It wasn’t even gameday in London but the rivalry had already begun.
Fans of the Kansas Jayhawks and Arizona State Sun Devils gathered at a pre-game party in Waterloo on Friday.
Kansas fans shouted their rallying cry “Rock Chalk, Jayhawk”, while their rivals replied with “ASU, ASU”.
After hosting 42 NFL games since 2007, this was London’s introduction to a different kind of American football and a different kind of fandom.
Wembley hosted its first American college football game on Saturday, with 46,523 fans attending the inaugural Union Jack Classic (UJC).
Battle of the marching bands
UJC organisers vowed to create an authentic college gameday in London, and they began with tailgate parties.
Fans enjoy food, drink and music for hours before the game, and they are far bigger for college games than in the NFL. One American fan told BBC Sport she prefers the tailgate to the game itself.
The main tailgate at Wembley opened at 10am – seven hours before kick-off – with Kansas City rapper Tech N9ne helping to entertain the crowd.
Arizona State alumni held their own party, with nearly 2,000 fans packed in, while ASU’s marching band and cheerleaders performed on stage.
But the wildest party was on Wembley Way, where Fox Sports had an outdoor studio for its live pre-game show.
It was surrounded by fans and the Fox crew kept trying to stoke the rivalry, while the Kansas and ASU bands battled it out on Wembley Way and on the pitch before kick-off.
