As the clash between the Kansas Jayhawks and Arizona State Sun Devils draws closer, the Union Jack Classic’s title partnership with the British American Football Association (BAFA) marks nine months of investment in developing the British American football workforce and supporting the continued growth of the sport across the UK.
The headlines:
- The partnership has subsidised more than 750 British American football coaching and officiating qualifications in 2026.
- The Union Jack Classic became the British American Football National Leagues’ first title sponsor in more than 30 years.
- Online clinics have enabled more than 400 British coaches to engage directly with American college football coaches from Kansas University and Arizona State University.
- Working with BAFA and BAFRA (the British American Football Referees’ Association), the Union Jack Classic has funded equipment for 20 new referees to begin officiating in the UK.
Building the British American Football workforce
The Union Jack Classic Gameday Workforce Fund has supported more than 750 coaching and officiating qualifications in 2026.
Launched in February as a core initiative of the partnership, the Gameday Workforce Fund subsidised coaching courses and supported officials’ training, helping to widen access to the British American football workforce and strengthen the recruitment, development and retention of coaches and officials across both contact and flag football.
With more than 750 training courses registered for through the fund, the partnership is set to leave a lasting impact on the sport in the UK, helping equip a new generation of coaches and officials with the qualifications needed to support the continued growth of American football for years to come.
The partnership has also created new and unique Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities for British American football coaches and officials. Online clinics with coaches from Kansas University and Arizona State University have enabled more than 400 British coaches to learn, engage and share experiences directly with their American counterparts, providing access to knowledge and expertise from the highest levels of the college game.
The Union Jack Classic has also directly supported the recruitment of new officials into British American football, funding equipment for a cohort of 20 new referees taking to the field in 2026.
With officiating coverage presenting an ongoing challenge for British American football’s national competitions, this targeted investment supports a new group of critically important referees at the beginning of their officiating journey.
It has also demonstrated the impact that collaboration between BAFA, BAFRA and commercial partners can have in addressing some of the practical challenges facing the growth of the sport.
Creating opportunities for British players
The influence of BAFA’s partnership with the Union Jack Classic has also been felt by the players training and competing week in, week out for the love of the game.
In-person clinics held alongside Jaguars UK, the Kansas University Jayhawks and Arizona State University Sun Devils have given British American football players the opportunity to take to the field and learn directly from senior NCAA coaches in practical, face-to-face environments.
While the partnership continues to invest in the development of British coaches, it has simultaneously unlocked exclusive opportunities for players to develop their own game and experience first-hand the standards expected of college athletes in the US.
The partnership has also shone a spotlight on performances across BAFA’s National Leagues. Through the BAFA x Union Jack Classic Player of the Month initiative, six players will have been recognised for standout performances across the season.
The celebrations continue as the BAFA National Leagues Finals lead into the big game at Wembley. It provides a fitting culmination to a season that has seen the partnership support British American football at every level; from the coaches, officials and volunteers behind the game to the players taking to the field each week.
British American football players, coaches, referees and volunteers have also been able to access exclusive ticket opportunities and will be among the crowd as the Kansas Jayhawks and Arizona State Sun Devils take to the field at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 19th September.
After nine months of investment in the people helping to grow the game at grassroots level, the Union Jack Classic will provide an opportunity to bring that community together and celebrate British American football on one of the country’s biggest sporting stages.
Speaking about the partnership BAFA’s Head of Marketing and Communications Rory Macnair said: “We are incredibly proud of the progress made through our partnership with Union Jack Classic in 2026. We made our intentions really clear at the beginning of the partnership, so to now see the impact it has had at the grassroots level of American football in the UK, and to be able to celebrate that work at Wembley Stadium alongside Kansas, Arizona State, and our community is truly special.”
Thomas Hensey, COO of Union Jack Classic said: “Seeing the immediate impact from our partnership with BAFA is extremely satisfying for everyone at Union Jack Classic. We wanted to support grassroots American Football in the UK, so we focused on supporting some of the practical areas that helps the game run and grow, such as coaching, officiating and opportunities for players.
“Over the past nine months, it has been amazing to see so many people take up training, join our online clinics and learn more about the sport. This is very much only the start, and we anticipate the impact of this work to be realised in the months, and years, to come. Wembley will be a chance to recognise this work by bringing people together from across the British American football community.”