Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Tate Nagy of Kansas scored the opening touchdown with a 72-yard punt return
ByBen CollinsBBC Sport journalist at Wembley Stadium- Published21 minutes ago
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.
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Figure caption,American college football comes to London
Why are college fans so passionate?
The pageantry and passion of college football is what makes it different. NFL fans often choose their team, whereas college teams tend to be passed down through families.
"You feel a loyalty to your lineage," said Kansas fan Hannah, who added that college football fans are not just fanatical but "rabid".
BBC Sport spoke to families at Wembley who have had multiple generations attend the same school and alumni who now live all over the US but travel thousands of miles to watch their alma mater.
Current ASU student Sophie said her family "bleeds maroon and gold". Her friend Amelia has ASU merchandise all over the house. She just got a car that's maroon too.
About 15,000 fans travelled from the US for Saturday's game - 9,000 rooting for ASU and 6,000 Kansas.
College games in the US rarely have away fans but, with both teams having a sizable contingent at Wembley, as well as playing at a neutral venue, some visitors said the atmosphere was like a play-off game.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The Arizona State Sun Devils went into Saturday's game as favourites
Why UK fans are learning about college football
Fans from 35 countries bought tickets and, as with NFL games in London, they represented several teams, not just those playing.
Neutrals wore NFL jerseys and college jerseys, of bigger schools such as Oklahoma, Miami and Texas. There were even some British university jerseys.
More than 100 universities in the UK have American football teams, and UJC organisers targeted those players, partly because, as students, they often find college football more relatable than the NFL.
They formed partnerships with the British American Football Association, British Universities and Colleges Sport and the Jacksonville Jaguars to establish links with the grassroots game in the UK.
The UJC has helped to train more than 1,050 British coaches and referees this year, some of whom were at Saturday's game.
Cambridge University player Alex said it has been "cool" to learn the stories of Kansas and ASU and he would probably go to more college games in future "if they're teams we can rally behind".
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Jaren Hamilton made the game's best play with a 100-yard kick-off return at the start of the second half to help ASU to a 17-7 lead
Will there be another London game?
After planning for an attendance of 60,000, Wembley was about half full at 46,523, with some ticketholders moved to the bottom tier to keep the top tier empty.
Although there were some big plays, the game was not as entertaining as anticipated as ASU claimed a 24-17 win that flattered Kansas.
Music acts played throughout the game and there was a light show in the third quarter. It gave UK fans a flavour of college football, but it lacked the pomp and circumstance of regular games in the US.
There were fewer band members and cheerleaders than normal, and the crowd was not as loud as during ASU home games – they averaged 54,000 last season.
Both teams took 105 players (or student-athletes), 90% of which did not have a passport before this trip.
Many fans and members of the coaches' families also visited London for the first time, and ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said they had "an experience they will remember for the rest of their lives".
Kansas head coach Lance Leipold added that the hospitality was outstanding, while the hotel and practice facility "was a win".
Both teams are part of the Big 12 Conference, whose commissioner Brett Yormark said: "It exceeded my expectations, from the crowd to the logistics to how the local community has embraced us. It's been fantastic, so we want more."
UJC organisers have signed an exclusive multi-year deal with Wembley, and Yormark says other Big 12 colleges are interested in playing in London.
Big 12 teams also played two games in Dublin over the past 13 months, and the conference could expand to another international market.
Yormark said: "There's not a two-week period where I don't get a call to say 'take some of your product to this country or that country', so we're exploring that right now."
He said there will be an announcement about next year's London game "within the next month or two".
That will give UK fans plenty of time to swot up on the next two teams who will make their presence known across the pond.
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