Football is Global (but not everyone wants it to be...)
by GEORGE SOMERVILLE
American football finds itself at an interesting juncture.
TV viewing figures have never been higher for both NFL and College Football.
Growing the game and the viewing audience further at home in the US has its limitations so those governing the sport see the rest of the world as prime territory available to widen interest in the sport.
And so the NFL is expanding the game beyond it’s shores at warp speed. College football is following suit, albeit at a slower pace but it is learning from what the NFL has accomplished from their sojourn’s overseas.
Growth of the NFL international series
global domination
At a NFL UK event in London a couple of seasons ago, Commissioner Roger Goodell made a declaration to have 16 International games each season. Let me do the math for you. This means that soon – should Goodell get his way – every NFL franchise will play overseas annually.
Now bear in mind the first NFL International Series game played at Wembley was in 2007. This means the NFL has in less than 20 years gone from no games played internationally to wanting every team play overseas every year. That my friends is progress.
Goodell has never been shy about trying to make American Football the most watched sport globally. And to do that he must conquer Europe and South America where “football” or “soccer” is numero uno.
There is always a but. So, but….
you can’t please all of the people all of the time
I know that social media is a poor barometer for public opinion, however if you are inclined to scroll these days you can’t help but see a growing backlash from Americans about the game being taken overseas. And I choose my words carefully. You might be forgiven for thinking that the NFL is being taken hostage, never to be seen again. Truth is I understand the negativity around US games being played overseas. If I was a Seattle or Dallas season ticket holder I too would be frustrated at losing a home game to Madrid, London, Paris or now Australia.
Ah, Australia. Ahead of Super Bowl 60 Goodell announced that the first NFL game to be played in Australasia would be held in Melbourne. This is noteworthy given it is the first step that the NFL has taken West. Up until this point the globalisation of the game has been Eastwards across the pond or South into Mexico and Brazil. Australia marks a step change in NFL strategy.
Strategic steps
attention to detail
I have learned from watching the NFL over the best part of 20 years growing the game in London that every step Goodell and his team makes is a carefully plotted strategic move.
London, initially one game became two, then three, then four. Games were played in the afternoon and then at night. Tailgating and then no tailgates. Twickenham entered the rota and then disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Tickets and season tickets were sold at varying points to see what was efficient and effective, Every step the NFL made during its time in the UK is to test a new theory designed to sell increased TV rights, more tickets and merchandise. They used all of the information gathered from this to then move into Germany, Spain and now France. Australia is next in line.
It is a system which works.
wizards of oz
With the benefit of those 20 years or so of watching the NFL cross borders it is not surprising to see the push back from the US media and fans alike to a game being played 17 hours from Los Angeles.
Yup for those who complain of travelling 8 or 9 hours to London (and there were many), Heathrow Airport will feel like a walk in the park compared with the trip to Melbourne.
I remember seeing the Washington Commanders (then Redskins) players fall asleep in a London hotel corridor when they arrived in the UK. Which made me wonder just how bad their flight was!
So yes, flight time has been a grumble already. As have practice facilities and game field surfaces. Next was a lack of suitable hotel accommodation. Reading some of the negativity you might be excused for thinking that Melbourne is in a third world country for all the criticism that it has taken over facilities.
“expect things to get uncomfortable”
But this type of criticism isn’t new. Last year The Athletic published an article titled “When NFL teams go to play in London, expect things to get uncomfortable”.
The article by Michael Silver painted a somewhat dark image of NFL team’s experiences playing across the pond. This included the so called “Done After London Club” which cites the number of NFL coaches fired after losing a game in London. I fear the article largely ignores the somewhat fickle and trigger happy nature of NFL ownership but I guess getting fired after losing to the Browns in Cleveland doesn’t quite fit the dramatic narrative.
So too such lines as “the food stunk” which I’m sure the NFL catering teams who travel the 4,000 odd miles to London to feed their teams with an agreed and strictly controlled diet were delighted to hear. Not to mention of course that London and most of Europe has many times the number of Michelin star restaurants that Cleveland has. Not to pick on Cleveland of course. These words about the London food scene came from Chicago Head Coach, Matt Nagy who left London a loser and was subsequently and quite rightly removed of his duties.
having the time of their lives
My experience of American fans travelling to the games in Europe is vastly different to the Athletic piece. For a number of years my season tickets at Tottenham were amongst the home team travelling friends and family. And I can assure you that those fans were there to enjoy themselves. And for the record every body else around them including me had an awesome time also.
But isn’t that the root of the problem? While a trip to Paris this year to see the Saints is probably atop every Saints fans bucket list, not everyone can afford to take the trip. I’m certain a Saints season ticket isn’t cheap and many fans will have to search for the money each season to afford them and to renew them. Maybe even one game per season is all that some fans can make it to. With one less game at Caesars Superdome to choose from prices and availability for that single game just got that little harder. And Lord knows everything these days is so much more expensive meaning a beer and a hot dog in the Superdome might require a second mortgage these days. Therefore a transatlantic plane ticket to Paris Charles De Gaulle might not be a reality for many.
here’s the rub
As a NFL fan you might not even care about travelling overseas. Why should you? Perhaps you are lucky enough to live walking distance to Lambeau Field in Green Bay (boy are you lucky if you do). Every other Sunday is a ritual and a hugely enjoyable one. As a fan you only get 8 or 9 regular season games. Losing one of those to a game that might kick off at 10.30am ET or worse if you are on the West Coast isn’t what you signed up for.
At the end of the day it is called American Football for a reason.
So I am empathetic.
But I’m not sure the NFL is. To grow the game globally the game has to be seen and experienced globally which is exactly what the NFL is doing.
Like every great rock band out there, the NFL is taking its offering on the road. And like every burgeoning rock band, as people like what they see the fans are left wanting more and demand increases.
While I wouldn’t have been the biggest fan of it happening I am sure that if Jacksonville had relocated to London when it was seriously mooted some years ago, they would have sold season tickets. In the heyday of Jaguars football at Wembley, they would have sold out a season easily.
euro-tactic
This year the NFL will play three games in London, one in Madrid, one in Paris and one in Munich. Ireland is off the rota this year however Goodell says it will be back soon. Frankfurt is also popular and Italy is keen. Brazil retains its game from last season taking the game further South and into the heartland of soccer. With another game in Mexico this season and the aforementioned game in Australia Goodell has nine international games this year, more than half way to seeing his 16 International games per season. And they will all sell out.
In the UK the NFL has taken the somewhat controversial move to cease selling season tickets. Why? Because it knows it has overwhelming demand to sell out every game and spread the tickets around a wider fan base. if you’re interested the NFL believe there are around 4-5 million “hard core” NFL fans in the UK. They also reckon that there are another 5 million fans who want to see a game. That’s nearly 15% of the UK’s population. That’s why the UK gets 3 regular season games per year.
college football across the pond
College Football reaches the UK
But let’s get to the truly exciting bit. This year college football plays in the UK for the first time in the modern era.
Again London and Wembley is the location and its easy to see why. London remains an easy access point from the US and Europe. It is easy to get to, is a destination many want to visit and Wembley and Tottenham have first class sporting facilities. There is no language barrier and unless you are Matt Nagy the food is no great departure from home. Nowadays Matt Nagy can get himself a Chick-Fil-A if he wants it. Too little too late, huh….
London is a slam dunk and I write this as a Scotsman.
However, College football has for some time made its way across the pond but it has stopped in Ireland for the College Football Classic.
This year Dublin will see TCU face off against North Carolina in week 0 of the new season. The Irish do put on a show and I’m sure this year will be no different when Sonny Dykes and Bill Belichick ride into town.
However just three weeks later two BIGXII teams match up against each other at Wembley. Kansas and Arizona State will battle it out for a precious in-conference win in the first ever “Union Jack Classic”.
But while the NFL does not shy away from its desire for global domination what is in it for college football? The same college football which has thrived for two centuries as a community based, traditionalist sport?
tradition, pageantry & tribalism
The beauty and attraction of college football is its tradition, pageantry and its tribalism. All of this is built from hundreds of years of history played on campuses in conferences which until very recently were in the same part of the country as their opponents.
What adds to its popularity is that in many states, not all, college football does not have an NFL team as its direct competitor. High School and College football thrive in these areas and for those unfamiliar with the dynamic, it is huge.
If you aren’t already aware, eight of the top ten largest sporting stadiums in the world are college football stadiums. If you restrict that list to US stadia only, you have to wait until #15 to find an NFL stadium. So yes, college football is HUGE.
So why should the college game follow in the footsteps of the NFL? Well, truth be told the reason is rooted in financial gain. The college game is changing, Has changed. NIL and revenue sharing mean that money is leaving athletic facilities coffers quicker than ever. More people are watching college football on tv than ever before meaning TV contracts are getting bigger and longer. But at the same time the costs of college football are spiralling.
Recruitment
But that’s not all. Attracting the best students and student-athletes is at the top of the list for university administrators everywhere. International students widen the talent pool and also pay international enrolment fees to go to school in the US. Making your school more attractive via sports is a tried and tested route for most US colleges. International students pay more in tuition fees than most US students but also introduce a different cultural mix which is attractive to both universities and students alike,
There is also the student athlete experience of travelling and playing overseas. Many student athletes and even some coaches don’t hold passports so the opportunity to travel and play internationally is a huge one and a life enriching experience.
Finally and linked to recruiting is brand awareness. Schools are finally latching on to the fact that branding and merchandise sales help to market the name of the school globally. It brings in revenue and helps hugely with recruiting.
Union Jack Classic
So the introduction of the Union Jack Classic to be played at Wembley Stadium in week three of the new college football season is both welcome and well timed in respect of the globalisation of the college game.
UK loves college football
As someone who has followed college football since the mid 90’s I have witnessed the growth in interest in the college game over here. Until fairly recently (pre-pandemic) the following for college football was hardcore but small. Now the appeal has grown and continues to grow exponentially year on year. Bringing the game across the pond for fans to see the game for themselves will only accelerate that interest and growth.
And think of Kansas and Arizona State who have first mover advantage. Over here, Notre Dame, Michigan and probably Alabama have a large brand following. If you’re a fan of other schools such as Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson please don’t @ me. I know you’re there! But I might argue not in the numbers some of the other schools have. But I digress.
Like the NFL, bringing the college game to European sports fans means the fans get to see it live in the flesh. Schools will attract a new era of fans, probably new students and possibly student athletes. It really is a no brainer. I just wonder why they didn’t do it earlier!
no shortage of takers
The interest and demand from US Universities is high and the schools want to take part right now. Speaking with the College Chaps on a recent podcast, Union Jack Classic COO, Thomas Hensey told the Chaps that he has as many as “twenty schools right now” wanting to sign up for the London game. While the BIGXII has secured a foothold with the inaugural game at Wembley, they are not the only Conference looking to the game. Hensey spoke of interst from the ACC, the newly reinstated PAC 12 and even the SEC has teams interested in coming across to London.
Of course this number and interest will only grow as the game is televised across the US. Hensey is hopeful that the game will be allocated at 5pm UK kick off time meaning it would secure a Noon Kick Off time in the US (Eastern Time).
Footnote:
While the TV network carrying the game and kick off time are still under discussion, you can buy tickets for the game now via the Union Jack Classic website which can be found by clicking here.
for the love of the game
not going anywhere
It might have taken twenty years in the making but American football has become intertwined with the cultural make up of the UK and Europe.
It’s impossible to walk down a UK high street or be on the tube without seeing a Chicago Bears or Seattle Seahawks hat or t-shirt.
Now, to my excitement you are just as likely to see an Alabama (Roll Tide!) or Michigan hat also.
American football is here and it’s not just staying, it’s growing year on year. Will Roger Goodell’s vision of football being the #1 watched sport in the world come true? Well, that still seems a way off but as a part of the Football community in the UK I can testify that the sport has grown at a frightening pace. My dentist asks me about the Texas Longhorns these days. My barber enquires as to how those LSU Tigers are getting on. The vet I take my cat to wanted to know if I’ve visited Kyle Field.
what have you done for me lately?
Oh and in a final “what’s in it for me?” US fans. While tourism to the US is currently on the slide, I have never seen as many Insta posts about fans travelling to US stadiums to watch games. Or commercials on social media from travel companies organising football tours in the US. We want to see the games live and experience what you are experiencing. Not just on TV.
So it may be that your seat at the Superdome gets taken by some European sports tourist. Now that’s ironic.
Regardless of all of the moaning and groaning this is all a great thing for the sport. It truly is a great sport and one that the masses can now enjoy. And enjoy they do. Live at Wembley Stadium or at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In Madrid, Munich, Paris, Rio and Melbourne. Isn’t this just awesome!
As a wise man once said…”football is life”!
GEORGE SOMERVILLE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRITER
GEORGE IS A LONG STANDING FANATIC OF LIFE AND FOOTBALL IN THE DEEP SOUTH AND WRITES HIS WEEKLY COLUMN CALLED “IT’S ONLY SEC” FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. HE IS ALSO CO-HOST AND ONE THIRD OF THE COLLEGE CHAPS PODCAST, THE UK’S FIRST PODCAST DEDICATED TO THE COLLEGE GAME.