How FOX's Big Noon, Union Jack Classic Could Pay Dividends For Arizona State and Big 12

"The eyeballs of the world will be on us tomorrow,"

Arizona State athletic director Graham Rossini told Cronkite News the one-sentence truth at ASU's pep rally in London's Adidas-Oxford Street location.

The Sun Devils have had their glimpses and showcases on the national stage, but perhaps none bigger than the global scale that will be reached in Saturday's first-ever Union Jack Classic.

A full week takeover of London, FOX Big Noon Kickoff live on sight and the opporunity to earn a conference win in the first ever FBS game in England.

How Does the Union Jack Classic differ?

International games are no new concept, but how the UJC is being orchestrated strays away from other worldwide contests.

FOX is sending their "Big Noon Kickoff" team across the pond to broadcast from outside Wembley Stadium, a move that most networks have been straying away from.

ESPN's College Gameday has not sent its crew to Ireland for the annual broadcast of the Aer Lingus Classic since 2024, making it two seasons since a kickoff show had international boots on the ground.

With Big Noon Kickoff starting in just 2019, along with FOX holding a long-term media deal with the Big 12, being the group to bring back new broadcast sites and fun ideas could help everyone involved in the long run.

"We love getting to our Michigans and our Ohio States, but when we get to a new venue, there’s definitely an extra little giddy-up in our step,” Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff host Rob Stone told Front Office Sports. “Now taking it internationally for the first time ever, these guys have been all smiles for weeks.”

ASU's "Big Noon" Past

While the FOX crew has not made their way to Tempe for a broadcast in their six year run, the Sun Devils still have a past with Big Noon Kickoff.

In 2020, just a year into the show, Arizona State and USC helped bring light to a bizarre COVID-struck season with a noon EST/9 a.m. PST kick.

Ironically enough, it was the most "non-Big Noon Kickoff" Big Noon Kickoff show ever. It was the "season opener" for the Devils, coming on November 7. No real show or crew was allowed at the LA Coliseum due to guidelines either.

This time around, the scene should be the opposite. A raucous ASU and Kansas crowd that has been parading the streets of London all week are ready to flood the Wembley grounds.

The Global Perspective

When you think of growing as a brand in college football, you often don't think about the international crowd.

But coming off the heels of the 2026 World Cup, it is clear that sports fans from around the world love coming to a country and assimilating into their culture.

For the United States, there is no bigger representation of culture than college football.

“One thing we learned about hosting the World Cup this summer is that foreigners love coming to the United States and learning about some of the uniqueness of the things that we offer, whether that’s food or sporting events,” Rob Stone told FOS. “College football is singularly unique to American culture, and if we’re able to share that and spread some of that beautiful chaos and tradition to people, whether it’s in London or Italy or Spain or Germany or wherever, I think we’re all better for it.”

For ASU, specifically, their global outreach is no joke. Arizona State is opening up their own "ASU London" campus this year, on top of having vast options for online classes. This also helps the Big 12's exposure in general.

In the same year where a international contest failed to ever get their wheels off the ground (NC State-Virginia in Brazil), ASU, Kansas, FOX and the UJC have laid the foundation of how to successfully bring America's autumn pastime across the globe.

So, will it indeed pay dividends? That is up for the actual game to decide.

Arizona State and Kansas are set to kick off at 5:00 p.m. London time; 9:00 a.m. MST in Arizona, on Saturday, September 19, on FS1.

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