in college athletics. Expanding our international presence will elevate our brand, create new opportunities for student-athletes, and open the door to meaningful commercial growth for the league.”
The Union Jack Classic will be the third Big 12 football game in two seasons played in Europe. Iowa State and Kansas state opened the 2025 season in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland, in Week Zero. The Cyclones defeated the Wildcats in that contest, 24-21.
Next season, the TCU Horned Frogs will face the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026 (Week Zero).
“This is the perfect moment in time for Kansas Football to blaze an uncharted trail to historic Wembley Stadium in London,” Kansas Director of Athletics Travis Goff said. “This opportunity is reflective of the growth and trajectory of our football program and the entire University, and will provide our fans and student-athletes an unprecedented experience. We’re excited that our season ticket holders and students will still have six opportunities to watch a game at The Booth next season as that project is being completed, while also having the chance to see the Jayhawks play international for the first time ever. Our commitment is to provide a first-class, generational experience for our program and supporters, while showcasing Jayhawk Football and the University of Kansas on a global stage.”
The Arizona State-Kansas matchup will mark only the second college football game to be played in England. The first-ever college football game in England was played on Oct. 16, 1988 when Richmond defeated Boston University, 20-17, at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in south London.
“The Big 12 is leading the charge to take college football global, and we’re proud to be part of it,” said Arizona State Athletics Director Graham Rossini. “College sports are about providing our student-athletes with life-changing experiences, and playing in the Union Jack Classic at Wembley Stadium will be an incredible one. With nearly 18,000 international students from 160 countries, ASU already thrives on a global stage, and we can’t wait to showcase Sun Devil Football and Arizona State University to fans across Europe.”
Wembley Stadium, which opened in 2007, is the home of the England national football team and the NFL London games. The venue has a seating capacity of 86,000 for American football.
“We are proud to make history by bringing American College Football to London on a global stage”, said Brian Dubiski, Chairman/CEO of Union Jack Classic. “Hosting two elite Big 12 programs at Wembley Stadium positions this matchup as the premier international showcase for our sport, and we look forward to delivering an unforgettable experience for fans and partners worldwide.”
With the Arizona State-Kansas game officially set for Sept. 19, 2026, both schools will have to make adjustments to their previously scheduled non-conference opponents. Arizona State was previously scheduled to host Hawaii on Sept. 19, 2026, while Kansas was scheduled to host Middle Tennessee.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel last month, Kansas will seek an NCAA waiver to move its Sept. 19 home game against Middle Tennessee to Week Zero. Hawaii already has a Week Zero game scheduled on the road against Stanford, so its game at Arizona State will likely be set for another date or moved to another season.
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I’m sorry, but this is stupid. We don’t need more than one British Isles game per year, especially a conference game.
All the neutral site games and especially the international ones are stupid. I love Brett Yormark and all he´s done for the league but this is one thing he´s doing that I really, really hate.
College games should be played on campus. Students pay an awful lot of money to attend these schools. The least they can do is give them the opportunity to see their teams play at home. Why SHOULD P4 OOC games be played at a neutral site? The Texas-Ohio State game, as an example, was a great atmosphere. Why should that game be played in Atlanta or Indianapolis?
And moving conference games to neutral sites poses a competitive disadvantage to the team losing the home game. I get that Florida-Georgia and Texas-Oklahoma are played at neutral sites, but those are longstanding traditions.
Arizona State Kansas might get a million viewers whereas this game will have 3 to 5 depending on the time slot plus viewership in England. It’s a money maker for ESPN. I’m guessing they are setting up the games and this will continue until the Big 12 contract is up. Smart move but sucks for their fans.
#GodSaveTheKing 🇬🇧 #ForksUp 🔱 #RockChalk 🐦 #Big12FB 🏈
do we know who is the designated home team for this game yet
It was supposed to be at Kansas, so Kansas.
We tried to play this game on an aircraft carrier in international waters south of Galveston but we had to settle on this. Hopefully we dont ruin one of these teams seasons again like K State and hopefully we can avoid father-son donnybrooks in the streets.
did you get your idea from this because it sure would be fun to see no lie
https://x.com/FAUFootball/status/1774764325896335554?lang=en