The World is College Football's Oyster
by GEORGE SOMERVILLE
Whether College Football likes it or not, it is a truly global sport.
Now, in some ways, this is an oxymoron because the beauty of the College game lies in its history, geographic strongholds and rivalries.
But, with the news that the University of Michigan is finalising terms to play Western Michigan in Germany next year, the global takeover of the College game is underway.
doesn't college sports have enough on its plate?
There is an avalanche of issues impacting college athletics right now. NIL, revenue sharing, clearing houses, transfer portals, challenges to eligibility, and Lord knows how many lawsuits coming down the tracks. All that means College Sports Administrators have more on their plate to deal with now than at any time in the history of the sport. Indeed, College Football Head coaches are now likened to CEOs of multinational corporations, such is the juggling of duties that they undertake on a daily basis. The one thing head coaches might not have time for right now is coaching.
This year, more than ever, we have seen the recruitment of General Managers or COOs specifically for sports at Universities increase, which tells us that the situation has become so complex that a whole new structure is required to navigate the minefield of college athletics.
In essence, College Athletics is now as close to Pro Sports as ever before.
Which is why a global audience isn’t just desired, it’s a necessity.
BIGXII global domination
College athletics played overseas, including football, is not a new phenomenon. Excluding games played in Canada (as far back as 1874), College football has been played outside of the 50 states in Japan, Mexico, Australia, China, Germany, Italy, Ireland and in the UK. Yes, the UK! Did you know that the University of Richmond of the then Colonial Conference (now the Coastal Athletic Association) defeated Boston University 20-17 in front of 2,500 fans at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in 1988? No, neither did I…….
Except for Ireland, host of the College Football Classic and the Bahamas, which hosts The Bahamas Bowl, the games played overseas have been essentially exhibition matches. With a regular game now played in Ireland, the concept of a scheduled, regular-season game played internationally has become a reality.
taking the game global
Ireland and Dublin has branded itself the “European home of College Football” which by default is true but is likely to be challenged soon.
Speaking at BIGXII media days, Commissioner Brett Yormark and Chief Football & Competition Officer Scott Draper discussed the Conference’s objective of taking their game global.
It’s true outside of Notre Dame, who have a natural and ready-made audience in Ireland, that the BIGXII has sent more than its fair share to the College Football Classic game in Ireland.
This year, the BIGXII monopolises the Ireland game with the “Farmageddon” rivalry match-up between Iowa State and Kansas State. Next year, the TCU Horned Frogs will represent the conference. On top of this, the Conference has publicly declared its intention to grow its brand globally.
Speaking to ESPN’s Katie George at BIGXII media days in Las Vegas, Draper’s choice of words made those on this side of the pond sit up and take notice.
“we have made a point, since Brent got here of taking our league global” said Draper in answer to a question about the importance of international branding.
“to have two iconic brands playing in Ireland to kick off the season in a rivalry game – I’m not sure that’s ever happened – so we’re excited about that” said Draper talking about the Farmageddon rivalry game being the season opener on the Emerald Isle.
where next?
However, Draper expanded a little further on his opening day comments about the potential for there being more than one football game played internationally and not just in Ireland.
“next year TCU plays North Carolina in Ireland and we’re working on other football games potentially, maybe next year, and in other years to play in Europe as well. There’s lots of opportunity for us – it’s a big focus of the league, not just in football. We’ve got Women’s basketball in Paris and baseball in Mexico”.
We know from talking to Head coaches, Such as Kansas Jayhawks Head coach, Lance Leipold and LSU Head coach, Brian Kelly that there is real demand to get teams across to play in Europe. So this is an increasing possibility as teams explore ways of scheduling these games in future years.
These are exciting times for the College football fans across the pond.
Guten Tag BIG10!
While the game between Michigan and Western Michigan has not yet been formally confirmed, there is acknowledgement by the University of Michigan that the terms of the game are being finalised.
“The University of Michigan Football program is engaged in ongoing discussions to kick off the 2026 season on foreign soil, playing host to Western Michigan at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany, on Saturday, Aug. 29. This non-conference matchup would become the first game played by the Wolverines outside of North America” the University confirmed via a statement on its website.
Wolverines Head football coach Sherrone Moore further expanded on the opportunities for his student athletes – something previous Head coach, Jim Harbaugh was passionate about.
“I am excited about the football and educational experience this game could provide for our players,” said Moore in the same press statement.
“We are always looking for unique opportunities to expose our student-athletes to other cultures. In the last 10 years, our program has been to Italy, France and South Africa, and this game would provide another chance to grow our international fanbase.”
It is the final few words which really give the game away in terms of what schools are expecting to get out of this. The marketing opportunities to grow the brand are now becoming far more apparent to school administrators than ever before. Ten years ago, dare I say it, there were collective shrugs of the shoulders when the topic of selling merchandise overseas was raised. If indeed it was ever on the agenda.
take my money!
Now, today, US sports apparel reseller, Fanatics, has warehouses across Europe, allowing for the swift despatch of apparel to an eager and demanding audience. Speaking to independent retailers in the UK, we are told of the demand for NCAA merchandise outstripping the desire for NFL apparel. Fanatics has clearly seen this demand and moved to fill the gap.
But it’s not just about merchandise sales. Overseas students pay top dollar to attend US schools. And in a similar vein, football is slowly catching up with basketball, athletics and other sports by recruiting student athletes from outside the US. Having your brand well-known helps attract the best student-athletes to your University.
Of course, none of this is rocket science, meaning the only surprise here is that the brightest minds in the US education system didn’t realise this earlier.
It’s incredible what revenue sharing does to sharpen the mind.
any given saturday
Of course, there is no better way to market or advertise your product than to let the buying public watch it.
But with your target audience nearly 4,000 miles away and a product which is not universally shown on TV across the pond – how do you reach out?
the Netflix revolution
Netflix has been an unexpected promoter of sports. Full Swing and Sprint brought golf and athletics, and more importantly, the athletes’ personalities to new audiences. You don’t have to be a golf fan to watch the trials and tribulations of Bryson DeChambeau and be fascinated by his story. Indeed, arguably, his social media presence has vastly improved the way people view DeChambeau and how personable he comes across during Full Swing.
However, the smash hit show, Drive To Survive, is probably the best example of how a TV show can change the perception of a Nation.
In the US, certainly in some parts, NASCAR is the only motor sport. IndyCar racing is also a big deal. But not Formula 1. F1, arguably the biggest motor racing show on earth, was snubbed mainly by a US audience who had no time for it.
Until Drive to Survive came along. The show was brought to Netflix by production company Box to Box, the same production team that brought us Full Swing, Sprint, Senna and many other award-winning documentaries. Drive to Survive transformed the way many Americans think about F1. Such is the impact of the show on the popularity of F1 in the US that the US now has three Grand Prix on the racing calendar. Drive to Survive takes a lot of credit for this.
Any Given Saturday
When I was in Atlanta for SEC Media Days, I was fascinated to learn that Box to Box had been working on a docu-series covering life and football in the Southeastern Conference. I was even more excited to find out that I was going to get to see the first episode before it is aired on August 5th.
Without giving any spoilers away, it is as full blooded, in-your-face, 100mph action-paced as you imagine – that’s if you have watched SEC football before. If you aren’t familiar with the SEC or college football, then you are in for a surprise.
So, can Any Given Saturday do for SEC and College football what Drive to Survive did for F1?
Well, that’s the hope and dare I say it, the expectation for Box to Box Producer, Paul Martin. Paul agreed with me when I said that there is an audience on this side of the Atlantic which will grab the invitation to watch college football. And here is the invitation, folks!
Any Given Saturday airs on Netflix on August 5th.
What now, SEC?
So, with Netflix showcasing the best of SEC football, will we see any one of the behemoths of the footballing South on these shores anytime soon?
Well, sadly not. As we have discussed on these pages before, there are logistical issues to overcome. Or maybe they can never be overcome. The size of SEC stadiums is one such issue. As much as any trip overseas is enormous fun for the US fan who makes the trip, there are 100 fans left at home bemoaning the fact that they have to watch their team on TV at some ungodly hour. This is a common complaint from NFL fans. Just imagine the complaints from Tennessee fans!
Following on from that are the smaller sizes of European rugby and soccer stadiums. Dublin’s Aviva Stadium holds only 48,000. Tottenham’s stadium in London – which comes with an NFL-spec field and locker room – can hold just shy of 63,000—Wembley Stadium, where the Jacksonville Jags play, can house 90,000 fans.
The giving up of a home game in return for playing a game overseas just does not seem plausible for an SEC team.
Again, if you have read some of my work on this subject, you know that I have already talked to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey about this subject. While in Atlanta at SEC Media days and fresh from the comments of the BIGXII administrators, I asked Commissioner Sankey if there was any update on this subject.
“The strength of this conference is based in their communities. You look at the 16 cities that host our universities, the football stadiums and the infrastructure and what happens on a game day weekend – its absolutely magnificent, It’s second to none”, the Commissioner told me.
Touching on the logistical nightmare of moving a game on an SEC campus overseas, Sankey expanded his answer.
“When you take a football stadium with 100,000 fans and the economics around that game being played inside that stadium and in that community and then you transfer those somewhere else – it’s a lot easier to do that if the program’s attendance is twenty or thirty thousand with football stadiums of that size. So there are some economic realities that weigh against just doing that”.
However, Sankey is a progressive Commissioner, so the answer to any opportunity is rarely no. He agreed, the possibility remains remote in 2025, but the Commissioner isn’t ruling anything out at this stage.
Some of his reticence remains due to the reasons outlined above. Some is because the SEC doesn’t feel the need as strongly as other conferences to market its brand beyond the US. The conference genuinely believes it markets itself, and that is hard to argue with, especially with Netflix about to do the job for you.
“Personally I would welcome that chance and will continue to explore opportunities, but I will go back to the importance of college football in our region, in our states and in our communities and the foundation and strength of our conference fundamentally is built on those communities.
I also think we do a pretty good job internationally on our own with just drawing interest…..doggone it’s compelling – we are not boring and dull I can tell you that!”
hangin on every word....
So where does this leave the UK & Ireland fans (& the Germans, Italians and Spanish)?.
It is hugely encouraging that the desires and wishes of the schools are being discussed in the public domain. This is progress. And there is the annual Ireland game with the promise of more.
So these are exciting times if you are a fan of college football. And if you aren’t – yet – then a show coming soon to Netflix is probably going to make you one.
As someone who has shouted from the rooftops about College football for what seems an eternity, it feels like we are about to enter an unprecedented period for the sport in this country.
And we are ready for it!
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.