Josh Pate: International College Football Games Are a Dumb Idea

The "Union Jack Classic" Debacle

• ❌ The announcement of Kansas and Arizona State playing in London in week 3 of the 2026 season is criticized as a fundamentally dumb decision.
• 💡 International college football games are deemed dead on arrival as a concept, despite the financial incentives.

Sacrificing Integrity for Money

• 💰 Decision-makers are accused of prioritizing paydays over the integrity of the product.
• ⚠️ The analogy is drawn to leaving large sums of money on the table for the show to maintain its integrity.
• 🎯 The core elements that make college football great – pageantry, tradition, and the college campus experience – are being overlooked.

Misunderstanding College Football's Appeal

• 🏈 The European audience, accustomed to NFL games, will see a second-rate football product without understanding the tradition and pageantry.
• 🚫 The argument that European soccer teams play in the US is dismissed, as it also represents a professional, not a collegiate, product.
• 🧠 Those making these decisions are seen as lacking immersion in the sport, failing to grasp what truly makes college football special.

Growing the Game the Right Way

• ✈️ Instead of sending games overseas, the focus should be on bringing international fans to the US to experience college football firsthand.
• 🏟️ Showing international visitors the atmosphere of a game at a college campus stadium (e.g., Sun Devil Stadium, Athens, Columbus, Ann Arbor) is the true way to grow the sport.
• 🎓 The current approach of sending games abroad strips away the "college" aspect, leaving only a diluted version of football.