A Houston executive is taking one of America’s loudest sports rituals across the Atlantic, with college football headed to Wembley Stadium for a historic Big 12 matchup. The move gives Houston a front-row seat in the sport’s increasingly aggressive international expansion. It also leaves open the possibility that the University of Houston could eventually join the London party.
Brian Dubiski, chairman and CEO of the Union Jack Classic, has landed a multiyear agreement to stage college football at Wembley, according to the Houston Business Journal. The first event will feature Arizona State and Kansas, creating a recurring international platform for a project led by a Houston sports executive.
Arizona State And Kansas Make Wembley History
The inaugural Union Jack Classic is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, when Arizona State and Kansas meet at Wembley Stadium in London. FOX Sports describes the matchup as the first-ever FBS college football game contested in the United Kingdom and the first college football game at Wembley.
Kickoff is set for noon Eastern time, or 5 p.m. in London, with FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff broadcasting live from the stadium beforehand. The Union Jack Classic is pitching the full American game-day package, including tailgate activities, marching bands and a halftime show for a British audience that may know Wembley better for soccer than shoulder pads.
Houston Could Put Its Own Stamp On The Series
The Houston connection could become more than a footnote. The Houston Business Journal reports that Dubiski is in discussions about bringing the University of Houston to London, though no matchup or timeline has been announced.
Houston is already one of the Big 12’s 16 members, so a future appearance would give the conference a more direct local tie to Dubiski’s overseas venture. For now, the Cougars are only part of the conversation, while Arizona State and Kansas remain the confirmed participants.
Big 12 Pushes Its Brand Beyond The United States
The London game is part of a broader Big 12 strategy to build an international audience. The Big 12 Conference says the Union Jack Classic will be its third football game in Europe across two seasons, following games in Ireland.
Arizona State is also opening a London campus this fall, adding an academic layer to the school’s overseas push, according to ASU Sun Devil Athletics. That combination of campus expansion, broadcast exposure and a multiyear Wembley deal suggests the event is being built as more than a one-game novelty—and Houston’s Dubiski is helping draw the blueprint.
