• Loading stock data...
Thursday, September 18, 2025

The Push to Attract International Fans to College Sports

  • South Carolina and Notre Dame will play the first-ever NCAA basketball game in Paris next season.
  • The Big 12 wants to host multiple football and basketball games in Mexico.
College sports is looking to go international.
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Universities have hosted college sports events outside the United States for over a century. But despite a few notable exceptions like Notre Dame, NCAA schools have failed to build long-lasting fan bases overseas.

During the 2023-24 season, however, multiple schools will try to attract international fans to NCAA sports through new events outside the U.S.

  • In April, Notre Dame announced it would host the first-ever NCAA basketball game in Paris between their women’s team and the South Carolina Gamecocks. 
  • And on Tuesday, a source confirmed to Front Office Sports that the Big 12 will begin to stage multiple sporting events in Mexico. The conference hopes to create a long-term relationship with Mexican sports fans. 

These new events will add to more common overseas tournaments, such as a men’s basketball non-conference tournament in the Bahamas and Notre Dame’s football games in Ireland. 

Historically, though, these events haven’t been able to put down real roots in other countries, as they faced cultural differences. Sports like football aren’t as popular in other countries. And most nations outside the U.S. don’t tie competitive sports to universities — very few NCAA equivalents exist. 

But college officials hope the rabid fan bases in America will help propel momentum for international fans. 

Commissioner Brett Yormark “has seen the success the NBA, NFL, and professional leagues have had building their brands in Mexico and plans to replicate that,” a Big 12 conference source told FOS. “Mexico is a natural extension for the Big 12.”

While basketball is already popular in Europe, the region has little exposure to women’s college hoops. But Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey hopes that international fans will love the sport just as much as U.S. fans, who have grown exponentially in recent years. “It gives [fans] a tangible product to see in person,” she told FOS at the ESPNW Summit on Thursday. “It’s going to galvanize the game.”

There’s another factor working in their favor: International players fuel overseas interest in the NCAA. 

Currently, more than 20,000 NCAA athletes hail from different countries. Between 2016-2020, the number of D-I athletes rose from 2,889 to 3,639 — or about 13.2% of all D-I athletes, according to NCAA data. That number only dropped in 2021 due to the pandemic.

Playing overseas could entice more athletes to play in the NCAA, feeding the increasing international fan base. “They can see these teams up close and personal,” Ivey said. “Hopefully, that gives me a better opportunity to recruit.”

In addition to the experience of going abroad, athletes themselves can benefit. Due to visa regulations, most international athletes can’t participate in name, image, and likeness. But there is a loophole where they can earn income when they’re not on U.S. soil — so international games and tournaments can become a valuable events until those rules change.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Baseball

NCAA Settles With Volunteer Baseball Coaches for $49 Million

A similar suit brought by volunteer coaches of other sports remains open.
Sep 13, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (4) carries the football against South Florida Bulls cornerback Ben Knox (1) during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium.

NCAA Eliminates Spring Transfer Portal Window

The change is aimed at curbing the system of “unrestricted free agency.”

CFB TV Ratings Stay Hot As Georgia-Tennessee Sets ABC High of 12.6M

ABC has had four games that have topped 10 million viewers this season.
Sep 13, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back AK Dear (0) tries to outrun Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman (2) during the second half at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Despite Vote Delay, SCORE Act Negotiations Continue on Capitol Hill

Political ad campaigns during college football Saturdays continue as well.

Featured Today

Adriunna Brown

Business Is Booming for WNBA’s Top Beauty Pros

A network of stylists is shaping how players look, feel, and perform.
Premier Lacrosse League
September 14, 2025

‘The Circus Is Coming to Town’: Why Upstart Leagues Start on Tour

In their ambitious plans, a traveling schedule is only temporary.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
September 13, 2025

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; New Mexico Lobos quarterback Jack Layne (2) reacts after his team scored a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl.

UCLA Paid New Mexico $1.2 Million for Friday’s Loss: Payout Game Tracker

The Bruins weren’t the only Power-4 school to lose a buy game and fire their coach.
September 14, 2025

College Football’s Costly Start for Virginia Tech, UCLA: Coaches Out

UCLA and Virginia Tech fire their coaches while Notre Dame slumps badly.
Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) looks to pass during the first quarter against the New Mexico Lobos at Rose Bowl.
September 15, 2025

UCLA-Tennessee QB Trade Has Been Painful So Far

Iamaleava abruptly left Tennessee for UCLA this past offseason.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
Mar 4, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks with Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., ahead of President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025.
September 11, 2025

House Republicans Delay SCORE Act Vote Tentatively Planned for Next Week

They didn’t believe they had enough votes to pass the bill.
Jan 25, 2023; Langley, British Columbia, CAN; Highlights from the CHL Kubota Top Prospects game at the Langley Events Centre
September 10, 2025

NCAA Hockey Scouts Denied Passes for Crucial Recruiting League

The CHL won’t welcome scouts on passes: “It comes across as petty.”
Feb 17, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs guard Jalen Weaver (5) during the first half against the Boise State Broncos at ExtraMile Arena.
September 10, 2025

NCAA Bans 3 Basketball Players for Violating Betting Rules Last Season

The former San Jose State and Fresno State players have lost eligibility.
NFL Congress
exclusive
September 10, 2025

College Sports ‘House of Cards’: Republicans, Lobbyists Work to Secure Votes to..

Several House Republicans criticized the SCORE Act on social media.