Sports · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Arizona State Beats Kansas 24-17 In Inaugural Union Jack Classic At Wembley
Arizona State beat Kansas 24-17 at Wembley to open the Union Jack Classic. This marked the first college football game in the UK since 1988 at Wembley.
14 outlets, one story, no spin found.
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Wembley’s debut game
Wembley hosted its first American college football game on Saturday, with 46,523 fans attending the inaugural Union Jack Classic (UJC) as the Arizona State Sun Devils beat the Kansas Jayhawks 24-17.
“46,523 fans attending the inaugural Union Jack Classic (UJC)”
The BBC described the rivalry starting before kickoff as Kansas fans shouted "Rock Chalk, Jayhawk" and their rivals replied with "ASU, ASU" at a pre-game party in Waterloo on Friday.
The Guardian said the game itself was "not a classic" and traced the decisive swing to a minute either side of half-time, when Kansas went from leading 7-3 to trailing 17-7.
Fox Sports analyst Chris Fallica told the Guardian the match was like a lower-tier Premier League or upper-tier Championship game, and the paper compared it to "Nottingham Forest versus Coventry."
Bands, broadcasts, and quotes
Outside the stadium, the Guardian said the noise came from the Arizona State Sun Devils’ marching band and the Jayhawks’ band followed with cheers from the large crowd outside Wembley.
The Guardian also quoted Ian Taplin of Milton Keynes telling police officers, “I bet you’re glad you are not at Millwall,” a line that led both officers to smile.
Inside the broadcast bubble, the BBC said Fox Sports had an outdoor studio for its live pre-game show on Wembley Way, while the Fox crew kept trying to stoke the rivalry.
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormack told the Guardian, “We’re not there yet, but I’m confident we’ll be back,” after saying he hoped to announce next year’s Wembley game soon.
Next steps for Big 12
The BBC reported that UJC organisers planned for an attendance of 60,000 but Wembley was about half full at 46,523, with some ticketholders moved to the bottom tier to keep the top tier empty.
“Wembley was about half full at 46,523”
The Guardian said the Big 12 hopes the London debut becomes “a significant piece of brand-building in Europe,” and it quoted Fallica saying, “These schools are obviously getting rewarded financially to come over.”
The AP-linked Arizona Sports report said organisers have a three-year contract with Wembley for an annual game with an option for a fourth year, and it added that they were in talks about airline and hospitality partnerships but might not have a title sponsor until next year.
In the background of the on-field result, the New York Times noted the game was hosted at Wembley Stadium with a capacity of 90,000 and that the Arizona State Sun Devils beat the Kansas Jayhawks 24-17, framing it as the UK’s first college football event since 1988.