LONDON (AP) — The Jayhawks and Sun Devils skipped tea and feasted on Shake Shack burgers along the Thames River.
Culture clashes abound as Kansas and Arizona State bring American college football to Wembley Stadium — the home of English football — in the inaugural Union Jack Classic on Saturday.
And the “Ted Lasso” references are unavoidable with both teams staying at hotels located near Richmond.
The Big 12 Conference matchup is an important one on the
field — both teams want to avoid back-to-back losses — but the trip also offers a chance for players to experience a European capital and be ambassadors for their sport.
“I know I haven’t done anything like this before,” ASU defensive lineman C.J. Fite said this week. “To be able leave a country, play football in front of new fans ... and kind of figure out this new culture and be able to experience it, it’s a No. 1 thing for sure.”
Thursday was a big sightseeing day for both teams. The game organizers had arranged for boat trips on the Thames. Plus, they set up tables full of Shake Shack UK food for the players.
On the boat tours, players snapped photos of Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster. A popular spot was Tower Bridge, where players strolled on the glass walkway that looks down on the bridge deck and the Thames.
“This is a lifetime opportunity for our players, for our program and, again, I can’t tell you how exited we are to be here and be part of this,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said this week.
His counterpart, Kenny Dillingham, was asked if he had anything fun planned outside of football.
“Absolutely not,” he responded. “We're playing a football game.”
Dillingham added there is “zero positive” from a football perspective in playing a Week 3 game internationally but, in the bigger picture, noted the once-in-a-lifetime experience for players.
Indeed, ASU offensive lineman Jalen Klemm said it will be exciting “to play in front of a different country and a different culture that doesn’t experience football and college football as often as obviously we do in America. So I think it’s a great opportunity for us to just go out there and play our game and kind of show what Sun Devils football is about.”
The Jayhawks, better known for their basketball, weren’t about to miss a layup. Their marching band and cheerleaders did a short performance at the Richmond plaza that’s instantly recognizable to fans of the Apple TV series “Ted Lasso.” It’s near where the fictional character — played by Kansas native Jason Sudeikis — lives.
A real Kansas coach — associate head coach Andy Kotelnicki, who handled the Jayhawks’ offense — had some Lasso-esque moments during his news conference Wednesday, including when he asked a local reporter how she spelled her name — because it’s also his dog’s name.
He also talked about being in the “foxhole” with quarterback Isaiah Marshall. Kotelnicki called a timeout during the session and said “gosh dang it” because he wanted more questions from London journalists.
Kotelnicki asked for advice on where to get the best fish and chips but was told to skip that and go for a pie and mash instead.
Organizers have a three-year contract with Wembley for an annual game with an option for a fourth year.
Brian Dubiski, CEO of the Union Jack Classic, recently told The Associated Press that they’re in talks about airline and hospitality partnerships but might not have a title sponsor until next year.
Wembley holds more than 86,000, but Dubiski is hoping for 60,000. An estimated 15,000 fans are coming from the U.S. Organizers added discounts on ticket four-packs and donated some to a U.K. organization that provide tickets to hospital workers.
“Would we like 80,000 people in the seats? Absolutely. But anything over 40-to-50,000 is a viable business model," Dubiski said.
Saturday’s matchup will be the first Football Bowl Subdivision game in the U.K. Back in 1988 — almost two years before Dillingham was born — the University of Richmond beat Boston University 20-17 at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in south London. The teams played in Division 1-AA, which is now called the Football Championship Subdivision.
That one was billed as the Imperial Bowl. Attendance estimates varied, but 6,000 was the highest of them. A game program available on eBay shows the adult ticket price was 6 pounds.
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