Why is the college football season opener in Australia?

Tonight’s Cal vs. Hawaii game will be played across the Pacific Ocean in Australia to open the 2016 season, but why?

The first game of the 2016 college football season nearly here. The Cal Golden Bears vs. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors play at 10 p.m. ET will be the first taste for fans and it will even add some international flavor as the game is played in Australia.

In case you haven’t already heard, the game will be played across the Pacific in Australia. Yes, you read that correctly, the Golden Bears and Rainbow Warriors will be gracing the Aussies with American football on a Saturday afternoon — the game is actually at noon in Australia, where it’s already Saturday.

Why are the two teams facing off in Australia, you ask?

An article on SB Nation article by Christian D’Andrea highlighted the main reasons why the two teams will play the first college football game of 2016 out of the States.

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First off, the two teams want to expose Australia to American football again. They don’t get much of a chance to see games and with one coming to play locally, they will get a taste of the sport. The more exposure the two teams get from Australia, the better chance the sport will gain a new fan base.

On top of that, both teams are expected to make a big profit from the game. Traveling to Australia does have its benefits.

This could also aid in recruiting for both teams, and college football as a whole. The sport could afford to add some talent from Australia — heck, the Vikings even drafted an Aussie in the 2016 NFL Draft.

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Lastly, this is for TV ratings. Getting an international audience as well as a local one for the first game of the year will boost ratings through the roof, presumably.

We will find out tonight if this Australian game is worth the travel.