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At the time of writing, what has become known as the NFL International Series, or sometimes the London Games, is taking place in the UK. Once the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars leave the field of the iconic Wembley Stadium (the spiritual home of association football, or soccer), it will represent the 39^th time that the NFL has set up camp in the UK capital. Full houses are guaranteed, and it looks certain that the NFL roadshow is going to continue to land in London each fall. Indeed, there are some whispers that the Jacksonville Jaguars could set up home there permanently.

It should come as no surprise to learn that the NFL has been growing at a steady clip in the UK. It’s not just the 80,000 or so lucky fans who get in to see a game each fall; there is dedicated coverage of nearly every NFL game. Sky Sports has the broadcasting rights to show the majority of games, and Channel 5 (a free-to-air network channel) has live coverage of Monday Night Football in the early hours of Tuesday morning in the UK. Overall, we’d say that the NFL has shed the tag of being a niche, although it’s not quite at the level of soccer, cricket, and rugby yet in terms of mainstream following.

College football has a small presence in the UK

Yet, what about college football? Can it make some headway in an international market that seems really enthused about Gridiron? As you might expect, there is not as much coverage of college sports. Certainly, newspapers that might cover some NFL action might reserve a few column inches on special occasions, such as the result of the championship game, a notable draft situation, or some other remarkable event. Sportsbooks do carry college football odds and a surprising number of betting lines for games. Sky also has broadcast rights to college football and will show most bowl games and CFP games, for instance.

While Sky has done a good job of putting gridiron on the television map, it’s fair to say that the typical UK sports fan would know little about who the latest Heisman Trophy winner might be or what a redshirt represents. One of the interesting aspects, however, is that the very concept of college sports is somewhat alien to the average UK sports fan. The UK has some of the world’s finest and oldest universities, but there is nothing like the college system for sports there. If you’re a talented soccer player, for instance, you’ll be snapped up by the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal as a young teenager, perhaps younger, and you may be playing in the Premier League or lower divisions by the time you reach 17 or 18. College is not on the agenda.

As such, there is an immediate assumption that college sports are not at an elite level. We know this is erroneous, of course, but it is a system mostly unique to North America, so it’s somewhat understandable. That said, once it’s recognized just how big college football is across the United States, attitudes can quickly change. Some catch the bug for football, and they might soon wish to expand their fandom beyond the NFL.

Grassroots participation is key to growth

Television isn’t everything, of course. What is arguably key to growing college football’s presence in the UK and elsewhere is grassroots participation. There have been American football leagues in the UK since the 1980s. Despite sounding like we are contradicting ourselves, the best places to participate are the UK colleges and universities. Flag football is also on the rise in the UK, and Team GB did quite well in the recent Flag Football World Championships. Even if flag football isn’t exactly gridiron, it is from the participation that interest in football is bred.

Another key is getting British players involved in the sport at the school or collegiate levels in the United States. The NFL has its International Pathway Program active in the UK, with the idea of talent-spotting candidates who may be able to flourish in the US system. Talented rugby players, for instance, could be offered the opportunity to adjust to gridiron. But these are long-term goals, and despite plenty of British-born players making it all the way to the NFL in the past, it’s only in recent years that the league has decided to take a hand in player development across the Atlantic.

As you might gather, all of these factors must combine for college football to really penetrate the UK market. And it takes time. Broadcasters have been showing NFL games since the 1980s, but it was only in recent years that the NFL really started to take hold. College football has different objectives and parameters, but if it wishes to grow beyond the borders of the United States, the UK looks like a fertile landscape.