Sydney Cup 2016: Date, Time, Location and More for Cal vs. Hawaii Season Opener

College football has gotten so big that America can't contain it, as the California Golden Bears and Hawaii Rainbow Warriors will open the 2016 season on Aug. 27 at Olympic Park in Sydney with a kickoff scheduled for 4 a.m. ET.

According to David Riccio of the Daily Telegraph, Cal and Hawaii will travel Down Under for an August matchup next year that will be called the Sydney Cup. Tourism and Sport Minister Stuart Ayres told Riccio he was excited about the event:

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The match itself should be terrific, but it’s going to be an all-American experience with the colour and movement that comes with college football.

We don’t do things by halves here in NSW. We’ve been working on this for over 12 months now and, with the stars now aligned, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many Australian fans.

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Per Cal's athletic website, head coach Sonny Dykes said the opportunity to do something this special was too great to pass up:

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This is a once-in-a-lifetime type of experience for our student-athletes and an excellent opportunity to see and learn about another culture. We are proud to represent the University of California at this historic event. A great deal of hard work by many people has gone into making this a reality, and everyone associated with Cal Athletics is excited to take part in it.

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In addition to the matchup between Cal and Hawaii, Australia will embrace traditions of football in America. Riccio's report notes the ANZ Stadium precinct will host a tailgate party before the game. 

Australia has become a hot new football market, thanks in large part to former rugby star Jarryd Hayne signing with the San Francisco 49ers in March.

Even though Hayne hasn't played a huge role for the 49ers, eventually moving to their practice squad, the Daily Telegraph reported his NFL debut in September did bigger television ratings in Australia than the Super Bowl between New England and Seattle. 

Riccio also added that the game between Cal and Hawaii will serve "as a pitch to NFL officials" about getting a professional game to the country. 

The NFL has already explored global games, playing multiple regular-season matchups in London every year, so being able to expand that reach even further seems like a viable option. 

Australia will be able to use college football as a platform to show that it can handle all the pageantry that comes with America's favorite game, possibly leading to even more major events for the country down the road.