After the Aer Lingus Football Classic game sold out with 47,226 fans, which also included 25,999 international visitors in Dublin, Ireland. College football is looking towards a new frontier and will play a game between Kansas and Arizona State at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London. This year, Dublin hosted its third consecutive sellout at Aviva Stadium, between Kansas State and Iowa State, generating an economic impact estimated at a whopping €130 million. The game at Wembley, then, can have far-reaching effects for college football as it spreads its wings, crossing the Atlantic.

“The Post and Courier has learned that Arizona State and Kansas will play in London next year. It’s part of a multi-year deal for an event called the Union Jack Classic. That first game is scheduled for Sept. 19, 2026, at iconic Wembley Stadium. Presale for tickets to each school’s alumni and season-ticket holders is expected to begin over the next few weeks,” reported Scott Hamilton on X. The 2026 move is a part of the initiative taken by the Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark to have a global footprint for his conference.

Why are ASU & Kansas playing at Wembley Stadium, London, in 2026?

Two years ago, in 2023, the Big 12 commissioner announced the conference’s plans for a ‘Big 12 Mexico’ conference that would include soccer, baseball, basketball, and football games. It was launched with a media rights strategy in an effort to establish a wider global presence, becoming the first conference to expand outside the United States. Currently, the Big 12 has plans for a Bowl game in Mexico at Monterrey in 2026, with ESPN and FOX airing the football games in the future. Going to Wembley feels almost natural, where the NFL has already hosted 34 regular-season games since 2007.

“We’re having conversations with other countries throughout the world that are very interested in bringing the Big 12 to their marketplace…I want this conference to be a global conference. I think we can win globally, big time. Playing in Ireland, obviously, is that first step, and we’ll return there next year. There’s a good chance we’ll be in Mexico City next spring for baseball. Baylor’s women’s basketball team is kicking off the basketball season in Paris this year,” said Brett Yormark at the Big 12 Media Days in July.

For context, the Baylor women’s basketball team will travel to Paris to play Duke as part of a new series. Apart from that, the Big 12 commissioner also expects baseball games to happen in Mexico City starting from 2026, signaling seriousness on the part of the Big 12 for the global expansion. Not just that, the Big 12 also has plans in place to organize matchups between local teams for games like soccer and baseball when they will be scheduled in Mexico. As for ASU v Kansas, it may lead to the cancellation of an already scheduled Week 0 game in Ireland.

Does this replace the Week 0 Ireland Game?

This year’s Aer Lingus Classic football game between Kansas State and Iowa State was a funfest, garnering 4.7 million viewers and becoming the “most-watched” game of Week 0. The Cyclones are cruising past the Wildcats, which also became a thriller, with the game ending 24-21, and the festivities were witnessed well outside the stadium, too. In 2026, the Aer Lingus Classic will feature TCU and UNC, with Bill Belichick already fueling the hype. As for the game itself between Kansas and ASU, there’s still a hurdle to cross for the game to happen at Wembley.

“Can confirm….that this is on track to happen. Per sources, the deal still requires a waiver to move a previously scheduled game against Middle Tennessee to Week 0 and some finalization of deal points. It would be the sport’s third overseas game next year. One of the drivers of Kansas giving up the home game, per sources, is that they are still at reduced capacity amid their stadium reconstruction,” reported Pete Thamel. The Middle Tennessee game is surely a hurdle for now for Kansas.

Kansas is set to play Middle Tennessee on September 19th in 2026, while the game against ASU hasn’t yet been scheduled. Now, with the reports coming about the ASU game on September 19th in London, it sure presents a clash scenario. However, Kansas is still at reduced capacity even after completing David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium’s $448 million renovation. Giving up a home game can surely end that clash, and that game likely looks to be Middle Tennessee, which was going to be held at the Memorial Stadium. As for the TCU vs UNC game happening in Ireland in Week 0, no changes are currently reported for it.