Arizona State defeats Kansas 24-17 at Wembley Stadium in London college football return

The inaugural London matchup

The Arizona State Sun Devils defeated the Kansas Jayhawks 24-17 on Saturday in the inaugural Union Jack Classic at Wembley Stadium. The matchup marked the first Football Bowl Subdivision game held in London and the first American college football contest in the United Kingdom since 1988. Playing across three hours and 37 minutes, the two Big 12 Conference programs brought college traditions overseas, including tailgates and full university marching bands. Before kickoff, the Arizona State band performed Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It", while the Kansas band answered with Cameo's "Word Up" and the Beatles' "Twist and Shout".

Key plays and on-field turning points

The contest remained slow through the early stages until a sequence of special teams and passing plays altered the scoreline around halftime. Kansas took a 7-3 lead following a 72-yard punt return by Taty Nagy. Arizona State answered shortly before the break after Jayhawks punter Matthew Gill sliced a kick for 17 yards, setting up quarterback Cutter Boley to throw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Reed Harris. The decisive moment arrived on the opening play of the second half, when Arizona State receiver Jaren Hamilton returned the kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to stretch the advantage to 17-7.

College football is where you can get some of the most authentic, real, just passion, and it's... man. I've seen some similarities even with the World Cup. How people are, like, they'll die by it. That's how college football is. I want the world to really hone in on us and really just pay attention.

Attendance and venue logistics

Wembley Stadium recorded an official attendance of 46,523, falling short of the 60,000 target organizers had envisioned for the venue. Stadium officials closed the upper deck entirely, shifting ticket holders into lower-tier seats during the two weeks leading up to the fixture. The venue, which possesses a total seating capacity of 90,000, appeared cavernous on television broadcasts despite energetic noise from the travelling supporters. Off the field, event staff experienced administrative friction, including tight security procedures that required Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham to conduct his postgame press conference twice after several journalists were initially blocked from entering.

International expansion and Big 12 ambitions

The London game represents the third regular-season fixture staged in the British Isles by the Big 12 Conference over the past 13 months. According to conference officials, ticket buyers travelled from 35 different countries to attend the game in London. The National Football League has staged regular-season games in London annually since 2007, excluding the 2020 season, and collegiate administrators view the market as a viable venue for overseas expansion. Big 12 leadership confirmed that conversations are already underway with member institutions regarding potential returns to Wembley Stadium and other international sites in upcoming seasons.

I hope this is not a one-time affair. We're already talking to some of our schools that are very interested in playing in London next year, and specifically here at Wembley. And then we're looking at other markets.