College Football will appear in Australia for the first time in 30 years in 2016 with Sydney slated to host the first match of the NCAA College Football Championships, which will be played between the Univerity of California, Berkeley and the University of Hawaii at ANZ Stadium on August 27.
The University of California Golden Bears are a team with a lot of history behind them including five NCAA national titles, and from their ranks have come NFL superstars like Marshawn Lynch and Aaron Rodgers.
“We are thrilled to open our 2016 football season in Sydney,” said Mike Williams, the Bears’ athletic director.
“This will be a tremendous cultural and educational experience for our student-athletes, our football program, our university, and our fan base around the world. We are a global university with global alumni and fans, and we are excited to be bringing college football to the great country of Australia.”
The University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors boast four conference championships and are known for performing their ‘Tika Tonu’ haka before each game, a sight that will look oddly familiar to Australian fans.
“The University of Hawai‘i is thrilled for this wonderful opportunity to open the 2016 college football season in Sydney against the University of California, Berkeley. Our football program has tremendous pride in not only representing the state of Hawai‘i, but all of the Pacific region,” said Rainbow Warriors athletic director David Matlin.
“From a cultural perspective, this game will afford our student-athletes an experience they will always remember and give most of them the chance to travel outside the United States for the first time in their lives. Traditionally, the University of Hawai‘i has been fortunate to welcome many student-athletes from Australia and we hope this game opens doors for many more.”
Former AFL player Scott Harding, now a wide receiver for the Rainbow Warriors, said he was excited to see his adopted sport make an appearance in his native land.
“American football is an amazing game, and I’m so excited that Australians are going to get the chance to see it first hand in beautiful Sydney,” Harding said.
“I’ve had the opportunity to play in front of some of the biggest crowds with an atmosphere you couldn’t imagine – marching bands, cheerleading, mascots and music. It really brings the whole package, and I’m sure Australian fans as well as fans visiting from the USA will be itching to get a seat at the first college football competition match in Sydney.”
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