Could UCLA Play Oversees in the Near Future

As football grows globally, UCLA could be a leading force in college football's return to Asia.

Oct 19, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster reacts during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

When Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders won the Heisman in 1988, he did so from Japan as Sanders' Cowboys were set to play Texas Tech in a conference game inside the Tokyo Dome. From 1977 to 1993, Coca-Cola hosted an annual college football game that drew at least 50,000 people per matchup to several locations across Japan.

While college football hasn't played much FBS football in Asia since, there has been sparse participation across the Pacific with Australia hosting games in 2016 and 2017. While finances and COVID have prevented further exploration into the Asian market, UCLA could be poised to go oversees in an effort to expand the sports and perhaps the Bruin brand.

UCLA has already begun to test run travel logistics in the Pacific, having kicked off their 2024 season in Hawaii. The Bruins are set to make another trip out to Hawaii in 2027.

Unnamed sources told me that when Hawaii had Craig Angelos as their athletic director, there were discussions on Hawaii's end expressing an interest in playing an international game. They played Cal in Australia in 2016.

UCLA also has a strong influence in Asia. The Bruins partnered with Waseda University in The Yanai Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to reimagine Japanese humanities for the world. In other words, the typical humanity courses Waseda offers has been translated into English in an effort bridge the gap between it's exchange students and the local curriculum/ culture.

Having done so since 2014, introducing American football would be a great way to tie American cultural experiences to the shared everyday life of both Americans and the local Japanese student body. Waseda University is eight minutes away from the Tokyo Dome.

The Big 10 as well may be interested in expanding their market into Japan. To minimize travel, the Big 10 may want UCLA to play a conference road game in Asia or Australia. It's unlikely that they take away a UCLA home game due to the conference's historic relationship to the Rose Bowl Stadium.

If the the next trip to Hawaii goes well, UCLA may have to start considering a future where they make a push to become one of the biggest collegiate brands on the Asian market.

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