Wembley’s upper tier sits empty as Kansas-Arizona State football kicks off in London

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LONDON (AP) — Wembley Stadium's upper-tier seating was empty for the college football game between Kansas and Arizona State on Saturday, a reflection of the difficulty in filling the U.K.'s largest venue.

The announced attendance of 46,523 fell short of the 60,000 that organizers of the inaugural Union Jack Classic were hoping for, but the crowd was lively and the game delivered highlight-reel plays. The Sun Devils won 24-17.

Local fan Paul Goldsack and his teenage son bought tickets in the upper section and were informed via email two weeks ago that they’d be moved into a lower section, closer to the field.

“We were in the cheap seats and then they’ve moved us down into some decent seats,” Goldsack told The Associated Press on his way to the stadium. “As they’re struggling to sell around the top tier, they’ve moved people down. ... So we’ve ended up with some really decent seats.”

Organizers didn’t respond to a request for comment. Brian Dubiski, CEO of the Union Jack Classic, recently told The Associated Press that “anything over 40-to-50,000 is a viable business model.” Wembley holds more than 86,000.

Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall described the crowd as “packed in, loud. It was just a great vibe."

Goldsack and his son, Jake, wore jerseys of their favorite NFL team, the Green Bay Packers, for the Big 12 Conference matchup.

“We’ve done the NFL in the U.K. before, kind of got tired of that, in all honesty,” Paul Goldsack said. “They brought the Packers over once. We both went to that. (The Packers are) probably not coming back in a hurry. We’re a bit tired of the teams that they keep sending over here. So this is something different — college game, give it a go, see what it’s like.”

Jake added: “I love American football, it’s a fantastic sport.” The duo is headed to Lambeau Field next month to watch the Packers play the Dallas Cowboys.

Sun Devil fans Jacob Robles and Brisa Salazar visited Iceland first and then continued to London for the game. The Arizona residents attended a pep rally on Friday night and fielded some questions from Londoners.

“They were like, ‘Is this game important?'" Robles said. “The British people are so confused about the pregame activities. It’s foreign to them to do the whole TV show pregame for two hours and then the marching bands, the fireworks. It’s so much more for them than for us.”

Salazar added: “It’s cool that they’re doing a game over here. I like it so far.”

It's their first time hosting big-time college football, so give them a break. At least one vendor along the pedestrian walkway to Wembley was selling game scarves that said Kansas and Arizona — not Arizona “State.” The cost: 20 pounds ($27).

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