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.
Organizers of the inaugural Union Jack Classic were hoping attendance hits 60,000 for the first college game at the stadium, which has a capacity of more than 86,000.
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 immediately respond to a request for comment, but shortly before kickoff, the upper section was empty and no stewards were visible there.
Meanwhile, Goldsack and his son, Jake, were looking forward to the Big 12 Conference matchup. Both wore jerseys of their favorite NFL team, the Green Bay Packers.
“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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Fans arrive at Wembley Way Pre Game before an NCAA college football game between Arizona State and Kansas in London, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)
Fans arrive at Wembley Way Pre Game before an NCAA college football game between Arizona State and Kansas in London, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)
Fans arrive at Wembley Way Pre Game before an NCAA college football game between Arizona State and Kansas in London, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The famed bushy beard of Brent Burns was neatly groomed. His hair, too. When he smiled, front teeth gleamed in the gap where he once had none.
It's a fresh look as the 41-year-old Colorado Avalanche defenseman embarks on his 23rd NHL season. But he's still the colorful character they refer to “Burnsy,” the one who's still up for the grind as he chases his first Stanley Cup title. The one who took a young player under his wing this summer and invited him into his house.
The one who doesn't focus on the possibility of breaking the league's all-time ironman streak, which, health willing, could happen in February.
“I’m trying to figure out what stick I’m going to use tomorrow, what I’m going to eat tonight,” said Burns, who has played in 1,007 straight regular-season games and sits 57 away from tying the mark of Phil Kessel. “I don’t really think about all the other stuff.”
Retirement didn't even really cross his mind after the Avalanche were swept by Vegas in the Western Conference Final. He signed another one-year deal in late June and was right back to training.
His superpower, according to teammate Brock Nelson, is his ability to stay young at heart.
“I don't think he strikes anybody as a 41-year-old. He still seems like an 18-, 19-year-old kid,” the 34-year-old Nelson said. “Just having fun, always laughing and having a good time.”
This summer, the Burns family hosted T.J. Hughes, a 24-year-old forward out of the University of Michigan. They didn't want him living out of a suitcase at a hotel.
“He’s just such an unbelievable guy,” said Burns, whose kids frequently engaged Hughes in every high-energy activity they could. "Just a great human being off the ice. So driven, which has really helped push me.
“Watching him, what he can do, and getting to see him off the ice and meet his family, just really cheering for him to do well.”
Hughes moved out of the Burns household at the urging of Burns.
“He’s got to get some rest,” cracked Burns, who had 12 goals and 23 assists last season as he averaged nearly 19 minutes of ice time per game. “He’s playing mini-sticks all day long, and my little one’s got him on the trampoline for two hours a day. I said, 'You've got to get some sleep.'”
Kessel's consecutive games streak stands at 1,064 and took place from Nov. 3, 2009, to April 13, 2023. Should Burns remain in the lineup, he could tie the mark on Feb. 13 at Tampa Bay and break it two days later in front of the home crowd against Columbus.
“I’m not going to be the guy that breaks that streak,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “I've got way too much respect for him, for what he’s done in his career, and for what he’s doing for us on a daily basis. He’s proven to me that he deserves to be in our lineup. I’m hoping that he can stay healthy and get it. I wish him the best of luck, and I just hope his health holds up.”
Bednar added that Burns returned this season in “phenomenal condition.”
“It’s not just the beard that’s making him look younger — or lack of a beard — I think he’s in great condition.”
But there's another factor that goes into keeping the streak going: good fortune. That's why he doesn't fret about it.
“There’s just too much that can happen,” said Burns, whose streak began on Nov. 21, 2013, while with San Jose. “If you start thinking about that, (expletive) will happen. I’m not really lying, I don’t really think about it.
"Just trying to stay afloat most of the time — and figure out what’s for dinner.”
He embraces the grind of a long season, which he still relishes.
“I must,” he said, referring to his longevity.
As for his groomed beard, he said, “it's a little different, for sure.” But he found an advantage: The trim makes him more aerodynamic on the ice to keep up with the youngsters.
“You’ve got to enjoy the fun things, the (expletive) things, the mundane things," Burns said. "You’ve got to enjoy being at the rink. It’s not easy. It’s not all great. Some hard days, hard work. But I think when you’re with a group that loves to work and we just naturally have fun doing it, it definitely helps, too.
“I think that’s an important part, just to enjoy that process.”
See AP’s full NHL coverage here
FILE - Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns, right, collects the puck as San Jose Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren pursues in the third period of an NHL hockey game, Feb. 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns is congratulated as he passes the team box after scoring a goal against the Montreal Canadiens in the second period of an NHL hockey game, Nov. 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns smiles at his teammates at the end of the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, March 20, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)
