'Who Am I to Rob Them of That Experience?' Why Kenny Dillingham Believes Wembley Can Help Shape Arizona State's Future

By Simon Carroll

Kenny Dillingham knows exactly how difficult Arizona State’s September schedule will be.

The Sun Devils open with a daunting road trip to Texas A&M before immediately flying across the Atlantic to face Kansas at Wembley Stadium in the Union Jack Classic. There are travel headaches. Time-zone changes. Recovery concerns. Ten days away from home. A logistical puzzle that most college coaches would happily avoid.

Dillingham didn’t deny any of it. In fact, he listed every challenge himself. And then he explained exactly why he accepted them anyway.

“Who am I to rob them of that experience?”

Those nine words perhaps tell you more about Arizona State’s head coach than any win-loss record ever could. For Dillingham, London’s significance stretches far beyond football.

“It’s about the experience,” he explained during Big 12 Media Days. “These are 18 to 23-year-old guys, and to give them the experience for 105 guys together as a team to travel across the pond and get to experience this in a legendary stadium… who am I to rob that from them?

“I want to give our kids experiences, not take them away.”

Facing Adversity

In an era where college football conversations are increasingly dominated by NIL valuations, transfer portal movement and playoff expansion, Dillingham continues to speak about something refreshingly simple: people.

The 36-year-old has built Arizona State’s resurgence around relationships, culture and shared experiences just as much as schemes and recruiting rankings. And it is perhaps no coincidence that the Sun Devils have become one of the fastest-rising programs in the Big 12.

After an unforgettable run to the College Football Playoff two seasons ago, Arizona State enters 2026 with heightened expectations despite significant roster turnover on offense. There is a new-look receiver room. A new quarterback. Fresh faces throughout the depth chart.

Yet Dillingham sounds remarkably calm.

“I like the balance we have on offense,” he said. “I like the running backs. I like the tight ends. I like the weapons we have on the perimeter. I like the O-line and their ability to move the line of scrimmage.

“We’ve had a lot of new faces, but I’ve been really pleased with the guys.”

That confidence isn’t built on optimism alone. Instead, Dillingham says the true test of his team won’t arrive until something inevitably goes wrong.

“It’ll be the first time we face adversity,” he said. “When something bad happens, how do our guys respond?

“We can try to create that in practice, but when we’re in the heat of the moment and it’s not going our way, what happens?”

Behaviour over Culture

Dillingham’s focus on character is a revealing answer. Many coaches use media days to discuss statistics, depth charts or championship aspirations. Instead, the leader of the Sun Devils talks about resilience.

That mindset is reflected in the three non-negotiables that continue to define Arizona State’s program.

“Be a good person. Make good decisions. And have more fun working harder than anybody in the country.”

Each sounds straightforward, but the explanation behind them isn’t.

“Making a good decision doesn’t mean the comfortable decision,” Dillingham explained. “Sometimes the good decision is calling out your teammate when he’s not making good decisions. You better love what you do. You better come into this building with a passion for doing it. You better come in there with a smile. You better love working harder than anybody could ever dream you could work.”

Culture has become one of the defining buzzwords across college football, but Dillingham rarely uses the word. Instead, he describes behaviours.

That’s perhaps why players who have arrived from elsewhere have settled so quickly.

Safety Lyrik Rawls, who transferred from Kansas after previous stops with both the Jayhawks and Oklahoma State, was voted onto Arizona State’s leadership council within months of arriving in Tempe.

Dillingham sees that as far more important than Rawls’ inside knowledge of Kansas ahead of the Union Jack Classic.

“I haven’t really leaned on him much at all,” Dillingham admitted. “I just want him to focus on being at Arizona State and being the best player he can be. For him to get voted onto our leadership council after only being part of our programme for four months is a pretty good testament to himself.”

It’s another reminder that, for Dillingham, people come before tactics.

Professional Advice

Kenny Dillingham is a man who knows what he doesn’t know. And that keen introspection has helped shape his approach to preparing for one of college football’s most unusual road trips.

Rather than assuming Arizona State could manage the logistics alone, he sought advice from those who already do it every season – NFL teams.

“One hundred percent,” he said when asked whether he’d consulted franchises with experience of playing international games. “The advice was not to fly home from Texas A&M. I listen to people. A lot of people are way smarter than me. I just figure if I listen to the smart people, people think I’m smart.”

Whilst the self-deprecating humour drew plenty of laughs, the planning behind it is deadly serious. Arizona State will travel directly from Texas rather than returning to Tempe, minimising disruption before arriving in London.

It’s one example of a program tryingto maximise an opportunity while respecting the challenge that comes with it. And make no mistake: Dillingham views Wembley as a big test.

“We won’t be home for about 10 straight days,” he said. “It’s a great challenge, and I look forward to it.”

Tempe On Tour

If Arizona State hopes to leave Britain with a victory, it will also need to win over a stadium full of supporters, many of whom will be watching college football live for the very first time.

Dillingham already has a plan.

“I hope they take away the passion in which we play,” he said. “These guys throw themselves around and play extremely, extremely hard.”

His own players recently attended a FIFA World Cup match during their stay in Texas, giving many their first taste of football’s global atmosphere. Now, Dillingham hopes British fans experience something similar in return.

“I hope people can see the passion in which people play this game. I hope they can feel that energy in the stands and on TV.”

Then came perhaps the most entertaining plea of the entire interview.

“You can’t go to a game and be neutral,” Dillingham laughed. “You’ve got to pick a side. You’ve got to cheer when you’re supposed to cheer. You’ve got to be quiet when you’re supposed to be quiet. You’ve got to talk crap to the other team.

“So all I’m saying is… pick our side.”

For anyone unfamiliar with Arizona State traditions, Dillingham even provided a quick crash course. Throw the pitchfork hand sign, say “Forks Up”, or simply greet fellow supporters with “Go Devils.”

If you’re amongst ASU friends, you’ll get the same response back.

Going Global - In More Ways Than One

Those traditions may soon become more familiar in Britain than ever before, as Arizona State’s ambitions in London extend well beyond one football game.

The university is opening a campus in the UK capital, something Dillingham believes could gradually strengthen the Sun Devils’ international profile.

“We’re a global university,” he said. “Hopefully kids grow up seeing that Arizona State logo around London and think, ‘How cool would it be to play at that school?’

“Maybe one day when they’re older, we come calling.”

It’s a long-term vision that extends beyond recruiting rankings or television audiences. Like so much of Dillingham’s philosophy, it starts with creating memories first, and his expectations for September aren’t measured solely by the scoreboard.

“I want people to remember it for the rest of their lives,” he said. “Not just because we’re going to London, but because we’re doing it together.”

There will, of course, be plenty at stake once the ball is kicked at Wembley. Conference ambitions. Playoff aspirations. A statement opportunity on an international stage. But listening to Kenny Dillingham, it’s clear Arizona State isn’t travelling to Britain simply to play a football game.

The Sun Devils are travelling to build another chapter in a program that increasingly measures success not only by victories, but by the experiences shared in chasing them.

If Dillingham gets his wish, Arizona State will leave Wembley with something far more valuable than a win and a passport stamp. They’ll leave with memories—and perhaps a few thousand new fans shouting, “Forks Up.”

BE A PART OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL HISTORY

Tickets to watch the Sun Devils against the Jayhawks in the inaugural Union Jack Classic on Saturday September 19 can be purchased now via the Union Jack Classic website

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SIMON CARROLL

Lead Writer, Head of Content

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST, COVERS THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS FOR SB NATION and is college football writer for dazn.

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