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FRISCO, TX – One of the tag lines that Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark pushed during his press conference that kicked off Big 12 media days was “football meets futbol.” This was intended to highlight Dallas’ connection to the World Cup and the influx of soccer fans to the city for the tournament.
He used that to transition into continued partnerships between the conference and different international college football games.
Last season the Big 12 sent Iowa State and Kansas State to Ireland as the first Big 12 teams to participate in the AerLingus College Football Classic. According to Yormark the partnership is continuing because of the international makeup of many Big 12 schools.
“Six of our 16 institutions have campuses outside the U.S. and 14% of our student-athletes come from outside the U.S.,” Yormark said. “Our brand of football travels. It's fast, it's dynamic, and it's exciting. It resonates beyond our borders.”
Kyle Alan - Pokes Report
This season TCU will make the trip to Ireland to face North Carolina. There are also more discussions with different teams about being the next to represent the conference.
“We love having the Big 12 as art of it and the Irish fans have made it part of the calendar” a representative at Big 12 media days said.
In addition to the game in Ireland the Big 12 will also be sending a conference matchup to England for the first college football game at Wembley Stadium.
Kansas and Arizona State will play in the first Union Jack Classic.
“The Big 12 aims to be the most globally relevant conference in college athletics,” Yormark said. “ Fox Big Noon Kickoff will take their show international for the first time and join us at the Union Jack Classic.”
In a world where fundraising and visibility are the most important parts of college programs, this is objectively a big step for future partnerships for Big 12 institutions.a
